Orders, Decorations and Medals

An unusual G.C.B., I.S.O. group awarded to Sir Edward Maunde Thompson, Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum, together with those of his son, Major F. G. Maunde-Thompson, Royal Garrison Artillery

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, G.C.B. (Civil) sash badge in Silver-gilt, hallmarked 1900, and breast star in silver, gilt and enamels, the set complete with full dress sash in its Garrard & Co case of issue; Imperial Service Order, E.VII.R., breast badge in silver, gold and enamels; Jubilee 1897, silver; Coronation 1902, silver; Order of the Crown of Italy, 4th class breast badge in gold and enamels, contained in its Cravanzola case of issue; accompanied by original certificate of a Freeman of the Company of Stationers, and letter forwarding same;together with his son’s group of four, comprising: Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill (Lieut. F. G. Maunde-Thompson, R.A.) correction to first initial; King’s South Africa, 2 clasps (Lieut., R.G.A.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. (Major) generally very fine or better (10)

G.C.B. London Gazette 25 June 1909.
I.S.O. London Gazette 24 June 1904.

Edward Maunde Thompson was born in Claredon, Jamaica, on 4 May 1840. He was educated at Rugby and completed a couple of years of study at University College, Oxford, but was forced to withdraw before completion of his degree due to his father’s financial situation. He entered the British Museum in 1861 and immediately set to work on the “Class Catalogue” of manuscripts. In 1871 he was promoted to Assistant Keeper, Department of Manuscripts, and was instrumental in bringing up to date the cataloguing backlog of recent historic manuscript accessions. In his work with various manuscripts he became an expert palaeographer and pioneer in the use of photographic techniques for the comparison of manuscripts and, with Sir E. A. Bond, founded the Palaeographical Society in 1873. He became Keeper, Department of Manuscripts, in 1878 and was involved in making the collection more accessible to the public. In 1888 he became the Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum. It was here that his great talents came forth. He was a masterful administrator who promoted important cataloguing projects, developed the educational and popular side of the museum, encouraged exhibitions, was instrumental in the addition of the King Edward wing to the museum, and encouraged excavations abroad. He was made a Knight Commander of the Bath, Civil division, in 1895. He was one of the founders of the British Academy in 1902. In 1904 he was awarded the Imperial Service Order, and in 1909 was created a Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Civil division, both for his contributions to the British museum and the world of scholarship. He retired from the museum in 1909 after 48 years of service but continued to contribute abundant scholarly work until his death in 1929. A good portrait of Thompson by Sir Edward Poynter, painted in 1909, was hung in the board room of the British Museum

Francis George Maunde-Thompson was born on 10 May 1877, son of Sir Edward and Georgina (née Mackenzie) Maunde Thompson. He entered the Army in 1900, serving in the ranks for 145 days with the City of London Imperial Volunteers. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in May 1900, serving during the Boer War in South Africa. From 12 September 1912 to the beginning of the Great War, he was an instructor at the Ordnance College at Woolwich. During the war he served as a Major in France and Belgium in July 1916, and again in May and June 1917. He retired from the Army in March 1923 after 23 years service.