The superb and regimentally unique Knight of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Companion of the Most Distinguished Service of St. Michael and St. George and Great War Distinguished Service Order group awarded to Colonel Sir Herbert Bryan, Colonial Secretary of the Gold Coast and of Jamaica, late of the Manchester Regiment and later of the 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He was present in the West Africa expeditions in the hinterland of Lagos and the northern territories of the Gold Coast between September 1897 and 14th June 1898, and then in the expedition to Barsema during 1898 for which he was mentioned in despatches. He would subsequently serve on the Gold Coast against the Ashanti tribe, before being appointed the Colonial Secretary of the Gold Coast, a position he would hold from 1904-1912, being appointed a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in the London Gazette of 29th June 1906.
Upon the outbreak of the Great War, Bryan would be appointed the Colonial Secretary of Jamaica, but would rejoin the Army in January 1915, and in December 1915 would be given the command of the 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, he would be Mentioned in Despatches on five separate occasions during the Great War, twice for his services in France and thrice for services in Salonika, in addition to being awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the London Gazette of 1st January 1918, and the French Medaille D’Honneur avec Glaves en Vermeil in the London Gazette of 21st July 1919.
Bryan would go on to resume his role as the Colonial Secretary for Jamaica after the Great War, and would be appointed a Knight of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the London Gazette of 3rd June 1925 for his work as the Colonial Secretary and Revenue Commissioner of the Island of Jamaica. After his retirement he would interest himself in public work being director of the Wiltshire branch of the British Red Cross and controller of the county branch of the Voluntary Aid Detachment.
Group of 13: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, K.B.E. (Civil) Knight Commander’s 1st type set of insignia;, comprising neck badge and breast star in silver-gilt and enamels; The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s breast badge, in silver-gilt, gold and enamels; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., in silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top ribbon bar; East and West Africa Medal 1887-1900, 3 clasps, 1897-98, 1898, 1900 (CAPT H. BRYAN. MANCH: RGT.); Ashanti Medal 1900, high relief bust, no clasp (CAPT & BT. MAJ. H. BRYAN. MANCH. R.) Africa General Service Medal 1902-56, high relief bust, 1 clasp, Gambia (MAJOR H. BRYAN, MANCH. RGT.) 1914-15 Star (MAJOR H. BRYAN. C.M.G. NORTH’D FUS.) British War Medal and Victory Medal, with Mention in Despatches oak leaf emblem; (BT. LT. COL. H. BRYAN.); Coronation Medal 1902, silver; Coronation Medal 1937; France, Third Republic, Medaille d’Honneur, with swords, silver-gilt, these last ten mounted loose for wear, along with a Jubilee Medal 1935 which is singly loose- mounted for wear
Condition: some minor enamel chips in places, otherwise Good Very Fine
Sir Herbert Bryan was born on 13th June 1865, the son of the Reverend H. Bryan of Lyddington House, Rutland and was educated at Oakham School. After serving in the ranks of the 7th Hussars from 1885 to 1892, he would be commissioned into the Lincolnshire Regiment and was promoted to be a Captain in the Manchester Regiment in 1899.
He would be selected for service in West Africa in 1897 where a serious dispute had arisen between Great Britain and France over claims to certain territories in the hinterland of Lagos, and in Northern Nigeria. He was employed at first in the hinterland of Lagos and then took part in certain operations on the Niger, including the expedition to Barsema, he would be mentioned in despatches for this.
On 1st January 1900, the rights and possessions of the Royal Niger Company were transferred to the Crown and a British protectorate was established over Northern Nigeria. During the first year of its existence the Government of the Protectorate was engaged in bringing under control the native states within its borders. Bryan served with the forces employed in this task and was again mentioned in despatches.
In the same year serious trouble broke out on the Gold Coast, where in consequence of an attempt on the part of the Government to obtain possession of the ‘Golden Stool’ of the Ashanti, the tribe had risen in arms and besieged the Governor and some on the local troops in Kumassi. An expeditionary force consisting of contingents from the British colones and protectorates in West Africa and commanded by Colonel (afterwards General Sir James) Willcocks was despatched to deal with the situation, and Bryan served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General on the Staff, and was once more mentioned in despatches.
In 1902 he was employed as Chief Staff Officer of the force sent to the Gambia to punish the town implicated in the murder of two travelling commissioners and six constables in the previous year, and to stamp out the spirit of rebellion which had spread throughout the protectorate in consequence of the long delay in bringing the murderers to justice. The expedition was entirely successful, and the protectorate resumed its normal peaceful condition in a very short time. In 1898 the military forces of the West African colonies and protectorates resumed its normal peaceful condition in a very short time. In 1898 the military forces of the West African colonies and protectorates had been amalgamated into a single force known as the West African Frontier Force, and placed under the command of an inspector-general, to whom a Staff officer was attached. Bryan held the later appointment from 1901 to 1903.
In 1904 Bryan was promoted to be Colonial Secretary of the Gold Coast, which was then entering on a period of considerable development. In the expansion of railways, of trade and of education and health services, Byran played an important part, especially as he acted as Governor on various occasions between 1904 and 1909 and again during 1911 and 1912. He was twice thanked by the Secretary of State for his services and was awarded a C.M.G. in the London Gazette of 29th June 1906 for his service as a Brevet Major, Colonial Secretary of the Gold Coast.
In 1914 he would be promoted to Colonial Secretary of Jamaica , but would rejoin the Army in January 1915, in December of that year he would given the command of the 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, and between then and the end of the war he would serve in other capacities both in France and Salonika being decorated on a number of occasions, including being Mentioned in Despatches for his service in France on 5th June 1916 and again on 24th December 1917. He would be decorated with the Distinguished Service Order in the London Gazette of 1st January 1918, and then later thrice mentioned in despatches for his services in Salonika, on 11th June 1918, 30th January 1919 and 5th June 1919. His final Great War decoration would be the French Medaille d’Honneur avec Glaves en Vermeil in the London Gazette of 21st July 1919.
After the war, in 1919 he would resume his duties as Colonel Secretary of Jamaica, and in the years that followed acted on various occasions as the Governor. Upon his retirement he was made a Knight of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, this being confirmed in the London Gazette of 3rd June 1925 for his work as Colonial Secretary and Revenue Commissioner, Island of Jamaica.
He would subsequently settle down in Wiltshire, being the director of the county branch of the Red Cross and controller of the county branch of the V.A.D. In 1901, Sir Herbert had married Agnes Christobel, daughter of Mr. C.A. Wetenhall, Stanwick, Northants who died In 1938, leaving no children. Sir Herbert died on 28th September 1950.
