1851 Great Exhibition medal

Devon was once renowned for its lace. In 1840, the lace used for Queen Victoria’s wedding dress was made along the East Devon coast. It proved a major boost to the Devon lace industry.

Charlotte Treadwin (née Dobbs) was one of Devon’s most important lace dealers and manufacturers. She ran her business near Exeter Cathedral and her skill earned her a royal warrant in 1848.

Treadwin exhibited her lace at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and was awarded this medal.

Visual description: A bronze medal. On the obverse it depicts the conjoined profile of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, two dolphins and a trident. On the reverse, personified Britannia crowns a kneeling female figure of Industry with a laurel. Behind stand four attendants in a row, embodying the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Piled up on the ground surrounding the group are artefacts of art and industry, including a bust and a cogged wheel.