Queen Victoria Long Service Medal

[Guest]

I live in Canada and over the past month recieved from my Uncle a set of medals he stated belong to my Grandfather Gordon Hamilton.

Looking on the bottom of this very old medal I see the inscription Pte Thomas Clarke 277 Liestershire Rgt.

As I do not know of any past relitives with the Clarke name I have been trying to ascertain why my Grandfather would have this medal.

As granddad passed away in 1971 I have very little to information on this medal.

If anyone can give me a hand please let me know.

[Staffsyeoman]

Bit more detail would be helpful - a picture even better. (And I think it's Leicestershire Regiment?)

Does it have a ribbon? If so, what colour?

You say it's a "Queen Victoria" medal; does it have her image on it? If so, it is not a Regular Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal - that had a coat of arms on the obverse (front) and 'For Long Service and Good Conduct' on the back.

If it has her image on it, it could be the Volunteer Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

As it says "Leicestershire Regt', it was awarded in or after 1881 when the infantry regiments dropped numbers adopted county names. The Leicesters were the 17th Regiment of Foot.

More details would help, but if he didn't serve in WW1 may be off topic here (but I'm glad to help)

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

It could have been the medal of a Family Friend,neighbour or someone he or his family knew & possibly he didnt have anyone else to leave it to,there could be a host of reasons why an unknowns medal is held in anothers family{I know of @ least one group where the Victory medal is named to an Indian Sepoy,it was originally thought that it it was an unofficial replacement to a lost medal,but the Collector on researching the officers life finding a Biography found that the Native had been the Officers servant & that they had mutually swapped Victory medals...