Loyal Bermondsey Volunteers Medal, silver-gilt, 48mm, reverse engraved 'Given by the Commissioned Officers of the Loyal Bermondsey Volunteers to Serjt Boyd one of their Members for the Best Shot upon the first Essay of the Corps with Ball Cartridge on Thursday Sept 19th 1799', hallmarks for 1799, good very fine, and a rare medal.
A 2nd Lieutenant Matthew Boyd is noted as an officer of the Bermondsey volunteers on 10th Oct 1800. Possibly the individual named on the medal.
The following was the engagement entered into by these Volunteers:—
"We, the undersigned, do agree to form ourselves into a Military Association under the name of the Loyal Bermondsey Volunteers, as soon as commissions can he procured for officers (to be chosen from among ourselves for that purpose), by whom only we are to be commanded, unless in ease of actual invasion, Rebellion or Riot, when it is in the power of His Majesty to place the Corps under the command of any superior or commanding officer of any other Corps, to whom it may be attached to do duty in this parish or in the adjoining parishes of Rotherhithe, Newington, the Borough of Southwark and its liberties, and in no case to march further; that we will furnish ourselves with an uniform, dress, arms, and accoutrements and serve without pay or emolument, and that we will abide by all such articles as a majority shall hereafter adopt, provided they do not alter this original engagement."
