Regarding the piece on school reward of merit medals, my brother Harry has (yet another!) web site covering the schemes used in London and boroughs further east. From the late 19th century British schools got government funding based on their pupils’ attendance records, so it was in their interest to reward children for coming to school.

London’s system was complex and because of its large population, one or two year London school reward medals are common. Of course maintaining perfect attendance gets more and more difficult so the medals for 7, 8, 9 etc. years get rarer and rarer.

The reward scheme wasn’t limited to London, every local authority, in England and Wales (Scotland had a different system) and designed their own. Many church run schools also awarded medals, often generic types available from school supplies companies but sometimes with the schools name on.

I thought I would add my tuppence worth on schoolchild reward of merit medals. Attached is a photo of an elaborate medal my mother received for perfect attendance at Congregational Church Sunday School (Foxon, Connecticut). The top portion was awarded for a year of perfect attendance, the laural ring for a second year of perfect attendance, and each subsequent year a bar was added underneath.

I can't imagine 8 years of perfect Sunday School attendance, I was bored with only getting 2 years' worth, but she did it. It may explain why she was none too thrilled with attending church every Sunday when I was growing up. Even though this dates to 1923-31, it must have been uncommon even back then to get 8 years of perfect attendance, so I bet this award through the 8th year is pretty rare.