County: County Durham
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 02/07/1901
Number issued: 4
Gold medals, to:
Presentation made by Mr John Davison, of Silksworth, in the Miners' Hall, New Herrington.
Inscribed: "Presented to ________ by a few friends of New Herrington and district as a souvenir of his services in South Africa, 1900-1901".
They "had a Maxim on one side and the [Sunderland] motto 'Nil desperandum auspice Deo'".
MAJOR VAUX AND NEW HERRINGTON.
THE RETURN OF MAJOR VAUX.
NEW HERRINGTON DEMONSTRATION.
The inhabitants of New Herrington district did honour last night in enthusiastic fashion to Major VAUX and his comrades of the Maxim Gun Detachment of the 1st Durham Volunteer Artillery. The Major is well known and highly popular in the district, and while he was yet in South Africa it was suggested, in connection with the Yearly Fund of Herrington Burn, that steps should be taken to mark his return home. Accordingly, a committee was formed, of which Mr Wm. Watson was president; Mr George Davison, C.C., treasurer; Mr W.D. Parfitt, secretary, and Messrs J.P. Conn, C. Ball, W. Hall, W. Pearson, J. Fisher, W. Westmorland, J. Hurworth, G. Clews, T. Soppitt, G. Young, R. Nicholson, T. Slassor, P. Stokoe, and J. Laidler were members to make the requisite arrangements, which they did with perfect success.
About half-past six o’clock the party assembled at Pensher Hill, and when Major VAUX drove up in his jaunting car he was received with gun-firing and cheering. A procession was then formed, headed by the New Herrington Military Band, and also including, besides other members of the Maxim detachment, the committee officials, Messrs Watson, Davison, and Parfitt, and others. All were in vehicles, and proceeded, with the band playing, through Pensher Village and Shiney Row to White Gates, Philadelphia, through New Herrington, as far as the New Herrington Hotel, and back again to the newly-erected Miners’ Hall. In each of these villages – in fact, all along the route – flags were fluttering gaily, streamers were flying, and the whole of the inhabitants were out and gave an enthusiastic reception to the Major and his comrades. In New Herrington the crowd near the Miners’ Hall was particularly dense. Inside the building a company, which numbered about 300, sat down to a first-class repast. The caterer was Mr George Davison, and everything was served in tip-top style, the meal being accompanied by Maxim ale of exceptional quality, and said to have been brewed when the Major left England for South Africa. The serving was done by Mrs Davison (Herrington), Mrs Davison (Pensher), Mrs Davison (Silksworth), Mrs Davison (Silksworth Colliery), Mrs Stokoe (Ryhope), and the Misses Laws (2), while selections were played by the New Herrington Military Band, under Mr Calvesbert, in most commendable style.
Mr J. Bickerstaff (representative of Messrs McConnell’s Distillery, Belfast) presided, with Major VAUX on his right, and there were also present Sergeant HODGSON, Troopers TWEEDLE, COLLINS, and BOLDON, of the Maxim Detachment, Trooper RAW, of the 19th Hussars, and formerly of the 1st Durham Volunteer Artillery; Dr Forsyth, the Rev. W.E.C. Frith (vicar of New Herrington), Messrs F. Nicholson, W.M. Aitchison (from Messrs Vaux and Sons), J. Palliser, architect to Lord Durham; John C. Davison, cashier, Bunker Hill; Geo. Davison, C.C.; T. Potts, schoolmaster, New Herrington; J. Davison, Pensher; J.G. Skelton, Pensher; J. Sharp, W. Redpath, F. Robinson, A. Hartburn, W. English, R. Wilson, B. Marlow, and W. Edger. Messrs A.D. Laws, Jos. Laws, J. Aitchison, and J. Short, represented South Hylton; and there were also present the various members of the committee and representatives from every part of the district. The repast concluded, the toast of “The King” was honoured on the proposition of the Rev. W.E.C. Frith.
Dr Forsyth then proposed the toast of the evening, “the health of Major VAUX”. They all knew the Major so well, and he was such a favourite amongst them, that he was sure they would all honour the toast very heartily. (Applause). This was done, followed by the singing of “For he’s a jolly good fellow”.
Mr John Davison (Silksworth) then made the presentation. He remarked that at a time when the country needed them most Major VAUX and his comrades went and fought for her – (applause) – and he was proud of the honour of making that presentation. No one regretted more than he was sure they all did that another comrade of the four before them had not been permitted to return to his native country, but had lost his life in her cause. He hoped the Major would live long to treasure the cup, and would hand it down to his posterity. (Applause). He had known Sergeant HODGSON for a long time, as they had lived in the same village, and he was sure there was no bolder man went to South Africa than Sergeant HODGSON. He also spoke in complimentary terms to the other troopers and handed to Major VAUX a silver bowl (supplied by Mr R.L. Rennison, Sunderland) and to the other men each a gold medal. The bowl bore the inscription: – “Presented to Captain Ernest Vaux, Imperial Yeomanry, by a few friends of New Herrington and district in recognition of his services in South Africa during the Boer War, 1900-1901”. The medals had a Maxim gun on one side and the motto “Nil desperandum auspice Deo”, and on the other, “Presented to ________ by a few friends of New Herrington and district as a souvenir of his services in South Africa, 1900-1901”.
Major VAUX had a tremendous reception on rising to acknowledge the presentations. He said that 18 months ago he saw one morning in the papers that Yeomanry were wanted to go to South Africa, and that Lord Durham was raising a fund in the county of Durham in order to send out troops. He at once made his way to Lambton Castle, and was heartily received by Lord Durham. They discussed the subject for a long time as to whether they could raise a force in Durham alone, but unfortunately, owing to some arrangement with Northumberland, they were not able to raise a force for Durham alone. He asked Lord Durham where he was going to raise the force, and remarked that his lordship need not go far from his own home to do it, for he (Major VAUX) could go round about and raise as many men as were needed. (Applause). Looking round that night he felt confident he should not have had any difficulty in coming down there a getting a jolly good lot of recruits. (Applause). Fifteen months ago, a few days before he parted, he had a pressing invitation to visit the hall, which he did, and received from them an expression of their goodwill. He had never forgotten it, and what they gave him had on several occasions been very useful. He could not say they ever got close enough to use revolvers, but the glasses were of the greatest use. (applause).
……. When on long marches, with plenty of time to think, he had often thought of them. (Applause). He could only thank them, one and all, for the lovely present they had given him and the medals they had given to the men. He should keep the bowl as one of the greatest trophies he had either got from South Africa or received since he came back.
Presentations were made at New Herrington yesterday to returned service men. To Major VAUX was presented a handsome silver bowl, and gold medals were given to the four men who returned with him, namely, Sergt. HODGSON, and Privates W. TYEDDELL [sic], C. COLLINS, and BOLDON [sic]. Major VAUX, in returning thanks, refuted the allegation about the ill-treatment of Boer women, and said they were as well treated as any women in England, and that anything said to the contrary was not true.
