42nd Foot Military General Service Medal

[Fowler5]

Hello there,

My wife has this medal, which was given to her great, +,+ grandfather, John Fowler. I think he was a lucky man, surviving all this. He later settled in Canada, in Ontario, where we are. He is buried nearby, in Hobart Memorial Cemetary, as well as Joseph Fowler (1836-1908), Joseph Fowler (1876-1964), and my father in law, J (for Joseph!) Lorne Fowler (1915-1998). We would like to know any more information regarding when he was in service, etc or where any info can be found. I know there was a Waterloo medal but have not seen it.

Thanks in advance!

[Guest Darrell]

Hello, very nice medal !

He is listed in the roll and entitled to the Medal and Clasps.

If I was at home, I could have checked the Waterloo Roll as well.

[Ulsterman]

Oh

My

God!

That is THE FINEST Black Watch medal I have ever seen. That folks is one of the best Napoleonic medals extant.

THANK YOU!!!!! for posting it. :jumping:

[paul wood]

Oh

My

God!

That is THE FINEST Black Watch medal I have ever seen. That folks is one of the best Napoleonic medals extant.

THANK YOU!!!!! for posting it.

Is on the Waterloo roll in Captain Robert Boyle's Company. No record of it coming up for auction so it may have gone to another branch of the family (or possibly the pawnbrokers after Waterloo).

Paul

[Fowler5]

Thank you Darrell, Ulsterman and Paul for your information. Were the Waterloo medals issued at the same time? I think I read the MGS medals were issued years after and I'm not sure when he settled here. My wife's aunts wrote a small book about the early Fowler days in Ontario. I'll have to track a copy down. I've attached a pic of his headstone. It's a small quiet cemetery, about 1/2 K from a 4 lane highway. I don't think anyone would notice it driving by. So I'm off to do some more investigating.

Thanks again!

[paul wood]

Thank you Darrell, Ulsterman and Paul for your information. Were the Waterloo medals issued at the same time? I think I read the MGS medals were issued years after and I'm not sure when he settled here. My wife's aunts wrote a small book about the early Fowler days in Ontario. I'll have to track a copy down. I've attached a pic of his headstone. It's a small quiet cemetery, about 1/2 K from a 4 lane highway. I don't think anyone would notice it driving by. So I'm off to do some more investigating.

Thanks again!

The Waterloo medal was issued at the time 1815 while the MGS was not issued until 1848. Hence one can have a pair to the same recipient where the Waterloo is well knocked about (wearing your Waterloo medal was a good stratagem to achieve a free beer) and Military General Service is in nigh mint condition as you had to be at least in your 50s to receive the medal and many were older and of course while while the number of Waterloo medals issued to those who served in the Peninsula War was high the numbers who survived to received their MGS was considerably smaller.

All the best,

Paul

[Mervyn Mitton]

Fowler5 Welcome to GMIC. A most interesting medal - and, the bars - an incredible set of battles. However, I think the picture of his grave is even more poignant and brings the medal to 'life'. You certainly must do some more research. Mervyn

[Ulsterman]

Ummmmm...folks- just to give you an idea of how special that medal actually is.

1. Note that it is in almost mint condition

2. The Black Watch are THE premier Highland regiment, much sought after by collectors

3. VERY few privates survived THAT many Peninsula battles AND Waterloo. At Waterloo for example, the 1st Bttn. 42nd Ft. was in Pack's brigade and started the battle allegedly with 526 officers and men (allegedly because they lost an unspecified number in the retreat on the 17th and apparently several squads were on guard duty in Brussels etc.). They took 337 casualties on June 18th (and I'll wager your ancestor was one of them) and of the wounded (@290) aprox. 35% on average died within a month of their wounds). That is one rare medal!!!

4. in addition I have seen an MGS "roster" of multi-bar awards. Any MGS with more than 4 must be considered "rare" and with 6+...REALLY rare.

There were more infantry soldiers- and they tended to be the vast majority of casualties as well.

Your ancestor was one VERY hard man.

