‘Pery’, a very rare Steevans Manufacturing Teddy Bear with button in ear, circa 1918 with light golden mohair, black boot button eyes, pronounced muzzle, black stitched nose, mouth and claws, swivel head, pin-jointed limbs, hump, very rare oval button in left ear embossed ‘STEEVANS PT126846 ENGLAND’ —10 ¼in. (26cm.) high (fading and some wear) Christie’s South Kensington, lot 573, 16th February 1995 - Steevan’s toys are very rare to find with a label to positively identify them, this bear belonged to William Pery Goodbody (1906–1942), an Army officer with the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), known to his comrades as "Bill," who died of wounds in North Africa during World War II. He was part of a prominent Irish Quaker family, with his father, also named James Perry Goodbody, being a notable industrialist. William was educated at Shrewsbury and Cambridge, where he was keen rower, and rowed in the 1920s and 1930s. He became a member of Henley Royal Regatta Stewards in 1925. He rowed at Henley Royal Regatta six times 1923 to 27 and Pery and was purchased in adulthood as a mascot. There are multiple individuals named James Perry Goodbody in this family, including a prominent 19th/early 20th-century businessman (1853–1923), but the military officer specifically identified as "Captain" in the 1942 North African campaign is the younger William James Perry Goodbody. -sold in these room as Lot 63 from the Teddy Bear's of Witney auction 3rd December 2024 and also featured in Our Favourite Bears by Ian Pout, page 29, his rowing regatta badges are now in a private collection