Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Ashantee 1873-74, 1 clasp, Coomassie (1747. Pte. K. Stewart, 42nd. Highds. 1873-4) heavy edge bruising, nearly very fine £300-340

Kenneth Stewart was bon in Inverness in 1849 and attested for the 42nd Royal Highlanders at Edinburgh on 20 January 1869. He deserted on 18 January 1873, re-joined on 18 August of that year, and was tried, convicted, and imprisoned for two months, from 20 August to 23 October 1873.

In December 1873 he accompanied the Regiment for the expedition for the Gold Coast, and was slightly wounded at Amoaful on 31 January 1874, ‘the most odoriferous place imaginable’, during the advance on Coomassie. Returning to Portsmouth, he was appointed Piper upon the death of Piper James Weatherspoon, who had also been wounded the same day at Amoaful.

In September 1874 he was arrested by the Civil Powers and imprisoned for two weeks. He then embarked with the Regiment for Malta, where he served for the next three and a half years, before being invalided home in June 1878, suffering from an attack of malaria, severely affecting his lungs and ‘probably aggravated by duty as Piper.’ He was discharged at Netley hospital on 26 August 1878, ‘unfit for further service; left lung has a cavity- disability is permanent and likely to proceed- will not be able to do anything for his own support’, after 8 years and 292 days’ service, with 3 years and 364 days’ forfeited.