TOPIC:

I"m a bit miz today as I was pipped at the post in an auction for a Montgomeryshire IY Tribute medal - perhaps someone on this site beat me to it??!! If so, don't tell me where you live - grin!!

My query is this: The MIY tribute medals I see on t'internet always seem to have 1901 as the date. As the presentation by Kitchener was in early September 1902, with the qualification date to May 1902, were any struck with 1902 or were they all produced as a big batch with only 1901? My G Grandfather, Sgt Francis Morris, returned with the last lot on the Braemar Castle in August 1902, so I want to make sure I'm looking out for the correct date on the tribute medal IF any were struck with 1902.

TIA


Jo

Good Morning....

It looks like only 1901......

See: www.southafricanmedals.com/index.php?pag..._virtuemart&Itemid=1

Mike

Thank you, Mike....

Yes, I've seen this link before, and my only observation is that it makes no empirical statement about whether or not a 1902 pressing was ever made. However, I'm now working on the opposite theory that, if a 1902 version had been produced, it would be mentioned in at least one of the many medals/military history sites or articles through which I've trawled. I'm now pretty certain that only a 1901 was struck. I knew Miss Wynn had presented the medal at the later event, which I believe was probably at the same presentation at Powys Castle on 6th Sep 1902, where General Lord Kitchener presented the QSA's to the units of the MIY. One unit missed out that day, actually, as their campaign medals (I suspect the KSA's) hadn't arrived in time and Kitchener apologised publicly to them during his speech. I digress. Yup, I've decided to hang my hat on there only ever having been a 1901 Montgomeryshire IY tribute medal. If anyone reading this hears of one going begging, please let me know!

Thanks again...

Jo

Since this thread started, Neville has added a huge amount of information on Tribute Medals. There is information on the Montgomeryshire Tribute Medal here: www.angloboerwar.com/medals-and-awards/2...4388-montgomeryshire

An example of the tribute medal is for sale next month.


Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902, Orange Free State (33920 Corpl. E. Lloyd. 89th Coy. Imp: Yeo:) last clasp with unofficial rivets, engraved correction to rank;
1914-15 Star (97 Sjt. E. Lloyd, E. Afr. M. Rif.) ‘Maj.’ privately engraved above ‘Sjt.’;
BWM and VM (Capt. E. Lloyd.);
Montgomeryshire Tribute Medal, South African Campaign 1901, bronze, unnamed as issued, fitted with small ring suspension, this slack.

Edwin Lloyd was born in the Parish of Bodfari, Denbighshire, and enlisted into the Imperial Yeomanry 18 March 1901, aged 27, giving his occupation as farmer and with previous service in 2nd Volunteer Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He served in South Africa from 7 April 1901 until 27 August 1902, and was discharged on 3 September 1902.

He served during the Great War as a Sergeant in the East African Mounted Rifles in East Africa from 8 August 1914. He was promoted to Lieutenant, and later to Captain. He also served afterwards in the East African Labour Corps.

Thank you so much for the information. A vast amount of further information has been gathered since my last post and I am now the proud owner of a lovely tribute medal. I had to ship it from Cape Town and it is still in its lovely original box from the Welshpool jeweller, A Turner, who presumably had the contract to box the medals for presentation. There is no medal ribbon, but that matters not.

I have learned much about the 88th and the 89th, my G Grandfather Francis Morris having been in the 88th and his brother-in-law Thomas Wight being in the 89th. Thomas returned to Ruabon early due to ill health, but all of the dates given in the latest fascinating post, both going to South Africa and returning, are identical to those of my GGF, Sgt Francis Morris. That being the case, the ship in which they returned was the Braemar Castle. The 88th and 89th went down in the SS Norman, normally a postal ship, and at the time it made headlines for being the fastest passage achieved. On arrival in Cape Town, they boarded a train for Bulawayo and I have located some interesting items about that, one being a letter printed in a newspaper, from one trooper to his mother, describing the journey in detail. My GGF - who departed as a Private, arrived in SA as a Cpl and returned as a Sgt - left my GGM pregnant for the eighth time and she named the baby boy, born in his father's absence, Norman. When I went to Ruabon, in search of further information, I knocked on the door of a cottage I knew the family had lived in in the late 1800's, only to find that the owners were family, the family having retained ownership in it since then! Indeed, it is the cottage where Trooper Thomas Wright of the 89th recuperated on medical return from SA and his G Grandson lives literally 7 doors away! I was able to see the beautiful scroll, QSA and tribute medals for Trooper Wright, all beautifully framed. Sadly, I live in hope of ever finding the actual medals awarded to my GGF.

I am interested in the aforementioned Edwin Lloyd as my G G Grandfather, who joined the Coldstream Guards in 1819, with a service number of 307, returned from Quebec in 1842 with his then wife and baby. He then bigamously (and possibly trigamously!) married a vastly younger serving girl, my G G Grandmother, from an Oswestry pub, going on to have 11 children, the youngest being Francis Morris of the 88th WIY. Elizabeth Lloyd appears to have had a brother called Edwin, but whether or not this is the same one I have yet to find. Sadly, the names involved are all rather common and the patronymic system of naming, much enjoyed by the Welsh, makes research exhausting.

Thank you for the information. I must do more research ahead of the forthcoming Noonan's sale.

Hello Jo,

I would be very interested to see the jeweller's case for your medal. As you state "there is no ribbon" I am assuming your example has some form of suspension. Although the majority were issued without suspension, there are enough out there with this feature to suggest that it might have been an option offered by A. Turner, perhaps after the presentation.

If the case is fitted to take the medal with a suspension bar, this would add weight to the theory that the issuing jeweller offered this service to those who wished to wear the medal.

Regards,
Neville