Newhaven Sussex award of a Royal Humane Society Honorary Testimonial on Vellum, as awarded to one ‘Briton Vinall’, whose full name was Britton George Vinall. From New Shoreham, Newhaven, and latterly Brighton, Sussex, he was living in Newhaven when for his act of lifesaving in Newhaven Harbour on 10 July 1884 when he went to the rescue of one George Willie ‘who was in imminent danger of drowning’ that led to the Royal Humane Society voting for him on 26 August 1884 to receive the Honorary Testimonial on Vellum. He latterly worked as both a carpenter and shipwright.
Royal Humane Society Honorary Testimonial on Vellum, inscribed to: ‘Briton Vinall’ who further ‘is justly entitled to the Honorary Testimonial of this Society inscribed on Vellum which is hereby awarded him for having on the 10th: July 1884, gone to the rescue of George Willie who was in imminent danger of drowning in Newhaven Harbour and whose life he gallantly saved.’ Signed by both the President and Chairman of the Royal Humane Society, the president being His Grace the Duke of Argyll K.G., K.T., the chairman being John March Case, as agreed to be awarded during a meeting held at the society offices in Trafalgar Square, dated 26 August 1884.
Condition: heavy evidence of water damage to the document, this being crumbled from damp and age, but still entirely legible. Fair Condition.
Britton George Vinall was born in 1868 in New Shoreham, Newhaven, Sussex, being baptised there at St Mary de Haura Church on 26 January 1868, he was the son of William Edward Vinall and Ellen Greenfield Bingham. By 1881 his family was living in Newhaven, and it was for his act of lifesaving in Newhaven Harbour on 10 July 1884 when he went to the rescue of one George Willie ‘who was in imminent danger of drowning’ that led to the Royal Humane Society voting for him on 26 August 1884 to receive the Honorary Testimonial on Vellum.
As of 1891 he was lodging in Thelwell, Cheshire, and working as a shipwright, but as of 15 November 1896 he was living in Brighton, and in 1901 when living in Preston, Sussex, he married Bridget at Lewes, with whom he had three children. He was then working as a carpenter. He was living in Brighton and still working as a carpenter as of 1911. As of 1929 he was living in Wandsworth, London, but had returned to Brighton when he died in July 1935.
