Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers c. 1888-1901 an officer’s full dress pair of epaulettes in gold lace the crescents embellished in gold and silver lace ‘Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers’ on a ground of blue silk enclosing a silver fouled anchor, finial buttons now all gilt and the RNAV now in old English lettering, retailed by S.W. Silver & Co., Cornhill, London, together with 34 large and 3 small gilt buttons. An officer’s full dress and undress waist belts, both in black leather with gilt mounts the full dress example further embellished with gold lace, the clasps are identical and feature laurel sprays a crowned fouled anchor and RNAV in old English lettering, both belts with sword slings, the full dress example with a hand written period label ‘Sir J. J. Jenkins’, one small ‘nibble’ of the leather on the full dress example otherwise overall very good condition (39) £300-£400

John Jones Jenkins, Baron Glantawe, was born on 10 May 1835 and was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers, Bristol Brigade, on 12 October 1881, being promoted Honorary Lieutenant on 1 May 1885. Three times Mayor of Swansea, he served as Member of Parliament for Carmarthen from 1882 to 1886, and again from 1895 to 1900, and in 1889 he was High Sheriff of Glamorgan. He was knighted on 17 May 1882, and was raised to the peerage as Baron Glantawe, of Swansea, on 18 July 1906. He died on 27 July 1915.

His local newspaper contained the following obituary:
‘It is with deep regret that we announce the death of Lord Glantawe, which took place at eleven o'clock this morning at his residence, The Grange, Blackpill.  The late Lord Glantawe's life was an industrial romance. He rose from small beginnings, and became one of the most influential of South Wales business magnates. He was a son of Mr. Jenkin Jenkins, of Morrieton, and of Sarah, daughter of John Jones, of Clydaoh. The boy was well grounded in a local school. At the age of 15, he went to work in the Upper Forest Tinplate Works, Morriston, the property of Messrs. Hallam and Co., one of the largest in the trade. Eventually he was invited to become a partner in the Beaufort Tinplate Works at Morriston. He became chief partner and manager of the Beaufort, and remained so till 1860. Thrice Mayor of Swansea, Lord Glantawe was a director of the North British and Mercantile Insurance Co., of the Metropolitan Bank of England and Wales, of the Swansea and Mumbles Railway, Ltd., of the Mumbles Railway and Pier Co., and of St. David's Tinplate Co. Although essentially a man of commerce, he could claim to be a man at arms in his connection with the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers, of which he was an Honorary Lieutenant. He was a J.P. for Glamorganshire, Carmarthenshire, and Swansea. He was President of the Royal Institution of South Wales and was a member of the Governing body of the Intermediate and Technical schools. Known as Swansea's optimist, he dispensed liberally hospitality at the Grange.’