[Fowler5]

Thanks for the notes, and I appreciate the extra info. Yes, he seemed to be one tough character, and a bit lucky too. Those battles must have been gruesome. For some reason, he missed the ship that was supposed to take him to Canada. When he finally got here, he heard that the first ship was lost at sea, no survivors. Settling here was tough too. He and a few of his new neighbours had to petition the government for supplies to get them through the first few winters. He also helped clear the main street, here in Orillia. There were 3 houses then, pop. 30,000 now.

[IrishGunner]

Wow - just seeing the photo and reading the posts sends tingles down my spine. This is the close I'll ever come to such a medal and history - and I'm thankful to do it here. Thanks so much. You have a great deal to be proud of in your family.

With highest regards.

[Owen]

Exceptional - many thanks for sharing it and wonderful to see that it has remained in the family. Owen

[Tony Farrell]

Hell's teeth! A fine, fine piece of family history you have there.

[Fowler5]

I think I'll keep pursuing this. I've found out the area John settled was being surveyed around 1820 and he arrived in 1832 to concession 8, Lot E1/2 Medonte township - one of the first. Land grants (200 acres) were given free to retired British officers so I'd like to find what he did between the end of the war and when he left for Canada - did he remain in the army until retirement? Where could I go to look into his service record?

I want to thank all of you for your words or encouragement, so,,,

THANK YOU ALL!!!

[Guest Darrell]

Is on the Waterloo roll in Captain Robert Boyle's Company. No record of it coming up for auction so it may have gone to another branch of the family (or possibly the pawnbrokers after Waterloo).

Paul

I found him on the Waterloo Medal Roll and below is a close up of the entry. If you would like, I can email you a full size scan if desired. Let me know :)

Edited October 29, 2010 by Darrell

[Fowler5]

Darrell, that would be fantastic!!

I'll pm our email address

Edited October 29, 2010 by Fowler5

[Fowler5]

found several interesting things in a family book, including starting life as a MacDonald

Here's an account taken from an Orillia paper after an interview with Alexander Fowler (John's first son probably in late 1800's)

" The medal was issued in 1848, and bears the vignette of her Majesty, Queen Victoria, on one side, and on the other full length figures of her Majesty crowning with a laurel wreath the Iron Duke, kneeling before her and the words "To the British Army. 1793 - 1814." There are clasps for Busaco, Fuentes, D'Onor, Salamanca, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse. The late Mr. Fowler was also at Vittoria, which he described as more like a field day than a battle, but as he was on the sick list, and left the hospital to take part in the battle, he was not supposed to have been in action, and so got no clasp for it. The medal is accompanied by this certificate: "Lt. General Lord Fitzroy Somerset is directed by the Commander-in-Chief to transmit to John Fowler, late of 42nd Regiment, the medal graciously awarded to him by Her Majesty, under the General Order of the 1st of June, 1847, the receipt of which he is to acknow­ledge. Horse Guards, 5th Nov., 1850". When coming to Canada in 1832, Mr. Fowler gave his medal for Waterloo and Quatre Bras, to a brother in Scotland, together with the plate which joined the crossbelts on his breast. This plate was indented at Waterloo by a bullet which almost pierced it. At Quatre Bras, the French Cuirassiers rode down the 42nd while in a field of rye so rank and tall that they did not see the horsemen until the foe were upon them. Taken at this disadvantage, the regiment lost heavily, but avenged them­selves by driving off their assailants in much diminished number. At Waterloo, the farmhouse of LaHaye Sainte was "the worst spot" Mr. Fowler ever was in, and the struggle for its possession throughout the day he described as terrible. Here Mr. Fowler's crossbelt was struck, his shako pierced with a number of bullets, and he was wounded once, if not twice — he had two wounds in the leg.

On account of his wounds, John Fowler was sent to Chelsea Royal Military Hospital in London where he was a patient at times for the next few years. On the 28th. of June, 1820, he became an out-pensioner. After his continental engagements, he was still in the army serving in different capacities in various parts of the country. His discharge papers were evidently not given until a later date and will be given as written by officials at Quebec and Penetanguishene.

Edited January 4, 2011 by Fowler5

[Hugh]

How incredibly lucky you are to have this still in the family! I wonder if it is possible to track down the Waterloo medal and the breastplate to see whether they might be re-united someday.

Best,

Hugh