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Auction: 15003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 43

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, four clasps, Modder River, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Transvaal (Scripture Reader A. Tervit. A. & S. Hdrs.), nearly extremely fine, rare

Scripture Reader Adam Tervit, was born in West Calder, Midlothian in 1870, and in December 1885, giving his age as 18, enlisted in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; after an uneventful seven years with the Colours and five years with the reserve he was discharged in December 1897. 'In December 1893 he came under the spell of the Gospel message. He had gone with some others to poke fun at a Gospel Service but the Holy Spirit so spoke to him the he left that gathering a transformed man. Henceforth his life belonged to Jesus Christ and must be lived for His Glory. Christ filled his life and satisfied him as nothing else had or could. The Bible became his great treasure and he gave all his spare moments to study its truths. On the outbreak of the Boer War he felt an unshakeable conviction that God wanted him there, despite the fact that his twelve years with the colours and the reserves had now elapsed. He received a telegram inviting him to go to the Transvaal with his old Regiment and the Highland Brigade as an Army Scripture Reader. Two days later, on the 4th November 1899, he sailed on board the troopship Kildonan Castle with 3,000 troops, and arrived at Cape Town on the 22nd November. Then commenced a life of service for God. After the Battle of Magersfontein, when the Highland Brigade alone suffered 812 casualties in 15 hours of non-stop fighting and the wounded mounted into hundreds on the field of battle, Adam Tervit was invited to conduct a service on the battlefield. With the terrible carnage all around- and the loss of so many dear friends- it was enough to un-nerve any man, yet with an unshakeable conviction that the Gospel was the only adequate answer to men's need he preached faithfully from the Old Book he knew so well and trusted so implicitly. Later that evening Major Granville Smith of the Coldstream Guards sought him out at his bivouac and declared: "I want to tell you that I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour as you spoke to us". At the Battle of Modder River, when the Highland Brigade was completely cut off for a time and faced being wiped out entirely, with all outside communication wires cut, Adam Tervit again addressed the weary soldiers and rallied them with the characteristic utterance: "Praise God communications with the Throne of Grace are still intact. Dead men and horse choke the river, bridges have been blown up, and wires town down, but the Throne of God is still intact". No wonder the men loved him and found his faith infectious.' (letter included with lot refers).

After the Boer War Adam Tervit laboured in Cairo, and then later in Palestine, acquiring a deep interest in Biblical Archaeology in both Egypt and the Holy Land. He returned to Scotland in 1921 and died at Airdire in February 1958.

The title 'Scripture Reader' was commonly used during the Boer War when referring to Lay readers/ workers. Owing to the considerable geographical area the War covered, the Army Chaplains' Department, being severely understaffed in many areas, was supported by the Salvation Army, The Church Army, The Soldiers Christian Association &c.

Approximately 6 Queen's South Africa Medals issued to Scripture Readers; this is the only one known to have appeared for sale.

Provenance: Taylor Collection, Christie, November 1990

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Sold for
£1,100