Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 1st issue, large letter reverse, edge dated, impressed naming (Samuel May, Serjeant 29th Regiment Foot. 1839) fitted with original steel clip and rectangular bar suspension, light contact marks on the reverse, otherwise good very fine £200-260

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Worcestershire Regiment formed by Group Captain J. E. Barker.

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Provenance: The Jubilee Collection, Glendining’s, May 1992.

Samuel May was born in Belfast, County Antrim, and attested for the Royal Artillery at Lisburn on 4 May 1813, joining the 9th Battalion as a private, aged 17 years. Just 79 days after completion of his ‘under-age’ service, he was discharged on reduction of the unit. Nearly three years later, on 14 May 1817, he re-enlisted into the 98th Foot, but this period of service lasted just over a year before he was again discharged. After nearly three months he re-enlisted again, as a private with the 94th Foot, on 19 August 1818, but this service lasted only 4 months before he was again discharged on reduction of the regiment. Four days later he re-enlisted into the 29th Foot on 18 December 1818, with whom he remained for the rest of his service. He was promoted to Corporal in April 1825, and to Sergeant in April 1826, serving with the 29th in Mauritius from September 1826 to March 1838. As a School Master Sergeant he elected to take his discharge on 11 April 1839, having completed well in excess of the 21 years actual service required to qualify for his L.S. & G.C. medal, which was duly issued to the Collector of Excise at Devonport, for onward transmission. Sold with copied discharge papers and other research.