13 replies to this topic

[cresser]

Hi all,
I have a set of medals from WW1: British / Victory / Territorial War Medal / Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, all for a soldier by the name of either, G or C, (Both are used), Jones, of the Shropshire Yeomanry. They are all mounted on a long pin, the ribbons are a little `worn`, but they are a bit old.
If anyone knows or knew of this man, or is related in some way, and can prove it, I would be happy to forward them post free. Cheers.

[Ken Lees]

A very generous offer, but do you realise how much these medals are worth in monetary terms?

[Ken Lees]

Your man could be Charles Jones, 297 A/WOII, Shropshire Yeomanry.

According to his medal index card he was awarded the Territorial Force War Medal and his address was:
Burghope,
Pencombe
Worcester.

What are the number details on the various medals and do they all give his unit as Shropshire Yeomanry?

[Staffsyeoman]

The Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry (see my avatar.. they were C Squadron in my day), or the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry - as it became -  are the successor regiment(s) to the Shropshire Yeomanry and I'm sure would love 'em; as would the 'Regiments of Shropshire' museum in Shrewsbury Castle.

TFWMs to Yeomanry units are very scarce, valuable, and should be in the museum if no-one has need of/claim to them.  

That's as about as good a non-gallantry WW1 group to a Yeoman as you'll get.

[tjec]

Hi,

Please excuse me asking a question. I have the same group issued to my grandfather, he was Lancashire & Cheshire T-RGA Low Hill Liverpool. Is the value of this group more than than that covered by normal household insurance or should they be insured seperately?

If so what sort of value should they be insured for?

Obviously, they are not for sale!

Regards,

Norman

[Wardog]

All these years on there could be 'loads' of relatives of this man and so a 'tug of war' could start over them. To arange a long term loan to a museum might be good (so that they don't sell them to buy something else they are looking for) or sell them, and hopefully they will go to a collector who will value them. You can then keep the cash or donate to perhaps a military charity. Just a few ideas. Regards, Paul.

[MBrockway]

Assuming this is the correct Charles Jones (& that may be a dangerous assumption) then Pencombe is a small village about halfway between Worcester and Hereford.

It is actually inside Herefordshire, but according to the 1913 Kelly's Directory, the letters went via Worcester, so putting Worcester on the MIC may be understandable.

In the 1901 Census there's a household listed as at Burghope, Pencombe, Herefordshire ...

Benjamin Jones; 48; Farmer, Rates & Tax Collector, & Publican
Caroline E Jones; 47; Pub
Charles Jones; 24; Farmer's Son
Edith A Jones; 20;
Amy Jones; 18;
Frederick Jones; 11;
Katherine M Jones; 7;
George Goode; 47; servant/agricultural labourer

All born in Pencombe

There's a marriage between Benjamin JONES & Caroline Ellen BISHOP in the Bromyard District Register for Q3 1874.  Pencombe is in Bromyard Registration District.

Then there are births in the Bromyard Register as follows:

Q4 1974 - Benjamin JONES
Q2 1876 - Charles JONES
Q2 1881 - Edith Annie JONES
Q4 1882 - Amy JONES
Q4 1889 - Frederick JONES
Q4 1893 - Katherine Mary JONES

Of course, there are LOTS of other Jones in the Bromyard Register, so more leg work will be needed to trace members of the family who are no longer resident at Burghope in 1901 i.e. grown up children.

In Kelly's Directory for 1913, the parish clerk is listed as Charles Jones, who would now be aged 36, which would make him old for war service, but not overmuch, and would be consistent with rank of WOII.

Other Jones's in Pencombe in Kelly's 1913 are ...

1. Jones Benjamin, Junior - Farmer, Stone Farm
2. Jones Benjamin, Burghope Inn, - farmer & landowner & assistant overseer for Pencombe, Stoke lacy, Ullingswick, Bredenbury,
3. Jones Brothers - Farmers, Mill Farm

Clearly #2 is Benjamin who is the Head of the Household in the 1901 Census, and #1 is probably the eldest son born in Q4 1874.  #3 may possibly be Charles and his younger brother Frederick??

HTH - it should be a kickstart on tracing any living relatives.  This Jones family seem at the heart of the life of the village - parish clerk, tax collector, publican and farmers - so there's a very good chance there will be good documentary evidence on them locally.  Excellent Yeomanry stock too.

Let us know how you get on.
Cheers,
Mark

[27thBN]

Hi,

Please excuse me asking a question. I have the same group issued to my grandfather, he was Lancashire & Cheshire T-RGA Low Hill Liverpool. Is the value of this group more than than that covered by normal household insurance or should they be insured seperately?

If so what sort of value should they be insured for?

Obviously, they are not for sale!

Regards,

Norman

I would put a value of about 650 pounds on the group if yeomany which is about double a normal infantry one would go for ,but thats just my opinion.As they are now to a RA gunner probably about 300 pounds .Sorry i did not read the details properly
MC

[Ken Lees]

I would think very carefully before giving the medals to a museum. People sometimes assume that their donated items will be displayed for everyone to see, but many museums simply don't have the space or resources to display everything that is donated and medal groups can lay unseen in a drawer or cupboard. Museums have also been known to sell groups to fund other acquisitions.

If you do go down the museum route, I suggest you discuss their display policy with them before signing them away.

If you don't want to profit personally from the medals, how about selling them and donating the money to a charity of your choice?

Just my thoughts,

Ken

[Staffsyeoman]

Hi,

Please excuse me asking a question. I have the same group issued to my grandfather, he was Lancashire & Cheshire T-RGA Low Hill Liverpool. Is the value of this group more than than that covered by normal household insurance or should they be insured seperately?

If so what sort of value should they be insured for?

Obviously, they are not for sale!

Regards,

Norman

Norman,

Depends on your insurance policy and the value of single items.  Please don't take this the wrong way, but your grandfather's, being to a Gunner, are of less monetary value than those to the Yeomanry due to comparative scarcity. If the bar for declaring single items (and a group of medals can count as such) is as it is on our insurance, £1000, they are below that. Safest course is to check the policy wording and clarify with the insurer. They might even be specifically excluded - as stamp collections sometimes are.

Phil

[Staffsyeoman]

I would think very carefully before giving the medals to a museum. People sometimes assume that their donated items will be displayed for everyone to see, but many museums simply don't have the space or resources to display everything that is donated and medal groups can lay unseen in a drawer or cupboard. Museums have also been known to sell groups to fund other acquisitions.

I think that's unlikely in this particular case. Territorial Force War Medals to Yeomanry are scarce items - often (low) single figures to  regiments. Without going to the TFWM roll at Kew (it isn't online) I can't say exactly how many, but it will be few enough to merit display. The curators at Shrewsbury know what they are about, I bet they don't have many (any?) and I bet they wouldn't sell these medals.  

[tjec]

Hi MC and Phil,

Thanks for the information, I will check the policy when I get home.

Regards,

Norman

[paellataffy]

I would love some more info about these medals please, cresser! I have just joined the group and my mother is Charles Jones's great-niece - his brother, George, was my great-grandfather. The Jones family hailed from Pencombe, Herefordshire and ran the Burghope Inn, I believe. Any information would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

[Staffsyeoman]

I have checked Harold Williamson's magnum opus on the medals of the First World War (The Great War Medal Collectors' Companion) published 2011 - and it cites 14 to officers of the Shropshire Yeomanry, 218 to soldiers. Not quite as scarce* as I had thought, but still not many.

*For example, to the Staffordshire Yeomanry - 1 Officer and 4 Soldiers.