County: Cambridgeshire
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 21/06/1901
Number issued: 3
Gold pendants & alberts, suitably inscribed, to:
Reverse: "Presented to ____ ______ , F Company 3rd (Cambs) V.B. Suffolk Regiment, by his fellow-townsmen on his return from the War in South Africa, 1900-1, in appreciation of his patriotism. Whittlesey, June 1901".
Supplied by Mr J.T. Barwell, watchmaker, Whittlesey.
THE BOYS AGAIN HONOURED.
For the fourth time within the last few weeks the inhabitants of Whittlesey met on Friday night to honour those of their representatives at the theatre of war, who have thus far returned – Corporal OLDFIELD, Lance-Corporal RUDD, and Private HAINES – and on this occasion their appreciation took a decidedly tangible form, in the way of a presentation to each of the soldiers of a gold albert and pendant, value ten guineas. The handsome presents were supplied by Mr J.T. Barwell, and on one side of the pendant is a shield bearing the recipient’s monogram, while on the reverse reads: “Presented to ____ ______ , F Company 3rd (Cambs) V.B. Suffolk Regiment, by his fellow-townsmen on his return from the War in South Africa, 1900-1, in appreciation of his patriotism. Whittlesey, June 1901”.
A large company, which included many ladies, assembled in the Town Hall to watch the pleasing ceremony, and the Rev. C.B.E. Bell presided.
The Chairman reviewed the incidents of the last few weeks and having explained the circumstances which led up to the calling of that meeting, said he hoped the men would value the presents as mementoes of the admiration and esteem which they had won by their loyalty to their sovereign and their patriotic devotion to their country (cheers).
The Hon. Sec., Mr F.W. English, read the financial statement which showed that £34 10s 9d had been collected.
Mr J. Peed made the presentation, and in the course of a capital speech said as long as Englishmen the world over were actuated by the motives with which their three friends were, there would be no resort to compulsory service for the protection of this empire (cheers).
PRESENTATION TO THE WHITTLESEY WARRIORS.
PATRIOTIC SPEECHES.
The presentation of a gold albert and pendant to each of the three Whittlesey Volunteers recently returned from the front took place on Friday at the Town Hall, Whittlesey, the chair being taken by the Rev. C.E.B. Bell, M.A., Vicar of St Mary’s and Mr John Peed, D.L., kindly undertook to make the presentation on behalf of the town. …….
The Chairman in a few opening remarks gave a short account of what had been done in the matter of bringing the presentation to a successful issue, and thanked the 400 subscribers for their kind support, which had enabled the Committee to purchase something tangible to hand to the three brave boys who had come there that night. They had, he said, asked Mr Peed, who was a gentleman brought up in Whittlesey and highly respected, to make the presentation, and he had very kindly undertaken that duty. (Cheers).
The Hon. Secretary of the Committee (Mr F.W. English) stated that 14 gentlemen had undertaken to gather in the subscriptions, which amounted to £34 10s 9d, and after purchasing the three gold chains and pendants, and other incidental expenses there was a small balance of about a guinea in hand, which the Committee thought could be handed over to the three Volunteers.
Mr Peed then came forward to make the presentation, and, after referring to the complimentary remarks made by Mr Bell said he felt highly honoured in being permitted to make the presentation of the gold chains and pendants to the three Volunteers that evening, and we all hope, he said, they will live to wear them during a long life, and hand them down to their descendants after them. (Cheers). He trusted that they and their descendants after them would value these presents, not of course so much for their intrinsic value, but as an enduring memento of the esteem and admiration they have won by their loyalty to their sovereign, and their patriotic devotion to the interests of their country. (Cheers). There was little more he could say in the matter, as the merits of our Volunteers had been extolled by more eloquent tongues than his, and whatever views the historian of the future may take of the origin and conduct of the war in which we have been engaged, there was one fact that must indelibly impress itself upon the minds of all, and that was the readiness even eagerness in which large numbers of men of every condition of life had come forward and offered their services to defend the Empire – (cheers) – and if the historian wished to know the opinions they formed of their Volunteers, he would find it engraved in these tangible gifts which the returned Volunteers in all parts of the country have received at the hands of their fellow countrymen on their return from the war. (Loud cheers). Great, he said, was the gratitude due to them from their fellow countrymen, and so long as Englishmen are actuated by the same spirit, there will be no need to resort to compulsory service to defend the Empire. (Cheers). In conclusion Mr Peed thanked the Volunteers for their services, and for the high example they had set, and thanked them also that they had borne themselves upon the veldt and kopjes in South Africa, and that nothing could ever be linked with their names and colours which did not rebound to their country’s honour and their own. He had much pleasure in handing to the Volunteers, on behalf of the Committee and subscribers, these tangible tokens of their appreciation.
The three gold chains (two of which were of the link pattern and one of the cable pattern), were then handed by Mr Peed to Corporal OLDFIELD, Lance-Corporal RUDD, and Private HAYNES, amidst loud and continued cheers.
On each pendant was engraved the following: “Presented to ______ ______ F. Company 3rd (Cambs) V.B. Suffolk Regiment, by his fellow townsmen on his return from the war in S. Africa. 1900-1, in appreciation of his patriotism. Whittlesey, June, 1901”. On the reverse side was the monogram of each Volunteer.
The chains and pendants were supplied through Mr J.T. Barwell, watchmaker, Whittlesey.
Corpl. OLDFIELD returned his hearty thanks for their handsome present. It was not the thing they were looking forward to, he said, when they went to war; they went to do their duty to their country. (Loud cheers).
Lance-Corporal RUDD also thanked them for their kind present, and he hoped they would never again have the opportunity of welcoming home Volunteers from the war. The present they had received at their hands was something to keep, something to wear, and something to remember to the end of their days. (Loud cheers).
Private HAYNES also returned his utmost thanks for the valuable present given to him, and re-echoed every word his comrades had just said. (Loud cheers).
