Don Dickson

Hello Thomas and thank you for the welcome. It seems that Temperance Medals are part of the social culture of an era that believed in demonstrating the qualities of the wearer. I also have come across School Medals issued to pupils around the same period for achieving certain personal standards. The Victorians and Edwardians were keen on the social demonstration of virtues. Anything that comes up I will be greatful for. By the way, looking at your recent medal post and considering the fact that your temperance medal was scanned, the quality is reasonable for showing the features, however did you ever consider using a digital camera? Amongst my talents (?!) I am a bit of an amateur photographer and a digital camera will capture the detail in a medal that a scanner cannot. Being new to the forum this reply may be offtopic, but to demonstrate the quality I have just taken a photo of a 1915 Star, but I have not attached it because it is not a temperance medal. If anyone would like me to upload it just to demo the quality that is readily achieveable I will be happy to do so. Don

Hello, I found the information on these medals very interesting. I have been reading of an event in that occured to a Leinster Soldier whilst serving in India in 1894. Pte Patrick O'Hara, 24 years old and serving with the 1/Leinsters in Ahmedabad was executed following a Courts Martial for killing fellow soldiers whilst drunk. Just before his sentance was carried out he was give an opportunity to make a statement in which he blamed his drunkeness and sought forgiveness. His statement was subsequently published as a pamphlet by one of the temperance societies, (do not know which because no "ownership" was printed on the pamphlet) and given the information in the above posts, I now have more information and possible search routes. If any one knows of any other examples of such pamphlets that would be useful.