Stewarton Boer War Tribute Medal

 

 

County: Ayrshire
Issued on: Return
Dates of presentations: aft. 16/08/1901, 18/01/1902, 13/06/1902
Number issued: ?

 

Gold medals, to:
 

Aft. 16/08/1901 presentation

Volunteer Active Service Company, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders –

unnamed volunteers

Medals were subscribed for in August 1901. However, no report of this distribution has been found.
 

18/01/1902 presentation

17th (Ayrshire & Lanarkshire) Company, 6th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry –
1453 Sergeant William EAGLESHAM

1444 Private Hugh BORLAND

1st Bn. Cameron Highlanders (Reserve) –

1472 Private Thomas MALTMAN

Scottish Rifles –

???? Private W. LEMON (no record found)

Royal Scots Fusiliers –

???? Sergeant W. ROBERTSON (absent - in S. Africa; either 2449, 1st Bn. or 2293, 3rd Bn.; medal presented to his wife)

King's Own Scottish Borderers –

6583 Private Hugh WYLLIE (K.I.A., Karree, 29/03/1900 - medal given to his father)

38th (Buckinghamshire) Company, 10th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry (Draft) –

10308 Trooper John YOUNG (absent - in S. Africa)

Presentation made by ex-Bailie Smith, in the Institute Hall, Stewarton.
 

13/06/1902 presentation

Damant's Horse (late Rimington's Scouts) –

???? Trooper John LOCHHEAD

Volunteer Active Service Company, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders –

???? Private John McCRAE

Presentation made by ex-Bailie Smith, in the Institute Hall, Stewarton.
 
 
Obverse: "OVER FORK OVER".
Reverse: "PRESENTED BY / THE / BURGH OF STEWARTON / TO / HUGH BORLAND / FOR / PATRIOTIC SERVICES / IN SOUTH AFRICA / DURING THE WAR / 1900-01".
 
 
Private Borland example illustrated in Hibbard.

 

 

Hibbard #C16
 
 
___________________________________________
 
 
 
Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald, 16th August 1901
 

STEWARTON.

TOWN COUNCIL.

The question of gold medals for our local volunteers returned from South Africa was also dealt with at the Council meeting, when the Councillors present subscribed handsomely, and employed the Sanitary Inspectors to collect subscriptions from the general public, for the purchase of medals to commemorate the heroism and patriotic loyalty of our citizen soldiers in the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies.
 
 
Ardossan & Saltcoats Herald, 24th January 1902
 

STEWARTON.

PRESENTATION OF MEDALS.

On Saturday evening last a meeting of the citizens of Stewarton was held in the Institute Hall for the purpose of doing honour to their fellow-townsmen who had so nobly responded to the call of duty in going to fight their country’s battles in South Africa.

Provost Mackie presided over a large gathering, and, after tea had been partaken of, the usual toasts of “King, Queen, and Royal Family”, “Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces”, &c., were duly honoured.

The most interesting part of the function, however, was the presentation of handsome gold medals to each of the gentlemen present who had gone through the campaign. The design of the medals, which was handsome, indeed, took the form of the Stewarton Coat of Arms, with an edging of Scotch Thistles, and the recipients were: –

Sergt. W. EAGLESHAM and Private H. BORLAND, of the Imperial Yeomanry; Private T. MALTMAN, 1st Camerons; Private W. LEMON, Scottish Rifles; Sergt. W. ROBERTSON, Royal Scots; Private H. WYLLIE, K.O.S.B.; Private John YOUNG, Buckingham Yeomanry.

Ex-Bailie Smith, in making the presentations, referred in glowing terms to the excellent manner in which each of the recipients performed his arduous duties during a long and trying campaign.

A rather sad note was struck when Mr William WYLLIE, Parish Church officer, received a medal in name of his son Hugh, who had lost his life in battle. Sergt. ROBERTSON still being at the front, his wife received his medal, and in like manner Mr Gabriel YOUNG took over his brother John’s. A fine programme of music was afterwards gone through.  
 
 
Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald, 20th June 1902
 

STEWARTON.

HONOURING RETURNED VOLUNTEERS.

In recognition of their bravery and patriotism in volunteering to serve their country in South Africa, Messrs John LOCHHEAD and John McCRAE were met by a large and enthusiastic audience of townspeople in the Institute Hall on Friday evening last. Provost Mackie presided, and besides the guests, was accompanied to the platform by Bailie Dunlop, ex-Bailie Smith, Councillor Cunningham, Messrs John J. Love, solicitor, Alex. Cunningham, jr., of Kersland, Tom Young, Viewfield, John Cassells, jeweller, and A.Y. Lochhead. After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts had been honoured, the chairman expressed his extreme pleasure in presiding over the fine gathering that had met to do honour to their two fellow-townsmen who were their guests, and whom all were proud of. He needed not to enlarge upon the many trials and hard sufferings they had undergone while serving with the colours, but would just express his gratification that they had returned safe and sound in wind and limb. They were due the thanks of their native land for the splendid part they had played in bringing about this peace, a peace, he trusted, the benefits of which would extend over the whole of the British Empire.

Replying to the toast of the Imperial Forces, Lieutenant J.J. Love regretted that the efforts to raise a Volunteer company in Stewarton had not met with much encouragement from the War Office, who had not yet given their sanction to its formation, but expressed his confident hope that before the year was ended a Stewarton Volunteer corps would be in full swing.

In calling upon the guests to accept a gold medal, the gift of their fellow-citizens, ex-Bailie Smith eloquently and touchingly welcomed them back to their native town after an arduous and trying campaign. The recognition of the fact that Mr LOCHHEAD, who enlisted from Canada and served with Rimington’s Scouts and Damant’s Horse, hailed from an army of the empire which had in the past been one of our mainstays to a large extent, gave him the greatest pleasure, and he expressed the earnest hope that his future career would be victorious, not in the field of carnage but in the field of peace and harmony. To Mr McCRAE, who served under the colours of the A. & S. Highlanders, he said that, as the recipient of such a striking testimonial of the appreciation of his fellow-townsmen, he must feel greatly gratified. They hoped he would be long spared to wear this piece of gold and to go out and in amongst them with the feeling that his gallantry had been duly appreciated.

The recipients made suitable replies, and an excellent social evening was entered upon. To the accompaniment of Mr A.Y. Lochhead, Messrs R. Dunlop, James Kerr, and James Cassells contributed some very fine songs.