County: Inverness-shire
Issued on: Departure
Date of presentation: 02/02/1900
Number issued: 8 or 9
Silver medals, to:
Inscribed: “Presented by Captain Grant, Captain Macdonald, Provost Grant, and Bailie Anderson, Grantown-on-Spey, to ________ as a mark of admiration on his voluntarily giving his services to his country during the Transvaal War, 1900”.
The volunteers also received purses containing 30/- in gold (£3 10s for Sergeant Mortimer), and life policies for £100 for one year.
THE GRANTOWN VOLUNTEERS FOR THE FRONT.
ENTHUSIASTIC SEND-OFF.
The Volunteers of K Company, Grantown, who are selected for active service in South Africa, and who were at home on furlough from Fort George prior to leaving for the front, have been handsomely treated and received a hearty send-off on the occasion of their last leave taking.
On the evening of Friday last a concert was held in the Public Hall for the purpose of raising funds for presents to the men. The attendance was one of the largest ever seen at an entertainment of the kind in Grantown, the hall being packed, while many could not secure admission. Provost Macpherson Grant presided, and there were also on the platform Chaplain McGowan, Captain Grant, Bailie Anderson, &c. The programme was a good one, and all the performers executed their parts with marked ability.
……. During an interval Captain Grant presented all the eight Volunteers from K Company going to the front – Sergt. MORTIMER, Lance-Corpl. J. MACGREGOR, Privates CRUICKSHANK, A. THOMPSON, George MASON, John JACK, William McARTHUR, and Charles GRANT – with medals bearing the inscription, “Presented by Captain Grant, Captain Macdonald, Provost Grant, and Bailie Anderson, Grantown-on-Spey, to ________ as a mark of admiration on his voluntarily giving his services to his country during the Transvaal War, 1900”. In making the presentation, Captain Grant expressed the pleasure it gave him to do so, and hoped that the Volunteers would return in health and safety to their own country and with additional medals. He had seen a lot of life himself in the field, and he thoroughly sympathised with the feeling that had been displayed by these young men in offering their lives in the service of their country.
Chaplain McGowan, in name of those who had received the medals, returned thanks to Captain Grant for the trouble he had taken in connection with this matter, and also to the others who had kindly joined him in presenting the medals. He stated that the young men were quite alive to the responsibilities which they were about to undertake, and that they were serving their country well in coming forward as they had done. He hoped they would return with no less medals than the Victoria Cross – (applause).
Dr Barclay then stated that he had opened a fund in order to give the Volunteers a small sum of money before they left. He had not asked subscriptions from many people, but all those who had been approached had responded most heartily, and he was enabled to give a sum of £3 10s to Sergeant MORTIMER and £1 10s in purses to all the others, while he was also enabled to insure all the men’s lives for £100 each – (loud applause).
SERIES OF TREATS AT GRANTOWN.
