County: West Yorkshire
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 30/04/1902
Number issued: 7
Gold medals, to:
Colonel Sir Savile Brinton CROSSLEY, M.P.
6105 Private George William FULLER (died, Pretoria, 07/10/1900 - medal presented to his family)
2725 Private Benjamin SAVILLE
1091 Private Tom BOTTOMLEY
2721 Private Robert VERITY
Reverse: "Presented to _________ as a memento of his return from the Boer War, 1899-1902, by his fellow workers at Dean Clough Mills. Halifax, April, 1902".
Supplied by the Halifax Industrial Society.
Commemoration Medals for Sir Savile and Dean Clough Soldiers.
MEDALS FOR SIR SAVILE CROSSLEY, M.P., AND HALIFAX SOLDIERS.
An interesting presentation took place at Halifax yesterday evening. When the mills of Messrs John Crossley and Sons ceased work for the day, Sir Savile CROSSLEY, M.P., one of the governing directors of the firm, and six of the workpeople were each presented with a gold medal by their fellow-workers to commemorate their return from the war.
The workpeople thus honoured were Messrs B. SAVILE, T. BOTTOMLEY, P. COX, and R. VERITY, reservists, and T. BROADBENT and G. FULLER, of the local Volunteer Battalion. FULLER succumbed to enteric fever while at the front, and his medal was handed over to his parents. The balance of the war fund raised at the mills, after defraying the cost of the medals, was apportioned to each of the six recipients according to length of service, the sums given varying from £12 to £1.
The presentation was made by Mr G. Marchetti, the managing director of the firm, and Mr F.C. Marston also took part in the proceedings.
Sir Saville CROSSLEY, in returning thanks on behalf of himself and the other recipients, remarked that in going out to South Africa they were glad to have an opportunity of doing their duty for their country, and they only thought themselves fortunate in being able to go. It was a great pleasure to him to receive such a testimonial from the workpeople, because it showed the good feeling which existed among all ranks. (Hear, hear). He should as long as he lived value the gold medal they had presented to him. (Applause).
HALIFAX SOLDIERS HONOURED.
Presentations to Sir Savile CROSSLEY and Dean Clough Workers.
The mill-yard of Messrs J. Crossley and Sons, Limited, Dean Clough Works, was at 5.30 on Wednesday afternoon the scene of an interesting gathering. The occasion was the presentation of gold medals, suitably inscribed, and sums of money, ranging from £12 to £1, to six of the Dean Clough workpeople who have served at the front. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Savile B. CROSSLEY, Bart., M.P., a director of the firm, was also the recipient of a gold medal similar in design and inscription, to commemorate his safe return from the war. The money given to the men was divided amongst them in proportion to their length of service in South Africa. Mr F.C. Marston presided, and was supported by Mr G. Marchetti and those who were to receive the medals.
The Chairman said that a little over two years ago a meeting was held in the works for the purpose of raising subscriptions for the support of the wives and families of the men who had gone to South Africa. A percentage of that money was kept back from the town’s fund in order that those who had worked at Dean Clough, and were then at the front, might have a round sum presented to them on their return. Now they had returned the money was being divided amongst them, and with their respected M.P., Sir Savile – (applause) – they were to be presented with gold commemorative medals. When a man did his duty well it was only right that he should be rewarded, and that in a public manner. (Applause). Strictly speaking every soldier at the front was a volunteer, and deserved credit for coming forward to fight his country’s battles. (Applause). By these men they were saved from conscription. What state would those works be if 50 or 60 men in each department were taken to serve in the army? If that was done it would be a most serious thing for the directors and everyone concerned. Therefore it was only right that they should encourage men who liked that sort of business, and if incapacitated through their hardships to give them some compensation. (“Hear, hear”).
Mr G. Marchetti then presented the medals to each man, accompanying the act with a few appropriate words. The recipients were as follows: – Benjamin SAVILE, who landed with the first batch of soldiers in South Africa; John BOTTOMLEY, T. BROADBENT, a volunteer from the local volunteer Rifle Corps; Robert VERITY; and Patrick COX. A medal and a sum of money was also set apart for Private FULLER, a Halifax Volunteer who died from enteric whilst at the front, and they will be given to his parents. To Benjamin SAVILE Mr Marchetti also handed a silver watch, which had been subscribed for by some of his fellow weavers at the works. The last to receive the medal was Sir Savile CROSSLEY. Whilst this was being done, the Chairman referred to Sir Savile’s unselfish devotion to his country in going to help fight her battles, and sacrificing his many interests and comforts at home. The medal was presented to him by the workpeople of Dean Clough as a token of the high regard they entertained for him. (Applause).
Sir Savile CROSSLEY returned sincere thanks on behalf of all those who had received medals. He could only say that they went to South Africa to do their duty to their country, and thought themselves very fortunate in being able to do so. They knew there were plenty more who if they had had the opportunity would have been glad to go themselves. He was proud indeed to receive that testimonial. It was always a great pleasure to him to see the good feeling which existed at Dean Clough between all ranks, and on behalf of his comrades and himself he thanked them most sincerely for the great honour they had done them. He would value that medal as along as he lived. (Applause).
Mr G. Marchetti, in replying to a vote of thanks for presenting the medals, referred to the time when he asked a few of them to meet him to discuss the raising of a fund for the benefit of the wives and families of those men who had gone to the front. He felt then that it only wanted a start, and that the Dean Clough people would take it up in a hearty manner. They would remember that he suggested that the whole thing should be left in the hands of the workpeople from beginning to end. He was exceedingly glad to be able to bear testimony to the excellent way in which the fund had been managed. Nor was he disappointed in the generosity of the people of Dean Clough, and it was a pleasure to him to know that the money was given most willingly. From the first he had felt that it was one of those things which would appeal strongly to their patriotism and generosity. Their friend Mr Marston, and others also, had done a great deal in the matter, and they were all thankful to them for the part they had taken in the management of the fund. (Applause).
