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Auction: 8016 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 348

The Historically Interesting South Africa 1834-53 Medal to Mr. R. Graham, Cape Irregular Cavalry, Civil Commissioner of Albany and the Son of Colonel John Graham, the Founder of Grahamstown South Africa 1834-53 (Mr. R. Graham, Cape Irregular Cavalry), officially renamed in large engraved serif capitals, good very fine and unique to unit Estimate £ 400-450 Mr. Robert Graham, the only son of Colonel John Graham and Johanna Catharina Cloete, a descendant of Jacob Cloete, the first permanent settler at the Cape, was born at Grahamstown, the settlement that his father established in 1812. He served as Civil Commissioner of Albany, and commanded a Corps of Irregular Cavalry during the Third Kaffir War, 1851-53. ´´With reference to an application for a Kafir [sic] War Medal for Mr. R. Graham, who commanded a Corps of Irregular Horse during the Kafir War of 1851-2. By a General Order dated Horse Guards 19th December 1857 the period for the reception of Claims of this nature has been limited to the 1st December 1858 which has now expired- but as the Claimant in the present case has preferred his application prior to that date, although it was not received until the prescribed period had elapsed, and as he was probably not aware at the time of the existence of the General Order in question, Major General Peel has recommended to His Royal Highness the General Commanding in Chief, that the observance of the strict letter of the General Order referred to, should be waived in the present instance as a special case, and the Claim be taken into consideration- and His Royal Highness having expressed his entire concurrence in that recommendation, has informed Major General Peel, that the Claim appears to be valid. Under these circumstances, directions have been given for the preparation of a Kafir War Medal for Mr. Graham accordingly.´´ (Letter to Lieutenant-General Sir H.G. Smith, Bt., G.C.B. from the War Office, dated 20.1.1859, refers). It would appear that, whilst Mr. Graham´´s medal has been renamed, this was officially done at the Royal Mint utilising a previously named but unissued medal, to avoid the need to carry out the 48 separate operations required to produce a single impressed medal from start to finish.

Sold for
£1,600