Thanks to generous public donations last year, Hayle Heritage Centre has been able to acquire a Victorian Officer’s full dress tunic which belonged to Lieutenant Colonel William Lueg Harvey of the 2nd battalion DCLI.
Lieutenant Colonel Harvey was one of the Harvey’s of Hayle, a family renowned for engineering expertise. The Harvey family built up a foundry and engineering empire in the town that came to be known and respected worldwide; Harvey’s Foundry were responsible for the biggest steam engines ever built). Hayle Heritage Centre now occupies the historic Harvey’s Foundry Offices.
Hayle Heritage Centre was able to buy the outfit at auction due to generous donations from visitors to the Centre last year. Laura Walton of Hayle Heritage Centre stated:
We have very few personal items relating to the Harvey family and named clothes are extremely rare. This item is not only beautiful but it has full provenance that proves it belonged by Lieutenant Colonel Harvey.”
Lieutenant Colonel Harvey was born in 1858 and served with the DCLI (Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry). He went on to complete an Egyptian expedition in 1882 and served in the South African War 1899-1902. In 1901 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO); a DSO is awarded for officers showing exemplary conduct in combat.
The uniform is in need of remedial conservation work but will be on display temporarily when the Heritage Centre centre re-opens to the public on the 12th April (11am-4pm).
The Heritage Centre has undergone a major re-hang over the winter months and now offers new displays (showcasing our growing collection of objects relating to Hayle) and family interactives, as well as two new exhibition areas to explore.
We are celebrating our new look with a coffee and cake morning on the 12th and a family friendly craft workshop in the afternoon.
The Heritage Centre will also be open on Saturday the 15th of April with free craft activities for children and a Easter Egg hunt from 11am-3pm.
