County: Leicestershire
Issued on: Return
Dates of presentations: 17/07/1901, 00/11/1901
Number issued: 27
Medals [or certificates for medals], to:
17/07/1901 presentation
7th (Leicestershire) Company, 4th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry –
2237 Sergeant Guydo DICKINSON
2236 Corporal [Trooper] Arthur PALMER
2302 Trooper Robert Cecil HOLLOWAY
2224 Trooper W. MORRIS
65th (Leicestershire) Company, 17th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry –
12039 Corporal Herbert Henry MANTLE (absent - in S. Africa)
12015 Trooper Charles DAVIE
12028 Trooper Arthur Reginald KIRKBY
12118 Trooper Robert Hugh KIRKBY
12013 Trooper George Alfred KITCHEN
12122 Trooper Herbert MONEY
???? Trooper Patrick NOLAN (no record found on 65th Company roll)
12142 Trooper Edward Noble SAUNDERS (absent)
12014 Trooper Burton SHEPHERD
Imperial Yeomanry (unknown companies) –
???? Trooper MORGAN
???? Lance-Corporal J. NAYLOR
Volunteer Active Service Company, Leicestershire Regiment –
6742 Private John Henry BOLTON (probably)
6750 Private John Henry GREEN
Presentation of certificates for these medals made by Lord Cecil Manners, M.P., in a marquee in Egerton Park.
November 1901 presentation
65th (Leicestershire) Company, 17th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry –
Captain Robert Bunten MUIR
and a further nine unnamed yeomen and volunteers
KNOWN EXAMPLES HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN
Obverse: "TRANSVAAL WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA 1900. 1901."
Reverse (example 1): "PRESENTED BY THE / TOWN OF / MELTON MOWBRAY / TO / Patrick Nolan / IN RECOGNITION OF HIS / PATRIOTISM & VALOUR / IN SERVING IN THE / TRANSVAAL WAR / AS A / TROOPER / IN THE / 65TH COM. IMP. YEO.".
Reverse (example 2): "PRESENTED BY THE / TOWN OF / MELTON MOWBRAY / TO / H.H. Mantle / IN RECOGNITION OF HIS / PATRIOTISM & VALOUR / IN SERVING IN THE / TRANSVAAL WAR / AS A / CORPORAL / IN THE / 65TH COM. IMP. YEO.".
Supplied by Messrs Bowley and Co., Cheapside and South Parade.
"There are twenty-seven medals altogether, and those struck in the memory of the men who have fallen have 'In Memoriam' at the bottom".
Grantham Journal, 13th July 1901
Holloway example held in the Collection of the National Army Museum, London [NAM. 1997-11-20].
Nolan example included in the African Museum's "Commemorative Medals of the Z.A.R." exhibition, 17/11/1958 - 11/12/1958 (Dr F.K. Mitchell Collection).
Nolan example illustrated in Hibbard and Hern.
Corporal Mantle example sold through St James's Auctions, 08/02/2008, for £340.
Captain Muir example sold through Dix Noonan Webb, 23/09/2011, for £920.
Sergeant Dickinson example sold through Noble Numismatics, 30/07/2015, for $2,250 AUD (with Dundee tribute medal and various ZAR medallions, etc.)
Smith, Anna H., Commemorative Medals of the Z.A.R., 1958, p.62
Hibbard #A16
NAM. 1997-11-20
Hern #782
St James's Auctions, 08/02/2008
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Grantham Journal, 20th July 1901
A SPLENDID WELCOME.
MELTON MOWBRAY HONOURS ITS RETURNED YEOMANRY AND VOLUNTEERS.
……. Upon leaving the Church the procession, with the band striking up “Soldiers of the King”, marched across the Market Place, along Sherrard Street, up Sage Cross Street, through High Street, and then via High Street and Leicester Road, wended its way to Egerton Park. There a large marquee had been erected for the banquet, and very pretty the interior had been made to look with bunting and plants. The principal guests sat at the cross table in the centre of the tent, immediately opposite the Chairman’s seat. The company present numbered over one hundred and fifty, for whose delectation an excellent and most liberal collation was provided by Mr Wm. Parnham, of the White Lion Hotel, who was warmly congratulated upon his successful catering. During the banquet a pleasing selection of music was played by the band, and after dinner some short, but particularly happy and appropriate, speeches, voiced the sentiments of all taking part at the function.
Lord Cecil Manners, M.P., presided. …….
……. The Chaiman said his next duty was to present certificates for medals which were to be given to the Yeomanry and Volunteers who had been to Africa. Although the duty might have been entrusted to some distinguished soldier, it was perhaps not entirely inappropriate that he should do it, as he had very extensive opportunities of seeing how the troops behaved. He was pleased to bear testimony that, without exception, the whole behaved magnificently. He should like to quote the opinion of one of the military attaches, of whom he saw a great deal in South Africa. He said that before the war the general opinion was that the finest troops in the world were the Turks, that the Germans came next, and then the British. But since the war broke out he had unhesitatingly altered his opinion, and now considered that the British troops were a long was ahead of the others. The reason he altered his opinion was this: in foreign armies, generally after any one regiment, or division, or brigade, had been heavily engaged, whether they had received a hammering, or had come out at the top, they gave place to fresh troops; but what impressed him about our troops was that they went on fighting day after day, and, after getting a hammering, they came up smiling the next day. Continuing, Lord Cecil said he did not think that they could show too much honour to the Yeomanry and Volunteers who went out at the call of duty, and in the hour of their country’s extreme need. There was no doubt, at one time, they were very hard pressed indeed, and they ought to do everything they could to show their appreciation of the splendid services these men rendered. His Lordship then proceeded to present certificates for medals to the following: – Sergt. Guydo DICKINSON, Lance-Corpl. J. NAYLOR, Troopers A. PALMER, G. KITCHEN, H. MONEY, W. MORRIS, B. SHEPHERD, P. NOLAN, R.H. KIRKBY, A.R. KIRKBY, C. DAVIE, MORGAN, and HOLLOWAY, and Ptes. BOLTON and GREEN. The Chairman added that medals would also, in due course, be presented to others who were prevented attending that night, and that medals would also be presented to the relatives of those from that district who had lost their lives in South Africa.
Grantham Journal, 9th November 1901
LOCAL WAR MEDALS.
It will be remembered that when the Active Service Yeomanry and Volunteers were fêted by the town in the summer, the medals which were to form the more tangible recognition of their patriotism were not ready. They have now been procured, being supplied by Messrs Bowley and Co., Cheapside and South Parade, and have been on view this week in the window of the first-named establishment. They are of silver, and possess a most substantial appearance, being appropriately designed. On the obverse side are representations of a Yeoman mounted and Volunteer, and behind them is the rolling veldt with the rising sun. Around the edge are the words, “Transvaal War in South Africa, 1900-1901”. On the reverse side appears the following inscription: – “Presented by the Town of Melton Mowbray to _____ , in recognition of his patriotism and valour in the Transvaal War as a _____ in the _____ ”. The blanks are filled in by the name of the recipient, rank, and regiment. There are twenty-seven medals altogether, and those struck in memory of the men who have fallen have the words, “In Memoriam” at the bottom.
Example presented to Corporal Herbert Henry MANTLE (courtesy of St James Auctions)
