Medals and awards

REJOICINGS AT SKENE HOUSE.

Captain HAMILTON of Skene, D.S.O., of the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch), who recently came home from South Africa in the troopship Golconda in charge of 101 reservists of the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch), was yesterday welcomed home by the tenantry on the Skene estate. It is with the greatest interest that the tenantry have followed the distinguished career of their laird, who, as is well known in the district, is a cousin of General Sir Ian Hamilton, and it was resolved that the rejoicings in connection with the gallant captain’s homecoming should be of the heartiest character. …….

In the evening the tenantry entertained Capt. HAMILTON at a cake and wine banquet. The tables were laid in the large loft above the coach house, and the place was very tastefully decorated for the occasion. The walls were draped with red, white and blue cloth, and adorned with evergreens. On a white panel was the Gaelic welcome, “Coed mille failte”, in letters formed of spruce fir. The tables were adorned with numerous pot plants. Mr James Watt, J.P., Lyne of Skene, presided, and was accompanied on the right by the guest of the evening. …….

The Chairman proposed the loyal toasts, which were heartily pledged. He also proposed “The Navy, Army, and Volunteers”, and stated that out of the hamlet of Lyne of Skene, no fewer than four volunteers had gone to the front in South Africa. (Cheers). …….

Rev. R. Robertson, The Manse, Skene, in proposing the toast of the evening, “The Health of Captain Hamilton, D.S.O.”, said – Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, there has fallen to me the pleasant duty of proposing what I take to be the toast of the evening. Unable as I feel to do full justice to the toast, it is yet to me a matter of the highest pride and pleasure that I should have been asked to take it. …….

We feel proud of him as he sits amongst us tonight, we extend to him a hearty welcome on his return home, and our hearts go out to God in thankfulness that he has come back crowned with honour and been restored in safety and health to those who love him. Surely it is a fitting answer to their prayers and these three long years of loving anxiety. His has been the stir and strife and excitement of war, theirs has been the weary waiting. They share now in the joy of his safe homecoming and in the honours that he has won. (Cheers). And we, not satisfied with the honours and decorations bestowed on him by a grateful country, have resolved to confer one more. …….

Such a price Captain HAMILTON has paid in three years of privation, hardship, and toil, and in recognition of his services to his country, and as a token of personal regard and in thankfulness for his safe return, I have the greatest pleasure in handing to him in the name of the tenants and other friends at Skene – what shall we call it? the Skene Distinguished Service Medal, specially struck in honour of the South African campaign. (Cheers). We could have wished that Captain HAMILTON might have been allowed to wear it amongst his other military decorations, but as the regulations hardly permit of that, we trust he will get some loved one to wear it for him, in memory of the terrible campaign he has passed through. I might have suggested that a Mrs Hamilton might soon have been found to wear it, but after hearing him the other day describe the prospective marriage of another young officer as “disgraceful”, I must confess my hopes in that respect are somewhat remote. (Laughter). …….

May he long be spared to serve his King and country, and may the years, as they pass, add fresh lustre to his military career and fresh honours to his name. (Loud cheers). The toast was pledged with the greatest enthusiasm.

Captain HAMILTON, on rising to reply, was greeted with cheers. He thanked Mr Robertson for the manner in which he had proposed the toast, and the company for the enthusiasm with which they had received it, and also for the handsome presentation. He was glad it was in the form of a gold medal and not an address, because he could always have it with him. He regretted, as Mr Robertson had said, that he could not wear it, but had no doubt that, as he hoped, some future Mrs Hamilton might do so, in spite of what Mr Robertson had said. (Laughter and cheers). At the same time he must inform them that he had not yet found the lady. (Laughter). During the last three years they had no doubt been following, through the newspapers, the progress of the war. Amongst the volunteers who went to the front was a son of their esteemed chairman, Mr Jas. WATT, whom he was glad to see present that evening. (Cheers). There were others from Skene, namely Alex SCOTT, a son of Mr MEARNS, who joined Lord Lovat’s Scouts, a very fine body of men, who did good service in South Africa; and Sergeant RENNIE, Gordon Highlanders, who had seen service in Egypt and in India. (Cheers). He (Captain HAMILTON) had finished in the Highland Brigade, under General Hector Macdonald. (Cheers). Proceeding, the gallant captain gave a brief resume of the places he had been at in South Africa, mentioning particularly that at Heidelberg, where they were operating at a considerable distance from the regiment, they had an extensive transport, and the convoy, if in line, would have stretched for a good part of the distance between Skene and Aberdeen. At Bethlehem they had been fortunate in effecting one of the biggest captures of the war when they took Prinsloo’s force. (Cheers). He referred in eulogistic terms to the splendid treatment the men had received at the Scottish Hospital sent out from Glasgow. There was another hospital sent out by the people of Edinburgh, but he had never had the pleasure of meeting it. When at Ladybrand, the grain-growing district, he had seen four self-binding reapers, but he had never seen a crop out there that they in Aberdeenshire would have thought of cutting, because the corn there was very thin and very dirty. A farm there, however, was about six thousand acres, so there was plenty of room for bad farming. (Laughter). Latterly they had been taking part in the big drives against Delarey, the biggest in one day being something over eighty miles. (Cheers). Concluding, Captain HAMILTON again expressed the great pleasure in meeting the tenantry and thanked them for their generous present. (Loud cheers). …….

Thereafter there was an excellent display of fireworks, superintended by Mt Thomas Macdermot, of the firm of Messrs T.H. Davies and Co., Union Street, Aberdeen. The fireworks were set off in a field to the north of the mansion-house, and were seen to great advantage.