County: Monmouthshire
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 06/09/1902
Number issued: 20
Silver watches & alberts, and gold-centred silver pendants, to:
1st Volunteer Active Service Company, 2nd Bn. South Wales Borderers –
7557 Private William John ALLSOPP [John Allsopp]
2nd Volunteer Active Service Company, 2nd Bn. South Wales Borderers –
7637 Private Thomas Henry FIELD
7686 Private John JONES
7635 Private Frederick [Fred] LEWIS
7669 Private Alfred SPANSWICK
7687 Private Hubert WHITBY
3rd Bn. South Wales Borders (Militia) –
7178 Private John MORRIS (absent)
6369 Private Charles SMITH
7043 Private Matthew WATKINS (absent)
1st Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers –
1513 Private John HARRINGTON
2314 Private William PEPLOE
5592 Private William George PARRY
2nd Bn. King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment (Reserve) –
3523 Private Milson ASTON
Unknown Regiments –
???? W. COLLINS
???? Fred EVANS
???? Albert PARFITT
???? Ben PEARSE
???? Arthur PHILLIPS
???? Fred ROBINSON
???? William THOMAS
Presentation made by Colonel Ivor Herbert (of Llanarth Court), on behalf of fellow workers and officials of Cwmbran Colliery, at Upper Cwmbran Board Schools.
Watches inscribed: "PRESENTED TO / [Milson Aston], / BY THE CWMBRAN COLLIERY / WORKMEN & OFFICIALS, / FOR SERVICES RENDERED IN / THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR / 1902".
Aston watch in the Constantine Collection.
Evening Express, 08/09/1902
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Western Mail, 8th September 1902
PRESENTATIONS TO RETURNED SOLDIERS AT CWMBRAN.
Great rejoicings took place at Cwmbran on Saturday evening in honour of the safe return of several Reservists and Volunteers from the South African war. A procession, headed by the Panteg Band of the 1st Monmouthshire Artillery, was formed outside the Pontnewydd Hotel. A landau was occupied by Colonel Herbert, C.B., C.M.G., Major D.E. Williams (1st Monmouthshire Artillery), Major W.E.C. Murphy (3rd Battalion South Wales Borderers), attired in their respective uniforms, and Mr Lewis Davies, Pontypool, the Reservists and Volunteers brining up the rear. The procession proceeded to the Upper Cwmbran Board Schools, where the presentation meeting was held. Mr W. Waplington presided, and said that ever since January, 1900, the men working at Cwmbran Colliery, where also the returned heroes worked, had contributed 1d in the £ per week, and by this means they had raised the sum of £700. (Applause). Colonel Ivor Herbert presented each man on behalf of the committee with a silver watch, suitably inscribed, and a silver albert and pendant, and complimented each man upon the part he had taken on the South African battlefields.
South Wales Daily News, 8th September 1902
Presentation at Cwmbran.
The services of 19 Reservists and Volunteers from the Cwmbran Colliery who took part in the recent South African campaign were recognised by their fellow-workmen at a large public meeting at the Upper Cwmbran Board Schools, Pontnewydd, on Saturday evening, when the presentation of a silver watch, chain, and pendant to each of the men was made on behalf of the colliery employees by Colonel Ivor Herbert, C.B., D.S.O., of Llanarth Court. Prior to the meeting a procession paraded the town. Mr W. Waplington, manager of Cwmbran Colliery presided. Colonel Herbert, in making the presentation, expressed his admiration both for the services of the returned men and the good work which had been done at the Cwmbran Colliery in providing for the soldiers’ families – admiration which he felt most keenly because, having done some 14 years of foreign service, he knew something of the soldier’s life abroad and the feelings which he had regarding those loved ones he had left behind. In conclusion the speaker appealed to employers and others to do what they could for those men who were now returning home, discharged from the regular service, and found themselves in want of work and assistance. Major D.E. Williams afterwards spoke, and votes of thanks were heartily accorded Colonel Herbert and the chairman.
Pontypool Free Press, 12th September 1902
An interesting ceremony took place at Upper Cwmbran Board Schools, when suitable gifts were presented to the residents, on behalf of the workmen and officials, by Colonel Ivor Herbert, C.B., D.S.O., of Llanarth Court. The gifts consisted of English lever watches, each being engraved with the recipient’s name and also the date of the presentation, silver chain, and gold-centred pendant. The recipients, who included Army Reservists and Volunteers from the local company of the 3rd Battalion S.W. Borderers, were as follows: –
Milsom ASHTON, John HARRINGTON, Alfred SPANSWICK, Fred EVANS, Chas. SMITH, William PEPLOE, Hubert WHITBY, Ben PEARCE, John JONES, Wm. THOMAS, Arthur PHILLIPS, Wm. Geo. PARRY, John ALLSOPP, Fred ROBINSON, Fred LEWIS, Albert PARFITT, Thos. FIELD and W. COLLINS.
These men were present, but two others – John MORRIS and Matthew WATKINS – were unable to attend, and their mementoes will be given to them privately.
