1901 QUEEN VICTORIA UK DIPLOMAT PACIFIC CANNIBAL EXPLORER POWELL DOCUMENT SIGNED

Description

Here are a couple of
1901
Queen Victoria Death Memorial Pieces
-
ONE
SIGNED
BY BRITISH EXPLORER and DIPLOMAT:
SIR WILFRED POWELL
(1853 – 1942)
SOUTH PACIFIC EXPLORER, and ADVENTURER WHO ESCAPED DEATH ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS FROM THE CANNIBALS OF NEW BRITAIN, PAPUA NEW GUINEA,
BRITISH DIPLOMAT and CONSULAR OFFICIAL,
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC AT SAMOA 1885-1887
CONSUL FOR NAVIGATORS ISLANDS, SAMOA,
HER MAJESTY’S BRITISH CONSUL-GENERAL TO VARIOUS STATES IN THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING PENNSYLVANIA
-&-
PACIFIC OCEAN EXPLORER – EXPLORING NEW BRITAIN FROM 1877 TO 1880!
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the first piece
is the “allied british-american societies of philadelphia” invitation card and stage ticket “to attend a public meeting, to make expression of their love and reverence for the memory of her most gracious majesty victoria, late queen of great britain and ireland and empress of india at the american academy of music” [philadelphia], feb. 2, 1901.
the second piece
is
signed by powell
, and is the accompanying admission ticket for a solemn service in honor of queen victoria to be held at st. mark’s church, 10
th
and locust streets Victoria at philadelphia at 3pm feb. 2, 1901.
QUEEN VICTORIA
(1819 – 1901)
BOTH DOCUMENTS ARE IN
Very Fine Condition.
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Sir Wilfred Powell
(1853-1942) was born on 14 May 1853. He travelled extensively in the Pacific, and explored New Britain from 1877 to 1880.
The sketch at left, drawn by Sir Wilfred, was the frontspiece of his book, Wanderings In A Wild Country: Or Three Years Amongst The Cannibals Of New Britain (1883).
He became Consul for the Navigators Islands (Samoa) on 1 May 1885, and also Deputy Commissioner for the Western Pacific. On 1 April 1888 he was appointed Consul at Stettin, and during April-June 1889 he attended a conference on Samoa at Berlin.
He was transferred to Philadelphia on 11 November 1898, becoming Consul for Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (an area altered in 1907 to Pennsylvania, Ohio and Delaware). He was promoted to Consul-General in 1913, and retired on 1 January 1916. Powell became a Fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute in 1880. He died on 4 February 1942, age 88, in Kent, England, where he made his home.
His second son, Gareth Henry Mansell Powell, enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in August 1914. He was born March 1, 1894; died April 23, 1915 (missing in action) in the Second Battle of Ypres, age 21, private in the Eastern Ontario Regiment. Medals : The King's Cross; Mons Cross 1914; War Medal; Victory Medal. A memorial is on the southwest wall of the church interior. (right, Powell is listed on a plaque at the Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium.)
His father sent an inquiry to the British War Office requesting his whereabouts when his son went missing (War Office records).
The Powells (he was related to Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts), lived at 701 Pine St. while he was H.M. Consul.
When he retired in 1916, he was succeeded by Charles A.S. Perceval. The announcement was made on Oct. 11, the day Sir Wilfred learned of his son's death on the Western Front, the New York Times reported Oct. 12, 1915.
In 1906, Sir Wilfred presented the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia with one of its three gavels. It is made from oak, copper, mahogany, and iron from Lord Nelson's favorite ship, "Foudroyant."
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WANDERINGS IN A WILD COUNTRY- WILFRED POWELL
by
Harry Topham
»
Wed May 30, 2012
A very interesting book on pre German times in the new Guinea Islands is
titled
“ A WILD COUNTRY OR THREE YEARS AMONGST THE CANNIBALS OF NEW BRITAIN”
and written by Wilfred Powell
FRGS in 1883 the book traces young Powell's adventures travelling in the New Britain and New island regions from 1875 to 1878.
Financed by a group of wealthy patrons from Sydney a young Powell sets off from Sydney aboard a 15 ton ketch to New Britain via the Torres Strait thence around the Trobrian Islands eventually arriving in the Gazelle.
It must be remembered that at that time the region was a virtual uncontrolled area with no formal government in place as it was well before the Germans later annexation of New Guinea although it seems that the British authorities through their Fiji based Governor of Polynesia kept a watchful eye over its British missionaries who had ventured northwards to establish their influence in this area.
Although relatively a wild place it is interesting to note that other outsiders had also moved there to establish trading posts and there had been quite considerable maritime traffic passing through the area before hand.
Wilfred Powell lead quite a remarkable life starting out as a scholar, adventurer and later a noted diplomatic holding numerous Consul General’s positions before his retirement.
