Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, bar Rhodesia, 285 Trooper P. A. Keogh, British South Africa Police. Rare entitlement to only the Rhodesia clasp.
Officially impressed: “285 Tpr P.A. Keogh. B.S.A. Police”
Confirmed on the roll as entitled to only the single bar for Rhodesia to this medal.
Also earned a King’s South Africa Medal, 2 bars, for further service during the war.
Prior to the Boer War, Trooper Keogh also earned a British South Africa Company Medal, with reverse Rhodesia 1896.
Patrick Arthur Keogh, later in life a “Diamond Digger” in Kimberley, was born circa 1875 in Grahamstown, now Makhanda in the Eastern Cape.
He was the son of Patrick Frederick Keogh (Born 1845 in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape) and Marian Elizabeth King.
He died in Kimberley at the age of 43 on 19th February 1918.
His Grandfather, Patrick Keogh (Kew), was born circa 1795 in England, being a Tailor, and had first come to South Africa along side his future wife, Mary Welsh on 7th January 1820 on board HMS Weymouth being original “1820 Settlers”, Patrick Kew was with Gurney’s Party.
Of the 90,000 applicants who wished to venture to the new Cape Colony, only about 4,000 were approved and Patrick became part of only a small party led by a Charles Gurney, Druggist of Brewers Street, Deal Kent.
It was a joint-stock party originally made up almost entirely of young single men and boatmen of Deal, Kent, who were “Desirous of being settled near the sea coast” in order to combine fishing and farming. The 13 men of the Gurney Party set sail in HM Store Ship Weymouth which left Portsmouth on 7th January 1820.
