About the product

Queen’s South Africa Defence of Kimberley Lieut.

Queen’s South Africa, bar Defence of Kimberley, Lieut J.F. Wilson, Kimberley Town Guard. Excellent condition on original silk ribbon. Joseph Finlay Wilson was born during 1868 in Murton, Durham. He…

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SKU: J5494 Category:
Origin: United Kingdom
Nearly Extremely Fine

Description

Queen’s South Africa, bar Defence of Kimberley, Lieut J.F. Wilson, Kimberley Town Guard.

 

Excellent condition on original silk ribbon.

 

Joseph Finlay Wilson was born during 1868 in Murton, Durham.

 

He was a popular member of the staff of the Harton Colliery in South Shields and went to South Africa to work presumably with De Beers in the Kimberley Mines as early as 1893, he first arrived as a 25 year old Miner on Hawarden Castle which departed London on 7th September 1893.

 

In 1895 he joined the Diamonds Field Horse as a 2nd Lieutenant and later got caught up in the Boer War during 1900 and was besieged in Kimberley, where he served as a Lieutenant with No IV Section, D Company at No. 4 Redoubt, the De Beers Floor, he was the only officer of his section with 19 men under his command.

 

Shields Daily Gazette 20th July 1895:

 

“A SHIELDSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA –

The last issue to hand of the Diamonds Field Advertiser notifies the appointment as second Lieutenant of the Diamonds Field Horse, of Mr Joseph Finlay Wilson, formerly a well known member of the Harton Colliery Official staff, at South Shields.”

 

He died in South Shields, Durham on 15th March 1918.

 

Whilst working Kimberley he had two Children, Eleanor Wilson in 1893 & Cecil Wilson in 1896, both born in Kimberley. After the Boer War he returned home and had another child in South Shields, but went back to South Africa once again on 22nd May 1902.