49th Regiment of Foot: Temperance Medal 1837 (T. Hyder Cr. Serjt. Septr. 1838.)

- Metal: Silver (not hallmarked)

- Dimension: 41mm

- Weight (inc riband): 35g

Obverse: A Victorian Crown above a wreath of shamrocks and thistles united by a rose; within the wreath ‘49’, legend ‘P. Charlotte of Wales

Reverse: A wreath of oak and laurel ‘April 17, 1837’, with legend ‘Temperance Society Established’

Suspension: Silver clip and straight bar hinged suspension. This engraved on obverse ‘T. Hyder Cr. Serjt. Septr. 1838’

Provenance: Sotheby’s, May 1890; Whitaker Collection 1897

Medals Verification: In addition to his regimental temperance medal (awarded in 1837), Thomas Hyder was also awarded the below following medals, both of which are cited in his extant service papers that are held and accessible at The National Archives:

- China Medal 1842: Recipients extant service papers refer
. Military Long Service & Good Conduct Medal: Recipients extant service papers refer

Note the riband for the China 1842 campaign is only here used in the attached illustrations as a prop for illustrative purposes, and is not supplied / included in the sale

After retiring from the 49th Regiment, Thomas Hyder returned with his large family to his Irish roots, and in 1845 took up an appointment at the venerable Royal Hibernian Military School located in Dublin, Ireland - an institution that he then served loyally for more than 26 years, with many subsequent mentions in the Irish Press in the period circa 1845-1871. As a flavour of the articles, and mentions, we are here quoting from a long article published in the 'Army & Navy Gazette' issue of 8 July 1871, that contained a summary of the school's annual banquet and prize giving:

Quote,

The prizes were then distributed as follows:-

First prize £8 - Thomas John Hyder (band sergeant) aged 13 11-12 years; obtained 1,156 marks in the 1st Class. He is the seventh child of Qmr.-Sgt. T. Hyder, who was entered a pupil in the Royal Hibernian Military School in 1809, joined hence the 49th Regiment in 1816, became colour and pay-sergeant in 1826, served in the expedition to China in 1840-41-42, (for which he received the silver medal), was discharged in 1844, with 30 5-12 years' service allowed to reckon, together with a good conduct medal and gratuity; and in 1845 he was appointed sergeant-major to the Royal Hibernian Military School, where he is now quartermaster-sergeant with the highest character for probity and efficiency.

Unquote.

Thomas Hyder died in Dublin, Ireland, on 25 February 1875. His death was reported in 'The Broad Arrow' issue of, 7 March 1874:

Quote,

Quartermaster-Sergeant Hyder died on Feb. 25, at the Royal Hibernian Military School, Dublin, aged 72. This most worthy non-commissioned officer, after having been for seven years a pupil in the school, enlisted into the 49th Foot, in 1816, and having served with that regiment at Cape of Good Hope four, in the East Indies twelve, and in China about three years, and at home the remainer of his time, he was discharged as colour and pay-sergeant, with a gratuity of £15, the silver medal for long service and good conduct, and the medal for China-being allowed to reckon 30 5-12 years' service towards pension, in 1844. In 1845 he was appointed sergeant-major, and in 1862 quartermaster-sergeant, of the Royal Hibernian Military School, in which institution his long, dutiful and faithful career, has now come to a close after a comparatively short illness.

Unquote.

An extremely rare and desirable early British Army temperance medal to an Irish veteran of the Opium War in China, and later in retirement the 'Sergeant Major' of the Royal Hibernia School in Dublin

Condition: GVF

Code: 24534