County: Northumberland
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 22/05/1901
Number issued: 7
Gold medals, to:
Volunteer Active Service Company, 1st Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers ["H" Company, 1st V.B.N.F.] –
7611 Private Matthew Sibbit DAVIDSON
7610 Private Charles Walter HOWLETT
7613 Private Frederick MADDISON
7612 Private M.L. TWEDDLE [Tweedle] (died, Kroonstad [Bloemfontein], 29/05/1900 - did his family receive a medal?)
7609 Private James Tennant WANLESS
7681 Drummer [Private] John George WARD (absent - in S. Africa)
Presentation made in the Drill Hall, Prudhoe.
A seventh medal was presented or forwarded to:
Canadian Mounted Rifles –
181 Private Burnett LAWS (who had emigrated to Canada)
Obverse with recipient's monogram, and: "SOUTH AFRICA / 1901" (in enamels).
Reverse (Private Laws version): "PRUDHOE ENGLAND / Presented to / [B. LAWS] / FOR HIS SERVICES / IN SOUTH AFRICA / on behalf of his / NATIVE / COUNTRY".
Note: the inscription on Private Laws' medal acknowledges his emigration by using the words "on behalf of his native country". Laws returned to Canada via England and attended his father's funeral in Ovingham on 10/01/1901. He may have received the medal at that time.
In addition to the four men honoured by Prudhoe on 22nd May, Private Tweddle had died in Bloemfontein, and Private Ward remained in South Africa.
Newcastle Evening Chronicle 14/05/1901
Images courtesy of Graham H. Neale (OMRS No. 2329)
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Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 24th January 1900
THE LOCAL VOLUNTEERS.
1ST V.B. NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS.
The following 85 non-commissioned officers and men have volunteered for the front: –
………..
H (Prudhoe) Company.
1 sergeant and 5 privates (Sergeant RUTTER and Privates HOWLETT, MADDISON, TWEDDLE, WILSON, WANLESS and DAVISON).
Newcastle Evening Chronicle 14/05/1901
PRUDHOE.
A series of meetings to make arrangements for the home-coming of the Prudhoe volunteers have lately been held. The whole of the district from which members of the corps were drawn has been canvassed for subscriptions, to give the men a hearty welcome back to their native village. The sum of £80 has been collected. The following programme has been arranged by the reception committee: – First day – A procession formed by the band and members of the Prudhoe Company 1st V.B.N.F., Mickley brass-band, and members of the various friendly and athletic societies of the district, will be formed at the drill-hall, and proceed to Prudhoe Station, to escort the men to Prudhoe, where an address of welcome will be read by the Rev. Father Simmons. Afterwards the procession will parade the principal streets of the village. There will be a display of fireworks, etc. On the second day, the men will be entertained to a dinner in the drill-hall. Presentations will be made of a silver cigarette-box to Lieut. FISHER, and to each volunteer a sum of money and a gold medal.
Morpeth Herald, 25/05/1901
PRUDHOE.
In honour of the return of the Prudhoe volunteers, the village was one mass of bunting, whilst a very pretty triumphal arch had been erected at the entrance to the village. Thousands of people assembled, and the returning volunteers had a most enthusiastic reception. The Rev. Father Simmons read an address of welcome, after which a parade was made around the various local villages. At night there was a torchlight procession, whilst a huge bonfire was lighted at West Wylam. The rejoicings were continued on Wednesday, when the men were entertained at a banquet held in the Drill Hall, Prudhoe. Each one was presented with a gold medal, a purse of gold, and other tokens of the Prudhoe people’s appreciation. Although six men originally went out, only four have returned. Private TWEDDLE died in hospital at Bloemfontein, whilst Private WARD has remained behind to settle in South Africa.
