Stanley's gold watch and chain

Details

Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904)
Stanley's gold watch and chain
an 18K gold half-hunter case keyless lever watch signed American Watch Co, Waltham, Mass. With three-quarter plate gilt-finished jewelled lever movement, bimetallic compensation balance, gold cuvette, the white enamel dial with Roman numerals, blued steel spade hands, subsidiary seconds, in circular case with Roman numerals to the glazed aperture in the front, together with associated pink gold short length of chain. Movement signed. Engraved on the inside of the case 'THIS WATCH WAS LEFT AS A PLEDGE WITH THE SAVAGE MANYUEMA OCTOBER 26th 1887 AND REDEEMED JUNE 20th 1888.', engraved on the inside case 'To SURGEON T.H. PARKE AS A SOUVENIR OF FORT BODO AND IPOTO 1887 AND 1888 FROM HIS FRIEND HENRY. M. STANLEY'
2in. (5.1cm.) diameter
with an autograph letter signed from H.M. Stanley to W.H. Parke, Hotel Windsor, Westminster, 16 November 1893, forwarding 'the two packets found in the Doctor's old helmet. The smaller box ... contains the watch chain. The larger is in exactly the condition I found it ... a souvenir of the friendship which existed between your brother & myself', one page, 8vo; [and:] a presentation copy of Thomas Heazle Parke's My Personal Experiences in Equatorial Africa as Medical Officer of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, London, 1891, inscribed on the front free endpaper 'To my dearest Harriet & George, for Stanley Parke Stoker [Parke's nephew and Stanley's godson] from Yours Affectionately "Bwana Doctor" Netley 6th November 1891' (3)

Provenance

(the gold watch) Henry Morton Stanley (thought to have been purchased for £49 in January 1887 just before he left for Cairo), Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, 1887-1890, by whom given to Surgeon Thomas Heazle Parke (1857-1893).
Given by Stanley to Surgeon Parke's brother William H. Parke on Surgeon Parke's death (see Stanley's letter to William Parke which accompanies this lot).
Stanley Parke Stoker, and thence by descent to the present owner.

Special notice

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Lot Essay

A RELIC OF THE EMIN PASHA EXPEDITION. Parke records how Stanley gave the watch to Ismailia, chief of the Manyuema people at Ipoto: 'Last night, in his tent, Mr. Stanley in my presence, gave Ismailia a gold watch and chain, as a pledge for the payment of some guides whom he was taking with him for a few days. [This watch (with chain) was redeemed eight months afterwards -- when surrendering it, the chief declared that it had died -- and kindly presented to me by Mr. Stanley on our return to England, with the following inscription: "To Surgeon T.H. Parke, as a souvenir of Fort Bodo and Ipoto, 1887 and 1888, from his friend Henry M. Stanley."]' (T.H. Parke, My Personal Experiences in Equatorial Africa, London, 1891, p.129).

Stanley's starving column had reached the Arab settlement of Ipoto in October. From near here, on 26 September (the date recorded on the watch) he had sent Parke with Jephson and thirty Manyema to relieve the ailing Nelson and bring him up to rejoin the Advance Column. After a tortuous 450-mile journey of over five months through the Ituri rainforest Stanley finally reached Lake Albert with his Advance Column in December 1887, but failed to find Emin Pasha (who was at Wadelai). He retreated to Iburi where he had established his camp (Fort Bodo) before setting out again in search of Emin Pasha.

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