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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Barrie Green on Monday 09 March 15 03:15 GMT (UK)
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John Mackie, born 1872 Montrose, Forfar, Scotland travelled on the 'Norman' to the Cape, S,A, departing Southampton on 9 Feb.1900.
To my knowledge he had at that time no Army Service but I feel I should check to see if he actually joined up for the Boer War. He had been a draper's assistant before he left Montrose.
Where can I check to see if he is on a Boer War Roll somewhere. In 1911 a John Mackie was involved re land for the sugar industry and I am also trying to see if that was him.
My research for years came to a standstill regarding this John Mackie and now there seems to be a light at the end of a very long tunnel!
Grateful for any suggestions re the War.
Faith
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Hi Faith
If he was on a passenger list then he would have had to have enlisted in South Africa. Regular troops and the Boer War-only mounted infantry - Imperial Yeomanry and the like, who enlisted in the UK - would have travelled on troop ships and are not listed on passenger lists.
Lots of men made their own way to SA as they could enlist in one of the 60-100 irregular regiments created for the Boer War and receive five shillings a day, which was about four times the pay of a Private in a British infantry regiment.
We have two problems. Firstly, the medal rolls only give initials, and secondly, the SA based regiments enlistment papers are not as yet searchable. If you search the medal roll on Ancestry you get a total of 46 J Mackie's. Some had middle initials, but even if you eliminate them plus the Regular troops, you are left with a large number who served in SA-raised regiments. The attestation forms for these are in the National Archives, so you will have to visit and check the age/place of birth/NoK information.
The records for pre-existing SA police regiments are in South Africa.
btw...Men often did a six or 12 month enlistment and then either re-enlisted in the same regiment or changed to a new regiment. So there may be more than one attestation form.
If you him on a return passenger list it may help to eliminate a few on the list. As a man returning in say 1901 would not feature on the medal roll with a 1902 South Africa clasp. You can also eliminate men who received a clasp for a battle/siege that took place before he arrived.
Ken
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Thank you KM1971, your comprehensive reply gives me plenty to work on and consider.
Grateful thanks, Faith.
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Hello Ken,
My family has claimed forever that my Grampa's two elder brothers died in the Boer War:
William Henry Dewhurst b. 23 January 1878 Islington, Middlesex, England
Arthur Frederick Dewhurst b. 29 May 1882 Islington, Middlesex, England
I have their birth records, so I know they existed.... I can find no death records nor any other records for either of them at all, let alone connected to the Boer War. Their deaths were a large reason my g grandfather brought my Grampa to the USA, to avoid lettin him get caught up in a war at a time when there was no "sole surviving son exclusion".
I would love to figure out the truth and you seem knowledgeable.; Do you have any suggestions to offer??? Many thanks in advance!
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There are no Dewhursts with the correct initial in the casualty list. There are a number of A Dewhurst in the medal rolls including an Arthur who (according to the medal roll) served in at least two local regiments - Cape Railway Sharpshooters and 3rd Railway Pioneer Regiment
There are at least ten W Dewhursts listed. The only William Henry listed was born in Manchester.
Ken
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Thanks Ken, your results are the same that I have found thus far.... you mentioned in an earlier post that sometimes men did not enlist until they got to SA. Do you know if those records exist???
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Hi Barrie,
This information is taken from a transcription by Kevin Asplin of all the sailings during 1899-1902 as published in the London Times shipping lists 1899-1902
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=14/20+Kings+hussars&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=3yRFVY6ONI31aJ7PgaAB&ved=0CDgQsAQ&biw=1440&bih=785
and can be found here http://www.britishmedals.us/files/sl1900.htm
bowman
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Hi I found a marriage for your John Mackie at https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDCG-JPR and here it states he died in 1940.
Document 16 of 18
DEPOT TAB
SOURCE MHG
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 0
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 1427/40
PART 1
DESCRIPTION MACKIE, JOHN MILLAR.
STARTING 19400000
ENDING 19400000
REMARKS SURVIVING SPOUSE JANE MACKIE (BORN FAIRNINGTON).
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Thanks Ken, your results are the same that I have found thus far.... you mentioned in an earlier post that sometimes men did not enlist until they got to SA. Do you know if those records exist???
Sorry I missed this one. I answered this for Barrie Green. If they enlisted in a irregular unit created for the Boer War then the British government paid their wages, and they had a copy of the Attestation Form (usually one page) sent to London. These are in the National Archives. The records for pre-existing SA units are in South Africa.
The medals rolls for all units are on Ancestry. But in 99% of cases they only give their initial(s).
Ken