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Jubilee 1887 Yeomen of the Guard

Jubilee Medal 1887, bronze with 1897 clasp, contemporarily engraved: “2775 J. Laverty Sgt. Majr. 77 Ft. H.M.R.Y.B. Gds.”

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Origin: United Kingdom
Good Very Fine

Description

Jubilee Medal 1887, bronze with 1897 clasp, contemporarily engraved: “2775 J. Laverty Sgt. Majr. 77 Ft. H.M.R.Y.B. Gds.”

 

Ex DNW 8th May 2019, lot 830, when sold with his 1902 and 1911 Coronation Medals and his Army M.S.M. Medal, the entire group including his Crimea, Turkish Crimea and Army L.S. and G.C. Medal were formerly on loan to the Middlesex Regimental Museum, being returned to the family upon the Museum being closed down and the group has since been separated.

 

John Laverty was born in Carrickfergus, Country Antrim.
He attested for service with the 57th Foot at Belfast on 18th March 1853 at the age of 18, choosing to volunteer to join the 77th Foot during February 1854 and was posted to the War in Crimea.

 

During the Crimean War he took part in numerous battles earning the medal with 3 bars and the Turkish Crimea Medal.

 

He received his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal during March 1871 and was later discharged with the rank of Sergeant-Major on 31st March 1874.

 

He was appointed as a Yeomen of the Guard on 31st January 1885 and was present during the inspection by Kaiser Wilhelm in 1891, and then by Queen Victoria in 1897, followed by King Edward VII in 1901.

 

As a senior Yeomen he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal without annuity on 1st May 1907. He died on 15th November 1913.

 

The Manchester Citizen 19th November 1913 lists his Obituary:

 

“70 YEARS SERVICE, REMARKABLE RECORD OF A CRIMEAN VETERAN

 

Twenty-one years in the Army, 21 years in the Navy, and 28 years in the King’s Bodyguard is the record of service of Mr John Laverty, who has just died at Forest Gate, Essex.

 

Mr Laverty was born in 1835, and joined the 51st King’s Own Light Infantry at Belfast in 1853, subsequently transferring to the 77th East Middlesex Regiment (the ‘Diehards’) in 1854.

 

He saw service in the Crimea, and was present at the Alma, Balaclava, and the storming and taking of Sebastopol. After serving in India and New South Wales, he returned to England, and was appointed Chief Instructor in cooking to the Army at Aldershot. At the expiration of his 21 years service the Navy were forming the School of Cookery at Portsmouth, and permission was given Mr Laverty to join as instructor of cookery, a position he held for 25 years, when he retired with the rank of Warrant Officer.

 

In 1885 Mr Laverty was appointed a Yeomen of the King’s Bodyguard, adn was a Sergeant Major of that famous corps at his death. The latter period of service in the Navy ran concurrently with the first portion of his service at St James Palace.