South Africa 1881 to 1886 - First Boer War

[lizb]

I have an ancestor who served in the cape between 1881 and 1886.
I have found it difficult finding information on exactly where he was what he would have been doing.

I have seen his army service record. During this time he was a staff sergeant, later a sergeant major with the army Service Corps. I know that was to do with transport.

He took his wife and young family with him. So I am interested in how they would have lived.

He would have arrived before the final battles of the first Boer war. But not much is written about these.

[km1971]

Hi Liz

The 1st Boer War took place on the border of Natal (now called Kwa Zulu Natal) and the Transvaal. If your ancestor was actually in the Cape he would have been many hundreds of miles away from the fighting. The problem is the AOC is a Corps, so like the RA and the RE they would have had detachments with the field force that took part in the war, but most would not have taken part.

As we lost that war they did not award any medals, so you cannot look up a medal roll. Again you might find him in the Muster and Pay Lists, which will tell you where he was each month. It could be that the 'Cape' actually included Natal. Only the muster rolls will tell you.

His wife would have stayed in the Cape.

BTW. I climbed Majuba in 2005, and the General who took his men up there was a fool. But then he did pay for his mistake with his life...like the one who took his men up Spion Kop twenty years later..another mistake.

Ken

[liverpool annie]

Hi Liz !

If you've seen your soldier's  army service record - you'll know the movements of the regiment at that time !

Tell us what you know already .... where he was posted etc and lets see if someone can help you find some answers !! Ken already told you about the Pay lists et al but maybe we can find the information you're really looking for !!

Annie 

[lizb]

Thanks for encouragement - I never know how much info to give...but here goes...some general on him...and any details I know about his time in Africa

Samuel Howe - born 1847

Enlisted Hounslow 1869 - initially 17th Lancers - transferred to Army Service Corps in 1872 - re-engaged Ordnance B Corps in 1879
Regimental number 1256

Promotions: 11 Feb 1881 - 3 Staff Sergeant, 5 Sep 1884 - 2 Staff Sergeant, 1 April 1885 - 1 Staff Sergeant.

A note in 1881 'asserted to the application to him of Part II AR&D Act 1879, service re-assessed vide Section 192 of the Army Acts 1879'

Per military history - Cape Town 11 Jan 1881 to 15 May 1886
Arrival dates - per medical history - Cape Town 9 Feb 1881 -
Woolwich 6 May 1886

In Army Lists eg 1886 Ist Class Staff Sergent, Ordnance Store Corps, Cape of Good Hope

Wife Maria  went with him to Africa . 2 children born there - Constance  in 1883 and Charles in 1886. 4 other children may  have travelled with them (Nellie born 1874, Adelaide born 1876, Edward  born 1879, Florence born 1880) at least one stayed behind with a nurse (Eleanor born 1877)

I did look at some muster books for Cape 1884-5 but could not find him (may have looked in wrong place). Will look again when I next get a chance to visit TNA. But want to do as much preparatory work as possible first so I can make best use of my time there.

I am interested in finding out more as there is much less info on this period just because we lost the battles. Also having picked up comments somewhere that army felt let down because Britain did cede to the Boers at this stage rather than going on fighting.

Thanks for any help, suggestions, background info.

[km1971]

Per military history - Cape Town 11 Jan 1881 to 15 May 1886
Arrival dates - per medical history - Cape Town 9 Feb 1881 -
Woolwich 6 May 1886

These Home/Overseas dates often cause confusion. You were 'overseas' the day after you sailed from 'home', and you remained overseas until you docked back in the UK. Thus he probably sailed on the 10 January 1881, and if his medical record is to be believed he arrived in Cape Town a month later on 9 February 1881. Which is about right.

It looks as if either the 15 May or the 6 May is wrong. He arrived back in England either on the 5th or 15th of May.

Ken

[lizb]

Looking at record again - 15 May should be 5 MAy. But it defintely says Woolwich 6 May and he can't have travelled from one to the other in 1 day!

I have another anomally with this ancestor - to do with his marriage. I believe that it was only in the 1870s that it became possible for wives to accompany soldiers overseas. Does this mean that they would have to have an army recognised marriage? Only this pair got married twice. The first time in Woolwich in 1873 before the birth of their first child. The second time in Chester in 1879 before they went to Africa The first in a church the second in a regsitry office.

[km1971]

Looking at record again - 15 May should be 5 MAy. But it defintely says Woolwich 6 May and he can't have travelled from one to the other in 1 day!

Liz you need to re-read my last post. "South Africa" doesn't mean he was in South Africa, it means he was not in England.

Ken

[lizb]

Ken
I did read your post - that's why I checked the dates - I take your point about confusing dating - I was just commenting on the anomally of an indicated journey of one month there and one day back! However if I want I can check details of voyage. What I want is to find out more about what my soldier and his family would have been doing there,  and how they would have been living - in general if not in specific terms.

I know it is unlikely he would have been involved in the fighting at Majuba hill, (which was fought by a very small force of British) but he could have been involved in taking supplies or ammunition to the troops who were. And he would have been doing something for the next five years in the Cape. Where might he have gone?

I am interested in how his family would have been living. Were there army quarters or did they find their own accomodation? Would they have travelled together or separately? It was a recently thing for wives and children to accompany the army - how many went? how difficult was it for them? how did they keep in touch with home? (remembering that my great grandmother was proabaly left behind by herself for 6 years!)

I have found basic information about this period and the battles on the net, but is there any other recommended reference source that might help?  Most references to the Boer War just cover the Second Boer War. What would his uniform have been like? Is it worth visiting any of the relevant regimental museums?

Or anyone who has more detailed information about the First Boer War? (I was very lucky when researching my grandfather who was in the Labour Corps in the First World War to find someone who had made a study of this similarly supportive force and was able to tell me where his company would have been throughout the war)

I am grateful for anything that might help me build up my picture of this family.