CONSTABLE THOMAS GAMBLE, ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY, WHO WAS ONCE RECOMMENDED FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE DURING THE IRISH WAR OF INDEPENDENCE AND ALSO ONCE FINED FOR A MISDEMEANOUR DURING HIS CAREER WITH THE ROYAL IRISH CONSTABULARY. Visit to Ireland Medal 1903 (officially engraved: C. T. GAMBLE. R.I.C.). Replacement copy top suspender brooch, few small edge nicks to obverse and reverse rim, otherwise Good Very Fine.
Medal accompanied by copied extract recipient's service record, extract from Jim Herlihy's "Royal Irish Constabulary, A Complete Alphabetic List of Officers and Men 1816-1922" and extract 1901 census.
Royal Irish Constabulary service records confirm only one Constable T. Gamble serving with the R.I.C. at the time of the 1903 Visit. Born 1881, a native of Co. Cavan and a protestant, Thomas Gamble joined the Royal Irish Constabulary on 15/6/1901, having been recommended for the force by District Inspector William Vanston. At the time of joining the RIC Gamble was 20 years and 5 months old and gave his trade as that of farmer. On joining Gamble was given the service number 60254. Gamble first saw service in Co. Roscommon, from 10/12/1901, transferring to Co. Antrim on 1/7/1905 and Co. Down on 22/3/1917. Constable Gamble was still serving with the R.I.C. when the force was disbanded on 6/4/1922.
Constable Gamble received one commendation and was once fined during his career with the Royal Irish Constabulary, his service record bearing the manuscript notes "3FR 2/3/1921" and "F 15/- 16/10/15". 3FR is an abbreviation for 3rd class Favourable Record, indicating Gamble received a 3rd Class Favourable Record on 2/3/1921, and the abbreviation F 15/- indicates that Gamble was fined fifteen shillings for a misdemeanour on 16/10/1915.
Between 1816 and 1922 some 85,000 men saw service with the Royal Irish Constabulary and its predecessor forces. Each member of those forces was subject to a strict internal disciplinary system, with members of the force who contravened its disciplinary regulations being penalised on a sliding scale, punishments ranging upwards from a fine, through to demotion, early retirement or in extreme cases, dismissal. In the Service Records the letters H.Y.S. and F.R. are followed by file numbers, the files for which have not survived. When the Reward Fund was established in 1842 a system of Half Yearly Sheets (H.Y.S.) was also established which contained the names of members of the RIC who had been rewarded for distinguished service, fined or dismembered (retired early or dismissed) during the previous six months. These sheets were circulated to each station, principally as a monetary accounting mechanism for the Reward Fund, which was self-financing. The circulars were later published quarterly but retained the HYS abbreviation. Each entry contained the registered number, surname, forename, of the policeman referred to, a summary of the event for which the award was made or punishment administered, and the amount of the award or fine, or any disciplinary action administered. Approximately 304 Half Yearly Sheets were published & distributed throughout the Force (12 between 1842 and 1848 and 292 between 1848 and 1922). For the RIC researcher the Half Yearly Sheet entries are a mine of information as to the character of a particular individual, since they give the reason he was rewarded, fined or disrated. Work is underway at the present moment to have the surviving circulars digitised and indexed, with the ultimate aim of having them published.
The Reward Fund, established in 1842, was funded by the monies generated by fines. A return of punishments and rewards was published in the Half Yearly Sheets (H.Y.S.), copies of which were circulated to each of the 1,600 RIC stations around the country. The list of punishments and rewards quickly became so lengthy that from 1848 to 1921 they were published on a quarterly basis. If a member of the force accumulated several fines, this resulted in a reduced pension. On practically every page of the RIC General Register of Service it can be clearly seen that most RIC men were fined or mentioned for distinguished service in the Half Yearly Sheets (abbreviated as H.Y.S in the individual's Record of Service, with the date of the entry in the Service Record).
Thomas Gamble is recorded in the 1901 census as a 20 year old farmer's son resident in Rooskey, Coroneary, County Cavan with his 57 year old widowed mother and an elder sister and brother.
Constable Gamble was also entitled to the 1911 Visit Medal.
Medal also accompanied by biographical details of District Inspector William Vanston, taken from Jim Herlihy's "Royal Irish Constabulary Officers, A Biographical Dictionary". William Vanston was born in Clonenagh, Queen's County (now County Laois) in 1851, 3rd class District Inspector 1/1/1897, pensioned 18/7/1910.