60791: Military General Service Medal

The medal struck for the period from 1793 to 1814 was the ‘Military General Service Medal’, but it was not actually awarded until 1847, and even then, those who were entitled to it had to send in a claim for it, if they were still alive. If not their medal was not issued. Some 25,000 were issued, in 1848.

The medal is silver, 36mm diameter, with the head of Queen Victoria on the obverse and Victoria crowning Wellington with laurels on the reverse. Bars indicating the battles fought: Maida, Java, Egypt and the Peninsular battles are most significant to Lewis veterans. The soldier’s name and regiment is inscribed on the perimeter.

Kenneth Macleod, a veteran of the Egyptian Campaign of 1807, died in 1837 at the age of 61 years and that was some ten years before his medal became available at his request. Angus “Ease” Macleod, who was a descendant of Kenneth Macleod, enquired if his medal was ever sent to his next of kin, and was told that the medals were only to go to those of the eligible soldiers that were still alive in 1847.

Calum Gobha, Enaclete, did apply for his medal, and it duly arrived in Uig. Calum took his medal to Canada when he emigrated with his family, but Comann Eachdraidh Uig has pictures of it.