The fine group of Orders and Medals to Paymaster Rear Admiral Philip John Hawkins Lander Row, C.B.,

The fine group of Orders and Medals to Paymaster Rear Admiral Philip John Hawkins Lander Row, C.B., C.V.O., R.N., Keeper of the King's Privy Purse and Registrar of the Royal Victorian Order: The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Civil Division, Companion's Neck Badge (C.B.), silver-gilt, London 1919, extremely fine or nearly so; The Royal Victorian Order, Commander's Neck Badge, gilt and enamels, reverse numbered 898, very small chip to enamel to right of crown, otherwise about extremely fine; Africa General Service Medal 1899-1956, Edward VII, clasp: Somaliland 1902-04 (PAYMRP.J.H.L.ROW, R.N., H.M.S.HIGHFLYER.), impressed in serif capitals; British War Medal 1914-20 (PAYR. IN CH. P.J.H.L. ROW. R.N.), this and the last mounted together for wearing, good very fine or better; Sweden: The Royal Order of Vasa, Commander's Neck Badge*, gilt and enamel, about extremely fine; Turkey: Imtiaz Medal (Nishan-i-Imtiaz), in gold (P.H. ROW 3 SEPTEMBER. 1907), engraved to the reverse in plain capitals, extremely fine; Afghanistan: The Order of the Star (Nishan-i-Astour), first class breast star, gilt star of eight groups of rays, silver central medallion engraved with numeral indicating the class, rev. engraved Persian inscription, good very fine or better; Egypt: the Order of the Nile, Commander's neck badge, silver, gilt and enamels, by Lattes, some minor damage evident to enamel, otherwise good very fine; France (Third Republic): Legion d' Honneur, knight's badge, good very fine [9]; together with a mounted set of dress miniature medals representing the four British awards, and an earlier miniature set for the AGS, the Vasa and the Imtiaz, the set of four about extremely fine, the set of three good very fine though with the Imtiaz medal detached from its suspension; together with the following original documents: Grants of Dignity for the Bath, the Vasa, and the Legion d'Honneur; the firman (equivalent to a grant of dignity) for the Imtiaz medal; certificates of permission to wear the Vasa, the Imtiaz, the Nile, the Star (Afghanistan) and the Legion d'Honneur.

Philip John Hawkins Lander Row was born on the 19th March 1870 at 10 Trafalgar Place, Plymouth; the son of Andrew W. Row, Acting Foreman at H.M. Dockyard Devonport. He was educated at Plymouth College and entered the Royal Navy on the 15th January 1887 as an Assistant Clerk. Following a brief period in H.M.S. Adelaide he joined H.M.S. Alexandra, flagship of the Mediterranean fleet, sharing the gunroom mess with future Admirals David Beatty and Reginald Tyrwhitt. He served in a variety of appointments at home and abroad, rising by stages to Paymaster in 1901 and Paymaster Captain in 1920. Between 1904 and 1907 he was secretary to the Commander in Chief North America and West Indies Station. In 1911 he was appointed Private Secretary to the newly installed Governor of South Australia, Sir Day Hort Bosanquet. Throughout his career his outstanding ability and conduct were recognised in glowing terms by his commanding officers. During the First World War his duties included those of Assistant Secretary to the Committee of Imperial Defence and he was made a Companion of the Bath in the 1919 New Year's Honours. An appointment as Deputy Paymaster Director General at the Admiralty followed, and he retired in 1923 as Paymaster Rear Admiral to take up the post of Assistant-Treasurer and Secretary of His Majesty Edward VII's Privy Purse. He was made Registrar of the Royal Victorian Order in 1931, and passed away on Thursday, 10th November 1932 at Wren House, Kensington Palace, aged 62. See lot 19 for the orders and medals to this officer's son.