BRITISH MEDALS War Medals.—The earliest medal in existence struck for an Englishman for war service is that awarded to John Kendal in 1480. Kendal was prior of the English Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and in 1480, relieved Rhodes. His medal is now in the British Museum.
Although decorative medals were common before her reign, Queen Elizabeth appears to have been the first sovereign to bestow a medal for particular military service to the Crown, this being the "ark in flood" medal (so called from its design) to corn memorate the victory over the Armada in 1588. James I. (1603– 1625) issued a medal "in reward for naval achievements" on which the design was repeated.
Under a royal warrant, dated May 18, 1643, Charles I. author ized the issue of "Badges of silver, containing our Royal image and that of our dearest son, to be achieved to wear on the breast of every man who shall be certified under the hands of their Corn mander-in-Chief to have done us faithful service in the Forlorn Hope" (i.e., the tactical advanced guard of those days and not a hopeless adventure).
During the Commonwealth, statutory provision was made for the bestowal of medals as naval awards under a minute of the council of State, Nov. 15, 1649. There was also a "Medal of the Parliament" for land service, one being awarded to Col. Mack worth, governor of Shrewsbury, as a mark of the parliament's favour. This medal was given with "a chain of gold to the value of one hundred pounds." The first English campaign medal is that issued by the Commonwealth to commemorate Dunbar, Sept. 3, 1650. A week after the battle the House of Commons authorized the medal "both for officers and men." Cromwell pro tested against his effigy appearing on the medal, but this was over ruled, and his effigy placed thereon. The finest medals of this period are those granted to Blake, Monk, Penn and Lawson for their victory over Van Tromp, July 31, 1653. The medals are in gold, with gold chains.
One interesting medal granted by James II. was to Bishop Mew, for his services as commander of the king's artillery at Sedgemoor, 1685. Before entering the church Mew had been an able soldier, and his ecclesiastical duties had not interfered with his continued study of the military art. Almost all writers on the subject class
ify the "Cumberland" medal (sometimes called the "Culloden" medal) as a commemorative war medal. This is incorrect. The battle was fought on April 16, 1746, the English being commanded by the young duke of Cumberland. To commemorate his success a number of admirers formed the Cumberland Society, a rule of which was that each member on joining was to be presented with a medal. No evidence has been found to show that the victory was officially commemorated by the grant of a medal.
Only one medal was issued for the American War of Inde pendence, this being awarded to a Captain Ewing who distin guished himself at Bunker Hill.
Credit is due to the Honourable East India Company for insti tuting the regular practice of making the grant of medals a "gen eral distribution" and not solely to officers. Some of their early grants include the "Deccan" medal for service during the "Mysore" medal (1791-92) and the "Seringapatam" medal (1799), and they continued this practice until the Crown assumed the Government of India after the Indian Mutiny. The lack of medallic recognition to the rank and file prompted Davison, Nel son's prize agent, to present a medal to every man who took part in the battle of the Nile (1798). His example was followed in 1805 by Boulton, of the Soho Mint, Birmingham, who presented medals to all ranks who had taken part in the battle of Trafalgar (1805). But, it is stated, that as the medals for the men were only made of pewter they deemed them of no value and the majority threw them away. These are the only instances of medals being awarded to service men by private individuals.
British war medals enter upon a new era with those awarded to admirals and captains for Lord Howe's victory over the French on "the Glorious 1st of June" (1794), generally known as the Navy Gold Medals, in that the first official reference is made to medal ribbon in connection with them.