Description

Here on offer is WW1 period hallmarked silver cigarette case with a gilt interior.The front is engraved with the words:Lt Sergt Paine R.E.in memory ofRoshervilleJanuary 1919.As yet I haven't managed to find the service records for Lt Sergeant Paine of the Royal Engineers, who was clearly injured during WW1 and was treated at the Rosherville hospital where he recovered before it closed in January 1919.Inside the case there is a clear set of English silver hallmarks, the Lion Passant for English silver (925), an anchor for the assay office of Birmingham and the date letter 'S' for the year 1917.It also shows the makers mark, 'S&Bm' set in indented diamonds, that I believe relates to the maker:Smith & BartlemEdward Ernest Smith & William Bartlam trading as Smith & Bartlam, manufacturing jewellers, of Caroline Street, Birmingham and subsequently Branston Street, Birmingham.Some history of the Rosherville Hospital.At the outbreak of WW1, the Kent/42 and /92 Voluntary Aid Detachments (V.A.D.s) quickly established two hospitals near Gravesend - in the Yacht Club and in the Parish Room at All Hallows, east of the town. On 15th October 1914 the first patients arrived - wounded Belgian soldiers - and all available beds were filled.The property of Mr John Russell, the long disused Rosherville Hotel on the west side of Lansdowne Square, was then requisitioned. (The Victorian Rosherville Gardens had finally closed in 1913 after a brief revival.) Each of the hotel's many rooms were allocated to a volunteer, who was responsible for its furnishing. In this way, the Hospital was made ready without any call being made on local or country funds.The Rosherville V.A.D. Hospital opened in November 1914 with 64 beds for enlisted men and, in its turn, was quickly filled. The Hospital was affiliated with the Graylingwell War Hospital in Chichester. It had a fully equipped operating theatre, a surgery for dressing wounds and a dispensary.In 1917 the patient accommodation was increased to 126 beds and, in July, when Ingress Abbey became an annexe to the Hospital, it had a bed complement of 201.The convalescent patients were entertained by the local population, who arranged regular whist drives and concerts. In the summer, river trips were provided by the local pilots.The Hospital closed on 31st January 1919.After WW1 the Rosherville Hotel was converted into apartments.The 4-storey building was demolished in 1963 to make way for industrial development.It measures 3.2' (8cm) by 2.25' (5.7cm) and weighs 52g.Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.Please see my TERMS OF BUSINESS regarding Deliver Charges and Insurance regarding additional insurance cover, should you require it, BEFORE the item is dispatched.The responsibility lies with the customer to check with your Customs restrictions that this item can be imported into your country.Many thanks for taking the time to look.

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