Recently found medal

Posts : 4 Join date : 2016-12-02

I picked this up many years ago and recently re-found it. South Africa medal with bar 1879. Named to Lieut.A. Gibson Natal Native Congt. It is in pristine condition. Where can I get some information on his activity? Thank you in advance.

Subject: Re: Recently found medal Fri Dec 02, 2016 8:06 am

I have him as: Lieutenant A. GIBSON - 2nd Natal Native Contingent - Killed at Isandlwana 22nd January 1879. There is a memorial to him at Charterhouse school.

Posts : 4 Join date : 2016-12-02

Thank you very much. Any idea where Charterhouse school might be. Maybe some there can send me a photo of the memorial. I appreciate the information. Kind regards

Subject: Re: Recently found medal Fri Dec 02, 2016 4:34 pm

http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/themes/subjects/military/war-memorials/zulu-wars/
Im not really into medals, 90th is. There are also a couple of dealers on the forum who can give you some idea of the value of your medal, I should imagine however its probably a rather valuable item.
I seem to recall an author of that period by the name of Gibson writing on the Zulu wars. may be worth a look?
Frank

Subject: Re: Recently found medal Fri Dec 02, 2016 6:24 pm

http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/themes/subjects/military/war-memorials/zulu-wars/

Subject: Re: Recently found medal Fri Dec 02, 2016 6:39 pm

His memorial plaque.

https://www.1879zuluwar.com/t2169-lt-a-gibson-3rd-regiment-natal-native-contingent?highlight=Gibson

Subject: Re: Recently found medal Fri Dec 02, 2016 6:49 pm

There's possibly some information on him here, click on link below.

https://archive.org/stream/charterhouseregi02charuoft/charterhouseregi02charuoft_djvu.txt

Posts : 4 Join date : 2016-12-02

Thank you all, gentlemen.

Posts : 2881 Join date : 2010-06-02

Lt Arthur Gibson appears on the medal roll for 3rd NNC. There is also an A Gibson on the roll for the Frontier Light Horse with a note that he was promoted into a different corps on 23 December 1878. As the 3rd NNC was being formed at that time, and staffed with officers and NCO's who had seen service in the recent Cape Frontier War, I think it might well be the same man. The best book by far on the Natal Native Contingent is Black Soldiers of the Queen by P S Thompson.

Steve

Posts : 1849 Join date : 2009-03-25

LH excellent infoe. Very Happy

Posts : 90 Join date : 2014-10-10

Thats him, Lieutenant Arthur Gibson 1/3NNC. He was born in Paddington in 1857. He travelled to South Africa with a number of Militia officer and The Honourable S.W.P. Vereker who all made their way to the Transvval and joined the FLH o, 13.1.78 as a Trooper (No242) when the FLH was serving during the First Anglo-Pedi (Sekhukhune) War 1878. Although there is a date overlap he was struck off the FLH on 23.12.78 and his 1/3NNC Commission date was 17.12.78. He joined the NNC a few days before iSandlwana and was killed during the battle. Lieutenant J. Maxwell discovered his body months later having recognised him by his 'peculiar pair of jack boots'. He was buried alone just below where Younghusband's company fought. His father John Gibson was a Civil Enginner of No11 Westbourne Square, London.

I've included a potted biography on him in my history of the FLH that I'm getting to print early next year.

Cam.

Posts : 2881 Join date : 2010-06-02

Excellent stuff. Well done Cam. Some of the family trees say he was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery - seems unlikely unless his remains were brought home.

Steve

Posts : 558 Join date : 2012-05-05

"Birth: Oct. 1, 1856
Death: Jan. 22, 1879
Isandlwana
uThukela District Municipality
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Lieutenant in the 2nd Natal Native Contingent.
Killed at Isandlwana.

Burial:
Isandhlwana Battlefield
uMzinyathi District Municipality
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Source: Find A grave

Posts : 4 Join date : 2016-12-02

Thank you to all the gentlemen who responded to my inquiry. I wonder how his medal ended up in a pile of junk at a rural flea market in Pennsylvania.

Posts : 2881 Join date : 2010-06-02

Turns out he has a memorial in Kensal Green Cemetery on the family plot. Not buried there.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Steve

Subject: Recently found medal Thu Dec 08, 2016 6:02 am

Hi Russellsantangelo.
It's quite amazing where some of these items are found or finish up , Rusteze has picked up many excellent very rare publications from Car boot sales in the UK , but to come across a medal such as Gibson's in a rural flea market in Pennsylvania beggars belief ! . An excellent Medal , and one that is worth a good deal of USD's , of that you can be sure .
90th

Subject: Re: Recently found medal Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:11 pm

Hi russelsantangelo
Great find, well done. I can't add any more about your guy but I do know a bit about Charterhouse. I actually found it by accident a few weeks ago near Guildford in Surrey (England, in case there's one in US). It was, and is, very posh indeed and takes up half the county. Significant 'old boys'? Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel and Mike Rutherford formed Genesis the rock band when they should have been doing prep!
Good on yer and them
Regards

24th foot