Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The well documented group of orders and medals awarded to George Frederick Jerdein, D.L., Councillor, Alderman and twice Mayor of the City of Westminster
City of Westminster Past Mayor’s Badge, neck badge, 50 x 38mm., 9ct. gold and enamel, hallmarks for Birmingham 1939, reverse inscribed, ‘Councillor G. F. Jerdein, Mayor of the City of Westminster 1938-1939, Presented by Councillor Sir Harry Vanderpant’, with neck cravat, in fitted case of issue; Jubilee 1935, unnamed; Special Constabulary Long Service, G.V.R., 1st issue, 2 clasps, The Great War 1914-18, Long Service 1929 (George F. Jerdein), these two mounted as worn; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, rosette on ribbon, in Arthus Bertrand, Paris case of issue, enamel damage to centres; Romania, Order of the Star, 2nd issue, Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with neck cravat, in Weiss, Bucharest case of issue, minor enamel damage; together with miniature dress medals of the latter four awards; the miniatures and the two medals in a Goldsmiths & Silversmiths, London leather case, very fine and better (9) £500-550

George Frederick Jerdein was born in 1875, the youngest son of the Rev. Charles Jerdein, M.A., Rector of Stoke Goldington, Buckinghamshire and his wife Frances Mary Caroline Jerdein nee Wilton. He was educated at Warwick School and went into business with Lee & Jerdein of London in 1893. In 1898 he joined Walker Munsie & Co, a firm of East India merchants and went out to India in 1905. He returned from the sub-continent in 1915 and volunteered for the Army but was rejected on medical grounds. In January 1916 he joined the Metropolitan Special Constabulary and was attached to the H.Q. at Scotland Yard - he served with the force until 1935. In the Spring of 1916 he married Frances Evelyn Jones.

In 1927 Jerdein resigned from Walker Munsie & Co. and began his career in local politics. In 1929 he was elected Councillor for the Victoria Ward in the City of Westminster. Jerdein was elected Mayor of Westminster for the year 1938-39. As such he met several heads of state, including King Carol of Romania, King Haakon VII of Norway and President Albert Lebrun of France. As a consequence of which he was awarded the Romanian Order of the Star in 1938 and Legion of Honour in 1939. Following his tenure as Mayor, Jerdein was elected Deputy-Mayor for the year 1939-40 and again for the year 1940-41. In 1940 he was an early volunteer for the Home Guard and served May 1940-September 1941 only resigning due to his increasing municipal responsibilities.

On the night of 11 May 1941, the Mayor of Westminster, L. Eaton Smith, was killed in a bomb blast during an air raid. Jerdein as his deputy immediately became Acting Mayor and on 28 May was elected Mayor for the second time, to fill the vacant position for the remainder of the municipal year. Upon its completion in November 1941 he was for the third time elected Deputy Mayor for the year 1941-42. Councillor Jerdein was appointed Deputy-Lieutenant for the County of London in 1943. He was elected Alderman for the City of Westminster for 1947-49; 1949-56, and 1956-62. A long time resident of 23 Warwick Square, London, S.W.1, George Frederick Jerdein died in 1963, aged 88 years.

Sold with a folder and a scrap book containing a wealth of neatly arranged reminiscences, minutes of proceedings, newspaper cuttings, speeches, letters received, Christmas cards, invitation cards, programmes, orders of service etc., mostly relating to his years of high office in the municipal service. Together with another folder containing much genealogical and biographical detail on the Jerdein family.