County: County Durham
Issued on: Return
Dates of presentations: 30/12/1901, 29/11/1902
Number issued: 9
30/12/1901 presentation
10051 Trooper William Henry REEMAN
???? Trooper HAW (no record found)
???? Corporal WILSON
29/11/1902 presentation
Captain Joseph COOK
27100 Trooper Frederick William SCOTT
4052 Private Thomas MULVEY
3510 Private Robert EMBLETON
6518 Corporal Charles William APPLEBY (absent - in S. Africa; medal received by his aged father)
PRESENTATION OF WAR MEDALS.
ON Monday, Dec. 30, in the Schoolroom, Fatfield, presentations were made by the Earl of Durham to the Volunteers who had gone from the parish to the war in South Africa. The parish of Fatfield sent out nine Reservists and Volunteers, and three of these have returned, and were the recipients of the gifts. Each of the three received a handsome gold medal, a pipe, a cigar-case, and a tobacco-pouch, and similar presents await the remaining six when they shall return. Col. Cook, of North Biddick Hall, presided, and there was a very large attendance of the parishioners, the schoolroom being crowded. Among those present were the Rev. Wm. S. Reeman (Vicar of Fatfield), whose son, Trooper REEMAN, was to be one of the recipients; and Mr Martin, representing the Lambton Collieries. The three recipients were Trooper REEMAN, I.Y., Trooper HAW, I.Y., and Corpl. WILSON, a Reservist. Each medal bore on one side the inscription, “Presented to _______ by the parishioners of Fatfield, in appreciation of his services in South Africa”; and, on the other, “Boer War, 1899-1902”.
The Chairman said he was very pleased to preside over such a magnificent meeting, especially on the occasion on which they met, to show their high appreciation of their fellow-parishioners who volunteered to go to the Front in the time of their country’s need. So long as they had men to volunteer in that way he did not see that they needed conscription. He would not like to see the voluntary feeling of the country spoiled. They should remember that these men went out when the state of the war was worst. It was just after the reverses of Colenso, Spion Kop, and Magersfontein. They had no chance of looking at the business as a picnic. They were very pleased to see them back again, and to express their appreciation of their services by these tokens, which Lord Durham would present.
Lord Durham, who was cordially cheered, said he was very pleased to have been able to accept the invitation, on behalf of the subscribers, to hand over these gifts to their friends who had served in South Africa. They who were to receive the medals that night were, as they knew, only a third of the total number that went out to the Front; and he thought they could justly claim credit in that parish for having sent out their quota to serve their country. They had first Trooper REEMAN, son of Mr Reeman, the vicar of Fatfield. Mr Reeman was a man of peace himself, and no doubt inculcated the principles of peace and goodwill amongst men. At the same time, he did not think anybody could be more proud than Mr Reeman was of that presentation to his son. He attributed that to the fact that Mr Reeman, like every other man in the county of Durham, was a patriotic man, and was determined that, not only by word but by the deeds of his son he would show his patriotism by serving his country. Trooper HAW was the son of a tenant farmer of his own, and he was glad that he had gone out to South Africa, where he had gained experience and a knowledge of the world. Corpl. WILSON was an Army Reservist, who was taken prisoner at Nicholson’s Nek; but that was one of the vicissitudes of war. Corpl. WILSON had been married since his return, and he hoped that his wife and himself would have many happy years together. The committee had chosen very pretty and nice gifts to present to the returned Volunteers. They did not want them to look upon the medals for any monetary value they might possess. That was not their idea at all; they wished to express to them their satisfaction with their conduct. They had been very pleased with their patriotism, and delighted to see them home again. Trooper REEMAN was going out again. The war did not seem to be nearly over, and during the last few days they had had some – he would not say disquieting things, but rather painful things; those inevitable reverses which must be suffered in the kind of warfare which was going on. He did not know, of course, what Trooper REEMAN would find when he got there, but he was convinced that he would be just as keen and as eager to do well as he was the last time he went there. Lord Durham then presented the gifts.
Mr Martin proposed a vote of thanks to Lord Durham, and said that every man in the Lambton collieries had contributed to the war fund. They had raised over £2,000, and had been able to allow 10s a week to each wife, and 2s to each child.
Fatfield.
