A Victorian silver fireman's helmet for the Newbury Volunteer Fire Brigade, London 1883 by Philip

A Victorian silver fireman's helmet for the Newbury Volunteer Fire Brigade, London 1883 by Philip Smith Firmin, with a comb chased with fire-breathing dragons above a matt scrolling cartouche applied with the letters NVFB (Newbury Volunteer Fire Brigade), with round link chin-straps suspended from florets, 25.5cm high (10in); and a pair of epaulettes in the form of articulated graduated discs; together with the original oval black painted tin case with an applied brass plaque 'Firmin & Sons, Accoutrement Makers, 153 Strand & 13 Conduit St, London' In September 1878, due to the lack of men and equipment in the Newbury Borough Fire Brigade, about twenty tradesmen determined to form a volunteer fire brigade and, after some debate by the town's Watch Committee, a majority voted to accept the services of an auxiliary brigade. The first captain of the Newbury Volunteer Fire Brigade was Mr Brice Wilson and the first recorded call-out was in May 1879. Captain Wilson subsequently commanded the NVFB until shortly before his death around the end of 1887. In February 1884, at a dinner for the NVFB held in the Council Chamber and 'brilliantly illuminated by the electric light', Captain Wilson was presented with a silver helmet, epaulettes and an illuminated address. The address stated that past and present members of the NVFB 'beg your acceptance of the accompanying helmet and epaulettes as a token of esteem and to mark our appreciation of your untiring energy for the welfare of the Brigade.' In his reply Captain Wilson said that he would 'always use it when on duty' (Selected extracts from the Newbury Weekly News, February 14th 1884.) Given the hallmark date of this helmet (1883) and the fact that no other example of this date is known, there is every probability that this is the one presented to Captain Wilson at the Gala dinner in his honour in February 1884.