Australian Groups

Lot 1503    SESSION 6 (9.30AM TUESDAY 31ST AUGUST)    Australian Groups

Estimate $3,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $3,800

PAIR: Egypt Medal 1882-89 (undated reverse), - clasp - Suakin 1885; Khedive's Star 1884-5. 258 Pte J.F.Soley, N.S.W. Infy. on first medal, second medal unnamed as issued. The named medal engraved. Very fine.

Together with Lord Mayor of Sydney Soudan Medal, 1885, in silver (28mm) (C.1885/10), reverse inscribed, 'J.F.Soley'; medalet in silver for Departure of N.S.W. Troops for the Soudan March 1885; medalet in silver for Welcome Return N.S.W. Contingent.

John Fisher Soley, traveller, age 25, born at St John, New Brunswick, Canada and raised in England; came to Australia in command of one of his father's ships; Enl.19Feb1885, at Paddington Barracks in Sydney, in NSW Infy with previous service as an Able Seaman in the Navy Artillery Volunteers; Emb.03Mar1885; RTA 23Jun1885.

John Fisher Soley, also known as John Fisher Rose-Soley, late of North Sydney died on 25 March 1944 at Young District Hospital while a recent resident of the War Veterans' Home and was remembered as a former sub-editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and editor of the Sunday Times and also a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson who stayed at his house during a visit to Sydney. His Scottish born wife Rose de Boheme was an author, later going by the name Agnes R. Rose-Soley.

Part of a report in The Worker newspaper, Wagga, NSW on Thursday 29 December 1910, page 21 reads as follows.
'Mr. and Mrs. Rose-Soley have done good work in Australia and elsewhere as journalists and writers of short stories, often writing in collaboration. Mrs. Rose-Soley (the A. R. of the partnership) sometimes signs 'Rose de Boheme.' She was born in Scotland, and passed her earlier years, in France. While studying at Newnham, Cambridge, England, she had a severe breakdown in health, and came to Australia to recover. After a time she took up journalism in Sydney, having had some experience of such work in other parts of the world. Here she first met her husband.'

It continues a few short paragraphs later as follows,

'Mr. and Mrs. Rose-Soley spent two years in Samoa, living the greater part of the time among the natives, familiarising themselves with their manners and customs in everyday home life, and writing busily. For a time they were neighbours of Robert Louis Stevenson at Vailhma. Then, they lived in San Francisco for five years, contributing to many newspapers and magazines. For more than a year after that they were in San Diego, Southern California. Then in London for some years. They returned to Sydney early in 1910.'

With research.