15929705970001312637261000Standard Recordobject-141530170534539555717053297470001705345375209fitz-onlineadlib-object-141530https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/1415306b88c16f-a53b-31a8-bde7-3f00685782c97referenceterm-42993adlib-term-4299393884c6f-c60c-39f7-a75d-f84d65288fe0medalreferenceterm-122711adlib-term-1227111db96904-a474-3b61-a8e5-6c2d9dd557abLester Watson CollectionCoins and MedalsThe history of the British presence in South Africa is inextricably bound up with that of the Basuto and Zulu tribes whom it displaced. A series of shaky and short-lived accommodations with the various polities that made up the African kingdoms meant that the borders between the zones were never entirely free from conflict. Between 1877 and 1879 a number of particularly difficult punitive expeditions were mounted by the British authorities, and in 1880 a medal was sanctioned for these that was a new issue of that for the campaigns of 1834-1853 with a slightly modified reverse design.
Although an independent commission had adjudged in 1878 that most of the Zulu claims to border territories were justified, the repeated infractions and raids either perpetrated or provoked by the dependants of King Cetshwayo kaMpande of the Zulus determined the British commissioner in the area, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, to finally reduce the independence of the Zulu kingdom. Accordingly he demanded a complete disarmament on the part of the Zulus and the imposition of a British residency, and when Cetshwayo predictably ignored this demand, invaded Zululand in January 1879.
The Zulu forces outnumbered the British and African troops ranged against them two to one, and on occasions were able to achieve far more effective concentrations that resulted, for example, in a massacre of Europeans at the Battle of Isandlwana. Normally, however, the balance of battle was with the far-better-equipped Imperial troops, and only an acute shortage of troops (worsened by African desertions) as against Cetshwayo's forces prevented a rapid British victory. By March 1879 reinforcement was altering this impasse, and the Battle of Ulundi, in which the Zulus lost 1500 men, more than a tenth of their force, against 100 British losses from a force of more than 5000, determined most of the Zulu chiefs to seek peace. Cetshwayo became a fugitive, and was eventually captured and imprisoned in Cape Town. The British now faced the problem of effectively controlling this huge and resentful territory with the limited forces available to the peacetime administration.
This medal was awarded to Sergeant R. Muir of the 91st Foot for his service in the 1879 conflict. Lester Watson purchased it at some point before 1928.CM.1436-20091accession numberCM.1436-2009141530priref141530Watson Catalogue348orderingM-0319previous object numberLW.0319urihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141530https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141530Bust of Victoria facing leftobverseVICTORIA REGINAdesignLion couchant before protea bush; Zulu shield on four crossed assegais in exerguereversedesignreferenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam MuseumGiven by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009referenceagent-206432adlib-agent-206432e0b1da8e-f9e4-30be-9257-f82c89d45afbWatson, Lester200920092009givenon loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum 2005-2009188018801880188018811188118811881mintreferenceagent-149658adlib-agent-1496584cb81521-c6ef-3826-8224-de2a104139c5Londonartistreferenceagent-147914adlib-agent-1479145137dfbe-da76-3132-b042-fd9281d2df44Wyon, Leonard Charlesartistreferenceagent-174941adlib-agent-1749418ba653dd-3bef-332c-a3cb-822cc499c1fdWyon, Williamrulerreferenceagent-151398adlib-agent-151398bb2cd0a1-0a27-3787-a684-475d3b199972Victoria (1837-1901)with the title ofrulerreferenceagent-174943adlib-agent-1749439c2be08c-ce74-3f9c-b796-3c936a5088e0Victoria reginareferenceterm-106216adlib-term-106216825b8379-ec94-388e-9a59-624e40c090d0Londonreferenceterm-39778adlib-term-397788bd60ed6-968d-3faf-8ad5-b4e4ee9bb245silverDiametermm36.2Weightg39.77referencemedia-116611adlib-media-116611fcdd9fa4-9a54-3cab-a514-9fc699483434jpegcm/cm15/LW_0319_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels12716162864654991imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0319_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels12716162864654991imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0319_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels12716162864654991imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0319_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels12716162864654991image0media
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imagereferenceterm-123051adlib-term-1230516e34e9ad-8435-3e53-b81e-65ea4abad938South Africa General Service Medaldenominationreferenceterm-98222adlib-term-98222b5ccc43a-7491-344e-b6ca-5df39a11c50emedalsseriesreferenceterm-108659adlib-term-108659cc732dec-4543-389e-a737-cf22bb7d2ee2Militarysubseriesreferenceterm-107681adlib-term-107681e80da827-45c6-3b71-a3ef-28794a05e4a8Britainsubsubseriesreferenceterm-122717adlib-term-122717140af9ad-d215-34d9-9d42-52ecb5d3feadBritish Armysubsubsubserieshistory noteGift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt before 1928referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museum315-331referencepublication-5886adlib-publication-5886a6056c29-399c-38dd-9710-5b3f2d44b8a6British Battles and Medals 7th ednreferencepublication-5910adlib-publication-59100d1d8526-5493-32bd-93b4-acd4cdcec7f9British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)referenceterm-123051adlib-term-1230516e34e9ad-8435-3e53-b81e-65ea4abad938South Africa General Service MedalSouth Africa General Service Medalreferenceterm-119622adlib-term-119622dd6626e9-5822-307d-aa31-13c8813e7555struckobject
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