Although a noted scholar this book was written to capture a wide audience as evidenced by his style of writing which is laconic simple prose, written in a rather swashbuckling cavalier style with enough embellishment provided to keep the readers attention firmly fixed to the pages awaiting for the next unexpected outcomes happening.
The book appears to have been a secondary interest to Powell’s real intent, which was academic in nature dealing with serous studies into linguistic, ethnological and zoological issues, which was his academic forte.
His attention to detail are also quite remarkable with local names of villages visited recorded in his maps.
Although much of his more serious research findings are skipped over in his book, the book contains a lot of sketches and drawings that obviously formed a greater part of his research notes.
Powell’s adventures are quite remarkable for during his three years travels he ventured to the relatively undiscovered regions of the north Coast of New Britain, was present during the massacre of the Presbyterian missionaries in the gazelle area and well as being present when Mother Volcano erupted forming what appears to be the later named Beehives in Rabaul harbour.
During his travels he has quite a few narrow escapes from being killed by the locals.
I liked his rather laconic, understated accounts of escaping death whilst at waylaid at one of the Duke of York Islands where he had been required to beach his yacht for repairs.
Brokering a peace deal with the local chief for suitable fee things went awry when the chief broke the deal by stealing and damaging the goods stored on the beach.
Young Powell then reprimanded the chief for the breach of trust and requesting suitable compensation be paid resulting in the Chief then deciding that he would do them all in and take the lot.
As Powell was about to return to his boat after the discussion he found himself surrounded by 50-armed villages that emerged from the bushes.
In his words recounted “ Hallo I thought, looks like we are in for bit of fighting”
As the chief rushed forward to club him, Powell reached for his revolver, which unfortunately misfired and then dogged a spear, which grazed his hand.
He was only saved by his trusted dog, Rover who came to his assistance and bit the chief on the leg allowing Powell enough time to club his assailant and retreat to the safety of his companions at the beach.
As is the way in things PNG, the matter then was resolved with no recriminations on either side, compensation were paid by both parties and new mutual respects garnered.
The later parts of Powell’s’ book related to his travels down the west coast to Cape Gloucester and his near escape from death when his yacht was wrecked off Cape Lambert.
Powell and his crew make it to landfall and were under continual attack from the Bainings peoples who not satisfied with having plundered his wrecked yacht wanted to finish him off but fortunately was fortuitously rescued by a passing trading boat where he made his way back to the Duke of York islands where he managed to get a birth on a passing British frigate back to Australia.
The main part of Powell’s yarn was obviously written as a adventure type of yarn however the appendices contained give a more detailed account of his anthropological findings on the New Britain and New Island peoples and has some good academic merit to anthropologists.
Some of his observations are by today’s standards out of date particularly his cure for malaria, which comprised 1 part strychnine to 100 parts chelate of iron.
I think today’s medicos would shudder at such bush medicine cures as the cure suggested might be more dangerous than the malady.
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BIOGRAPHY OF QUEEN
VICTORIA
Victoria
(Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was
Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Known as the
Victorian era
, her reign of 63 years and seven months was
longer than any previous British monarch
. It was a period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the
British Empire
. In 1876, Parliament voted to grant her the additional title of
Empress of India
.
Victoria was the daughter of
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
(the fourth son of
King George III
), and
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
. After both the Duke and his father died in 1820, she was
raised under close supervision
by her mother and her
comptroller
,
John Conroy
. She inherited the throne aged 18 after her father's three elder brothers died without surviving legitimate issue. Though a
constitutional monarch
, privately, Victoria attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments; publicly, she became a national icon who was identified with strict standards of
personal morality
.
Victoria married her first cousin
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
in 1840. Their
children
married into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the
sobriquet
"the
grandmother of Europe
" and spreading
haemophilia in European royalty
. After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion,
republicanism in the United Kingdom
temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign, her popularity recovered. Her
Golden
and
Diamond
Jubilees were times of public celebration. She died on the
Isle of Wight
in 1901. The last
British monarch
of the
House of Hanover
, she was succeeded by her son
Edward VII
of the
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
.
MISC. NOTES:
Wilfred Powell, 1853-1942, explorer and consular official, travelled extensively in the Pacific, explored New Britain from 1877 to 1880, Consul for Navigators Islands (Samoa), also Deputy Commissioner for the Western Pacific, later appointed Consul in different parts of the USA.
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Papers mainly relating to Powell's work as Deputy Commissioner for the Western Pacific at Samoa 1885-1887. They include: official documents, letters and reports on his travels in the Pacific and New Guinea and on the administration and politics of Samoa; manuscripts and cuttings on Samoa; the Pacific labour trade; the annexation of New Guinea; accounts of the Samoan hurricane of 1889; and photographs of Samoa. Correspondents include J.B. Thurston.
I am a proud member of the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC), The Ephemera Society of America, the Manuscript Society and the American Political Items Collectors (APIC) (member name: John Lissandrello). I subscribe to each organizations' code of ethics and authenticity is guaranteed. ~Providing quality service and historical memorabilia online for over 20 years.~
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