TOPIC:

Meurig,

A very interesting find. His KSA (2) from the KVR is extant.

In terms of no clasp DoK QSAs, how about the 75 men who served in the KTG but received a no clasp QSA.

djb wrote: Meurig,

A very interesting find. His KSA (2) from the KVR is extant.

In terms of no clasp DoK QSAs, how about the 75 men who served in the KTG but received a no clasp QSA.

Thanks David - any clues who has the KSA or where it was sold?

Here is the no clasp DoK to JG Williams Kimberley TG - employed "Repairing tents and making tent pegs". I picked this up last year. Far cheaper than a DoK clasp medal and more interesting (to me at least!).

Hi Meurig

I have a similar example, named to :

375 SJT : J. HAMILTON. KIMB :LT HORSE



He certainly moved around serving with the Kimberley Volunteer Regiment, Cullinan's Horse, Bechuanaland Rifles, Vryburg Mounted Rifles and Mosita Squad D.M.T. This probably caused a huge admin problem in determining his clasp entitlement, as each roll is cross referenced to the others.

However, there is a note on the Kimberley Volunteer Regiment Roll which clearly shows his entitement on that roll to the Defence of Kimberley clasp.


It clearly says that the Cape Colony clasp to be recovered and the DoK clasp issued. There is a note about replies etc, so whether they issued the clasp and expected the return of the CC it didn't happen.



A close look at the rivets between the CC and DoK looks odd, I assume he received the DoK clasp, and inserted it with the help a local jeweller, or else it was done by a collector, who knows, but the combination of CC and DoK is not allowed by the rules.

Regards
Jon

Meurig,

You reminded me of the medal to John Spenser:

John William Spencer was in Kimberley during the siege, working for the Diamond Fields Advertiser as a compositor. As such he did not receive the QSA with the DoK clasp. However, after the siege, he joined the ASC as a Civil Conductor and so earned the clasp for Cape Colony. He died in Kimberley on 26th September 1901. His obituary read: “It is with much regret that we have to record the death of Mr J W Spencer, which occurred on the 26th September at Kimberley Hospital, at the age of 28 years. He will be remembered as the son of ex-Police Sergeant Spencer, late of the Richmond Police Force. The deceased was formerly employed by Mr R W Simpson at the Herald office, first as an apprentice at Richmond and subsequently in a more prominent position at Barnes, but owing to ill-health and under medical advice he went to South Africa, and there found employment on the Diamond Fields Advertiser. He was in Kimberley throughout the siege, and the privation he then experienced told upon his somewhat weak constitution. After the siege he returned to England for a time, but went back to South Africa about twelve months ago and to his old employment as a compositor. After a time he was obliged to leave this confined sphere of labour, and found work with the Army Service Corps, in charge of military stores, up to the time of his death. He was much respected by all who knew him. He was accorded a military funeral, the escort being formed of Paget's Horse.”

W Hardware, Maxim Battery, this was a unit formed from de Beer’s employees for the defense of Kimberley. They were attached to the 23rd company Royal Garrison Artillery. According to David Biggins’ Kimberley Siege roll he served at Reservoir Redoubt.

The medal roll at WO100/145pp1A-3, rolls for the Royal Garrison Artillery. There are 36 names on the roll, no officers, and the most senior rank being Quartermaster Sgt W Akenhead. Working from the rolls it appears that 28 medals were issued to the unit. Fourteen were returned leaving 14 extant. The medals are simply name to “MAXIM BTY.”.

Issued Medals
11-03-1905 21
17-06-1905 4
07-07-1905 1
27-07-1906 1
12-10-1906 1
Total Issued to unit 28

Held Over (not issued) 5
Issued off other rolls 1
(I realise the numbers don't add up to 36, I am using the numbers issued as recorded on the roll)
Returned
01-05-1909 13
27-04-1908 1

I am aware of just two other medals on the market: Sgt C Foules and Gnr D Bunn.

The name “William Hardware” seems to be different enough to be researchable, but not unique. I found what I believe to be this “William Hardware” based on, what I hope are strong links, to South Africa, Kimberley and De Beers.

Gunner 26736 William Hardware 1st Brigade Western Division RA took his discharge at Cape Town on 29th February, 1888 on payment of £24. William was born in 1862 in Tettenhall, Staffordshire, one of seven children born to Joseph & Harriet Hardware. Joseph was a “provisions dealer”. William enlisted in 1880 at Portsmouth, age 18, a labourer. He was posted to Mauritius in July 1880, there he gained his 4th class Certificate of Education and won and lost his Good Conduct Pay. In November 1883 he made the short journey to South Africa. In July 1884 he was imprisoned by civil power for 14 days. By the time of his discharge he had managed to hang on to 1d Good Conduct pay. Where William was stationed in South Africa is not known, even he did not get further than Cape Town he would have been well aware of the diamond and gold discoveries in Kimberley (1860’s) and on the Rand (1886). If this is the man who ended up in the Maxim Battery during the siege of Kimberley, then he must have decided paying £24 (£2180 today) for his discharge to seek his fortune on the diamond mines in Kimberley was a good bet.

The next piece of research that fits the jigsaw is a death certificate for a William Hardware who died in Kimberley on 2nd November 1941, a “retired labourer De Beers”. He was a “European” aged 79, which gives a date of birth of 1862 – matching Gunner Hardware discharged in Cape Town in 1888.

Using FamilySearch I was able to fill some gaps in the life of William Hardware of Kimberley. He married Christina, they had two children; Christina Alice (1894) and Mathilda (1898). Unfortunately the children suffered from epilepsy. Christina died in November 1899 during the siege from an epileptic seizure. Their second daughter, Mathilda died in February 1902 from epilepsy and whooping cough. There is no record of subsequent children.

Prior to the war William and his family lived at 15 Railway Cottages, during the siege they lived at 31 McCaffrey St.

It would seem William did not find his fortune in the diamond mines, and he had a tragic family life. I hope he found happiness with his wife and mates.

A question: Some men, Foules & Hardman for instance, are noted on a roll headed "HQ & Searchlight" - I can't find this roll on Ancestry, my copy of WO100 and it is not mentioned in Forsyth's roll. DNW mention it & it is referred to in David's KImberley book.

A question: Some men, Foules & Hardman for instance, are noted on a roll headed "HQ & Searchlight" - I can't find this roll on Ancestry, my copy of WO100 and it is not mentioned in Forsyth's roll. DNW mention it & it is referred to in David's KImberley book.

Does anyone know where the "H&Q Searchlight" roll is please?