15929705870001312637261000Standard Recordobject-141301170534539634117053296960001705345375635fitz-onlineadlib-object-141301https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141301af28c59c-6ff1-3c84-9fd9-67b1eacee7dc7referenceterm-42993adlib-term-4299393884c6f-c60c-39f7-a75d-f84d65288fe0medalreferenceterm-122711adlib-term-1227111db96904-a474-3b61-a8e5-6c2d9dd557abLester Watson CollectionCoins and MedalsPeace-keeping operations in the British possessions in Africa, as anywhere else, required a large number of small campaigns, several of which, from 1892 until 1900, were considered to merit this medal, which in terms of design is a continuation of the Ashantee War Medal. Recipients who held that medal already were therefore awarded only extra clasps.
Witu was a small state in what is now Kenya. Established in 1858 as a colony of the Sultanate of Patu, in 1885 it became the German Protectorate of Wituland by an arrangement in which the German Tana Company protected the state from the political threat of Zanzibar. In 1890 the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty saw the Protectorate ceded to British East Africa. In 1891, however, a new Sultan, Fumo Umar ibn Ahmad, succeeded, and his actions were considered less than helpful by the British. As a result, a small punitive expedition was sent in 1893, which landed at the island town of Lamu in the Sultan's home state of Pate (now also in Kenya). As a result Fumo Umar was briefly deposed, but returned to the throne in 1895.
This medal was awarded to Shipwright F. Stephens, who served in HMS Blanche, one of the three vessels from which the expedition was landed. Lester Watson purchased the medal from the London dealers Spink at some point before 1928.referenceexhibition-2271adlib-exhibition-2271605a8492-3164-31f4-a420-511eba2bdb91Images of Empire: The British Empire on 19th century medalsCM.1207-20091accession numberCM.1207-2009141301priref141301Watson Catalogue100orderingM-0090previous object numberLW.0090urihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141301https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141301Bust of Victoria facing left with veilobverseVICTORIA REGINAdesignScene of bush fighting around tree with fallen African to forereversedesignreferenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam MuseumGiven by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009referenceagent-206432adlib-agent-206432e0b1da8e-f9e4-30be-9257-f82c89d45afbWatson, Lester200920092009givenon loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum 2005-200918931893CE18931893190011900CE19001900mintreferenceagent-149658adlib-agent-1496584cb81521-c6ef-3826-8224-de2a104139c5Londonartistreferenceagent-147914adlib-agent-1479145137dfbe-da76-3132-b042-fd9281d2df44Wyon, Leonard Charlesartistreferenceagent-110251adlib-agent-11025181ce1385-fb88-3ebe-94da-ef5a6dba80dcPoynter, Edward Johnrulerreferenceagent-151398adlib-agent-151398bb2cd0a1-0a27-3787-a684-475d3b199972Victoria (1837-1901)with the title ofrulerreferenceagent-174943adlib-agent-1749439c2be08c-ce74-3f9c-b796-3c936a5088e0Victoria reginareferenceterm-106216adlib-term-106216825b8379-ec94-388e-9a59-624e40c090d0Londonreferenceterm-39778adlib-term-397788bd60ed6-968d-3faf-8ad5-b4e4ee9bb245silverDiametermm36.3Weightg38.56referencemedia-116153adlib-media-116153aadfedae-434b-3033-a2a7-f6c02dfed56ajpegcm/cm15/LW_0090_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14516162716770001imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0090_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14516162716770001imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0090_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14516162716770001imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0090_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14516162716770001image0media
imagereferencemedia-116154adlib-media-116154afbff7f0-9bb3-36ab-bbf7-c28bb6788dc8jpegcm/cm15/LW_0090_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14316162725962091imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0090_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14316162725962091imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0090_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14316162725962091imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0090_282_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14316162725962091image1media
imagereferenceterm-123074adlib-term-123074e638791f-6b24-35cc-9e65-cb789721ff18East and West Africa Medal (1887-1900)denominationreferenceterm-98222adlib-term-98222b5ccc43a-7491-344e-b6ca-5df39a11c50emedalsseriesreferenceterm-108659adlib-term-108659cc732dec-4543-389e-a737-cf22bb7d2ee2Militarysubseriesreferenceterm-107681adlib-term-107681e80da827-45c6-3b71-a3ef-28794a05e4a8Britainsubsubseriesreferenceterm-122712adlib-term-122712639b4532-b2cf-3f44-a24b-84974795c1a6Royal Navysubsubsubserieshistory noteGift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Spink before 1928referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museum365-366, 368referencepublication-5886adlib-publication-5886a6056c29-399c-38dd-9710-5b3f2d44b8a6British Battles and Medals 7th ednreferencepublication-5910adlib-publication-59100d1d8526-5493-32bd-93b4-acd4cdcec7f9British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)referenceterm-123074adlib-term-123074e638791f-6b24-35cc-9e65-cb789721ff18East and West Africa Medal (1887-1900)East and West Africa Medal (1887-1900)referenceterm-119622adlib-term-119622dd6626e9-5822-307d-aa31-13c8813e7555struckobject
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