Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Mr. G. Jennis. “Illustrated London News.”) officially impressed naming, toned, good very fine £400-£500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Boer War Medals to Medical Services, the Church and the Press.

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Gurnell Charles Jennis (1874-1943) served as a Trooper in the 62nd Company, Imperial Yeomanry, and as an illustrator for the Illustrated London News, who referred to him as ‘Gurnell Jennis, our Special Artist at Cape Town’. He returned home on the Canada, with Lord Roberts on board and several of Jennis’s portraits of Roberts were published in the ILN of 12 January 1901, including ‘A special sitting granted by Lord Roberts. Sketch by Trooper Gurnell Jennis, our Special Artist on board the “Canada.”’ The article that accompanied these illustrations notes that, ‘One of our portraits was obtained by the kindness of Lord Roberts, who granted our Artist, a trooper of the Yeomanry, a sitting. It may seem strange that Lord Roberts should have granted this favour, when correspondents were excluded from the vessel, but the Field-Marshal wishes it to be understood that he did so solely on the consideration that our representative was an artist, not a writer.’

Sold with copied research including discharge papers and medal roll confirmation for clasps (Imperial Yeomanry, no medal issued) and Medal (War Correspondents roll).