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Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 147

Three: Private J. Rigby, 1st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, a Kimberley Defender who survived the siege only to be wounded in action the following year

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Defence of Kimberley, Orange Free State, Transvaal (3584 Pte J. Rigby. 1st L.N.Lanc:Regt.); King's South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (3584 Pte. J. Rigby. L.N.Lanc:Regt.); Mayor of Kimberley’s Star 1899-1900, reverse hallmark with date letter ‘c’, the reverse contemporarily engraved '3584 Pte. J. Rigby L.N. Lanc. Regt.', contact wear, very fine (3)

John Rigby was born at Wigan, Lancashire in April 1871, the son of John and Elizabeth Rigby, his father was a local coal miner. The young Rigby likely followed his father into the collieries appearing as a bolt-maker upon the 1891 census. Enlisting the next year on 8 April at Preston, Lancashire he was posted to India on 26 November 1893, spending over two years there before embarking again this time for Ceylon.

The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment was one of those posted to South Africa before the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War as a result of growing hostilities between the British and the Boer Republics. Four companies of the Battalion were posted to the mining town of Kimberley on 11 October 1899 with the intention of preventing a swift capture of the town.

Here they were protecting not only the economically valuable town but also the person of Cecil Rhodes, one of the most important and recognisable people on the Cape. It was not envisioned that their force would have to defend the town against a sustained siege by a superior force. While Rhodes' De Beers company did support Kekewich during the siege his poor relationship with Rhodes made things extremely difficult. Two raids in November brought action to the routine of the siege however things took a grim turn with Lord Methuen's reverse at Magersfontein. In spite of continuous Boer pressure and the death of George Labram- De Beers chief engineer and a key figure in the defence- the town held.

Having been relieved by General French's flying column the regiment was posted to one of the British columns fighting against Boer Commandos across the country. Rigby was present with a force of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment under a Sergeant H. Waring, who defended a blockhouse at Pitsani on 28 November 1901 when he was wounded in action.

Fortunately it seems to have been a light wound and he was posted back to Britain with the rest of the Regiment on 19 August 1902 and was discharged on 7 April 1904; sold together with copied research.

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Estimate
£300 to £500

Starting price
£240