British in the Boer War

[Ros Fornaro]

Hi All,

Does anyone know of sites that list British sent to the Boer War.  In the 1901 census Ernest Lindsay Pride is listed next to his wife's name as husband in South Africa.  Anyone missing people in 1901 should check military bases.

Ros

[Leofric]

Ros,

Servicemen abroad were not included in the 1901 Census. At least, that is the answer I got from the PRO.

British Army soldiers' service docs are held in WO97 at the PRO. If your relation served in the war he would almost certainly have received a medal or medals and these can also be searched for in the medal rolls at the PRO. These will give you his regiment (if you don't know it) and make tracing his docs easier. I got a researcher to find the papers for my relation and they made fascinating reading, cost about £25.
I doubt very much if there is any on-line list of those who served, hundreds of thousands took part.
Good luck

[Hackstaple]

First I suggest you look at this amazing site:
http://www.hometown.aol.co.uk/kevinasplin/home.html 

[Ros Fornaro]

Thanks for the website and the PRO advice.

Ros

[Geoff Chew]

Do you know the (searchable) South African government archive site at http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/ ? I've just done a quick search on it for "Pride" up to 1914, and see that there is in the Natal archive at Pietermaritzburg a death notice for an Agnes PRIDE, survived by her husband William Christopher PRIDE, from 1908, and another death notice, also at Pietermaritzburg, for an Alice McLAREN born PRIDE, survived by her husband John Allison McLAREN, from 1913. Not sure if any of this helps, but I do know that those archives often contain documents relating to claims for compensation as a result of the Boer War.

Geoff

[Ros Fornaro]

Hi Geoff,

Thanks.  Although the link doesn't work I will search South African archives.

Do you have any Chews in Bisley, Gloucestershire?

Ros

[Geoff Chew]

Ros asked:

Do you have any Chews in Bisley, Gloucestershire?

Ros

Not so far, at least. But my Chews are first sighted in Northants from around 1700, and the family was not in the county before that, so I am anxious to find out where Thomas Chew (died Thorpe Achurch, Northants, 1736) originated from. I have never so far established a link with the Gloucestershire Chews although I am aware of them, nor with the quite numerous Chews in Lancs. There are also Chews in Beds and Bucks with the naming pattern of alternate Thomases and Johns, which is probably what I'm looking for.

What is your link with the Gloucestershire Chews?  I probably ought to keep a note of it.

But my grandparents went to South Africa around the time of the Boer War, which brings us back to the subject...

Geoff

[AngelaR]

I would reinforce what Hack said about Kevin Asplin's greta site! Kevin was extremely helpful to me in getting information about my grandfather, I really recommend getting in touch with him.

Angela

[sylvia]

HEY Hackstaple
I just went into that Asplin Military site and found my Grandad there.
                    Thanks.
                                Sylvia