TOPIC:

Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (3) Tr 01 20 (7120 Serjt., N. Staff. Regt.)
Volunteer Force Long Service, EdVII (1361 Sjt., 2nd V.B. N. Staff. Regt.)

Borough of Stafford Tribute Medal 1901, obverse, a castle with four towers, Stafford knots to each side, ‘Borough of Stafford, W. C. T. Mynors, Mayor’, reverse, a mounted trooper and a soldier knelt to his side, ‘South African Campaign 1901’ (Sergt. H. Parker, G Co. 2nd V.B. Nht. Staffs. Regt.)

Harry Parker enlisted for service in South Africa at Burton-on-Trent on 16 January 1900. He was serving with the 2nd Volunteer Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment at the time, was aged 32 years, and was employed as a Bill Poster. Served in South Africa, March 1901-June 1902.

Since this post 7 years ago, we now know a lot more about this Tribute Medal thanks to Neville

www.angloboerwar.com/medals-and-awards/2...dals/s/4584-stafford

Picture courtesy of Jonathan Collins

Hallmarks for Birmingham 1901 and named in engraved upright capital letters

Private A G Dale C Coy 2nd VB Nth Staffs Regt

With details extracted from his on-line service record and Medal roll etc.

Albert George Dale was born in St Marys, Stafford 1st December 1876 a 22 year 2 month old Shoemaker and serving member of the 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, he volunteered to serve with the Regular Army Battalion in South Africa at Stafford 19th February 1900 and was discharged to the Army Reserve the same day. Albert recorded his next of kin as his wife Emily Ellen (married at St Mary Parish Church Stafford 18th April 1897) and home address 5 Castle Hill, Newtown, Stafford. Mobilised from the Reserve, he served in South Africa from 16th March 1901 to 25th June 1902 and was discharged on termination of his engagement on return to England 25th July 1902. The 1911 census records Albert is employed as a Brewer’s Labourer residing with his wife, four sons and two daughters at 5 Wolverhampton Road, Stafford. The 1939 Register records he is now disabled and a former shoemaker residing with his wife at 30 Bedford Avenue, Stafford, he died in Stafford in 1945.

Awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal for services as a Volunteer with the 2nd Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment with clasp Transvaal TNA WO100/199 page 21 roll dated Wakkerstroom, Transvaal 15th July 1901, his South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 clasps awarded on the supplementary roll TNA WO100/199 page 107 roll dated Lichfield. 31st December 1902.

£950. Marked as sold

Thank you David,

Added to the database as a known example.

Another known example - 7160 Private Arthur Robotham.

I have just been sorting out my chaotic library and rediscovered two books I had forgotten about. Both by Dave Cooper and published in 2004 by Churnet Valley Books which cover the Staffordshire Regiments 1705-1919. Volume 1, sub-title “Knotted Together”, at the end contains several pages of coloured photographs of medals, badges, buckles etc. This is the very last of the photographs on which can be spotted the Stafford Tribute Medal:




Dave Cooper has misspelt his name and he is the Arthur Robotham listed by Neville as a receiver of the Stafford Tribute Medal. Unfortunately Dave Cooper does not acknowledge the source of the photographs but I suspect these medals can be found in the Staffordshire Regiment Museum at Whittington Barracks, Lichfield.

Arthur Robotham was born in Stafford on 24 April 1880. The 1881 Census gives his age as 11 months and shows he was the youngest of nine children (girls 6, boys 3). His father was a “Boot Finisher”. Arthur attested 16 January 1900 and gave his occupation as “Clicker”. The Northampton Museum have come to my aid and tell me the “Clickers” were the elite of shoe makers, their role involved cutting out the shoe uppers from the precious fine leathers using knives with very curved and sharply pointed blades. Should one rate this as good bayonet training?

Arthur served in the 1st Volunteer Service Company attached to the North Staffordshire Regiment and set sail for South Africa on 4 March 1900 and set foot again on the soil of England on 17 May 1901.

The 1911 Census found him living in the Shepherd’s Bush are of London, a married man of 7 years and employed as a “Prison Warder Grade II”.
I can find nothing about Arthur’s Great War service.

The 1921 Census found him working again as a Prison Warder and with two daughters.

The 1939 Register found him living in the Wandsworth area of London, retired from the prison service but working as a “furniture porter for a brewery”. He passed away in 1953 aged 73.