Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 20002 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Space Exploration
Lot: 175

Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (Charles Tourle), nearly extremely fine

Charles Tourle was born in 1873 at Brighton, the grandson of Charles Tourle, a printer, publisher and bookseller of Edward Street, Brighton, West Sussex. It appears that rather than taking employment in the family business, young Charles determined to join the Merchant Navy, possibly in consequence of its ailing fortunes associated with bad local press:

'Thomas Bennett, a boy of 13, was charged with stealing a quantity of song-books, value thirteen shillings, the property of Charles Tourle, bookseller, Edward Street. Mary Ann Tourle, wife of Charles Tourle, deposed that prisoner had often been in the shop picking and pilfering little things. On Tuesday last, she missed the books in question' (The Brighton Gazette, 5 November 1857, refers).

With the prisoner pleading guilty, the focus of the case fell upon the contents of the books which bore the title 'The Swiss Gardens Songster', printed and published by Tourle:

'At the conclusion of the case against the prisoner, Mr. White (Chief Constable) said he found these books to be most obscene. They were not fit to be sold to any person, much more to children. He should feel it his duty not to give up the books.'

In summing up, the judge, Mr. White, almost seemed to ignore who was in the dock and focussed instead upon Mrs Toule, a mother to six children:

'It is evident, Mrs Toule, you have been selling books of a disgusting tendency, in fact, a moral poison. I am shocked and surprised to find the books of this nature have been sold in Brighton, as I had hoped that the sale was confined to an infamous street in the metropolis… As a mother of a family your conduct has been perfectly disgraceful in selling such poison.'

In consequence of the theft, Bennett was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment in the House of Correction. No record was taken as to Mrs Tourle's response. Her grandson, Charles Tourle, later moved from Brighton to 40 Couper Street, Leith, Edinburgh, receiving his medal at this address on 3 July 1922; sold with copied record noting further entitlement to BWM.


Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Sold for
£45

Starting price
£10