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Ashanti Medal, Commissioner Crorkin GCC

Ashanti Medal, Sub Assistant Commissioner of Police, Philip Crorkin, Gold Coast Constabulary, late Royal Irish Constabulary. Like many Europeans who took up commissions in the Gold Coast he died of Malaria and Fever during 1902.

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Origin: United Kingdom
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Ashanti Medal 1900, Sub Assistant Commissioner of Police, Philip Crorkin, Gold Coast Constabulary, late Royal Irish Constabulary. Like many Europeans who took up commissions in the Gold Coast he died of Malaria and Fever during 1902.

 

Officially impressed naming: “S.A.C.O.P. P. CRORKIN. G.C.C.”

 

Philip Crorkin was born on 29th January 1870 in Carrigfergus, Ireland to Sgt John Crorkin, R.I.C. and Rose Dogherty.
Like his father he joined the Royal Irish Constabulary (service number 54556) circa 1891 and was Acting-Sergeant when he put himself forward to qualify for the lucrative posting in the Gold Coast Constabulary of Sub-Assistant Commissioner, beating two other Sergeants for the posting.

 

He is registered as the complainant on about 20+ court cases held in the Westmeath Petty Sessions Court during his time with the R.I.C.

 

Some additional information can be found in the hard to find book ‘The Gold Coast Polilce 1844-1938’ by W.H. Gillespie.

 

Freeman’s Journal 25th May 1900:

 

“GOLD COAST CONSTABULARY – The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Gold Coast Colony of West Africa has applied to the Inspector-General of the Royal Irish Constabulary for the services of a member of the force to fill the position of Assistant Sub Commissioner in the Native Police Force.
Three Candidates have offered themselves for the appointment, namely – Segeant J Molloy and Acting Sergeant W Hood, of the County Clare Force, and Acting-Sergeant P Crorkin, of the County Westmeath – and have recently been examined at the Castle as to their qualifications for the position, which is a lucrative one, but as yet no selection has been made.”

 

As announced in The Weekly Irish Times of 28 July 1900 Philip Crorkin won the posting:

 

'Acting-Sergeant Philip Crorkin, of the County Westmeath Force, who been the Depot for the past six weeks undergoing instruction in riding, drill, sword exercise, store accounting, for the post Sub-Assistant Commissioner of the Gold Coast Police, for which he was selected the Inspector-General from among thirty candidates, left the depot the evening of Monday, 23rd instant, en route for Liverpool from which he sailed on the 26th instant to take up the duties of his new appointment. Prior his leaving he was entertained at luncheon in the library and presented by his comrades with splendid six-chambered revolver (Colt's) suitably inscribed, as a slight token the warm fellowship in the past, and of their good wishes for his welfare and success in the future. Mr. Crorkin, who much affected by this magnificent and totally unexpected manifestation of their good wishes, thanked them most heartily for their kindness and generosity presenting him with such an exquisite and indispensable article and one which he would carefully and jealously preserve as a memento of his old comrades in the Royal Irish Constabulary. He was escorted to the North Wall by a large number of the Reserve men, with whom, during his short stay at the Depot, he had become extremely popular. The salary and allowances of his post amount to about £450 per annum. The conditions, leave and pension are also very favourable, but the climate is unhealthy and dangerous in the extreme.'

 

The report of his death Irish and Belfast Morning News 15th March 1902:

 

“CRORKIN – March 8, at Cape Coast Castle, West Africa, of malarious fever, Philip Crorkin, Sub-Assistant Commissioner Civil Police, Youngest and dearly beloved son of John Crorkin, New Lodge Road – R.I.P.”