Stratford Edward St. Leger

[gallipolianzac]

Stratford Edward St. Leger was born in S. Africa in 1867. The 1891 census has him living in Tonbridge aged 13 with his siblings and mother - no sign of dad who was Frederick york St. Leger and one time Anglican Rector of Queenstowm - S. Africa. He went to Tonbridge school - presumably with his siblings and then back to S Africa to finish his educatio.
In 1890 he was commissioned into the Royal Irish Regiment and thereafter served in the S. African War and the Great WAr fighting at Mons in August 1914. He evaded capture on 26th August and made his way back to England with a party of other soldiers - but I can find no account of this anywhere. He was also an author and artist od some note.
He married Louisa Anne Galwey in 1895 - she died in 1955 at Hove. He died in 1935 also in Hove.

Any sussex experts who can help me with where he lived in Hove and where he and Louisa are buried - or for that matter throw anymoere light on the life of this man and his family - will be thanked enormously.

Jerry

[jann]

Hi,

Maybe you already know this but:

SE St. Leger published a book titled "War Sketches in Color" notes on the war in South Africa in London in 1903.

Apparently the  book was republished in 2009 with the author's name as "Stratford St. Leger"
It's probably available through Amazon or similar.

Jann

[jann]

Hi,

Entering " Stratford St. Leger" in Google Book Search brings up a full view (i.e. you can read the whole thing on line) copy of the original (1903) War Sketches in Colour" digitized from the Harvard University Library.

His notes should give quite a bit of info on his life during the Boer War.

Jann

[Roy G]

Have passed your enquiry about addresses to my colleague Andy who is a wiz at these things.   Roy R

[Roy G]

My colleague has come up with the following
 

In the 1932 Brighton directory there is a Mrs. Stephen St. Leger (probably mistaken first name) listed at 38, Marine Parade.

In 1933/4 Colonel S.L. St. Leger (again probably a transcription error) was living at King’s Flats, Third Avenue, Hove.

The death certificates should provide better information on addresses.

I wonder whether Mrs. St. Leger either remarried, changed to her maiden name, went into a home or moved from the area, as she was not listed in any Brighton directory from 1935-1954.

Stratford St. Leger was in the Mounted Infantry in South Africa and received 5 clasps to the Queen’s South Africa medal. He retired from the Army in 1924.

Regards     Andy

Another post 1935 possibilty not mentioned by Andy is that after her husband's death, louisa still lived in Hove but with a married daughter whose surname was no longer St Leger.

Roy G

[gallipolianzac]

Fantastic - it all fits. Many thanks to you all

Jerry

[Roy G]

Bit extra (also from Andy)

Stratford St. Leger was promoted to Captain in 1896 and as a member of the 2nd Bn. Royal Irish Regt, he was despatched to South Africa at the outbreak of the Boer War

In 1908 he was promoted to Major and in 1914 appointed to the rank of Camp Commandant (Adjutant-General) on the General Staff.

In 1918 he was promoted to Lieut-Colonel and in 1920 appointed as the Asst. Director of Mobilisation on the General Staff.

Roy G

[Montot]

Hello! I'm new at this site!
I am translating Rowland Thirlmere's "Letters from Catalonia and other parts of Spain", and this book contains some sketches by Captain St. Leger. I presume that is the same artist that published the book on Boer War. But I can not imagine him drawing the sketches of my homeland if he didn't visit us. A previous study pointed (with no evidence of it) that Captain St. Leger accompanied Mr Thirlmere in his travel to Spain (spring of 1902). That would fit with the detailed drawings... but I would like to know if this is somehow stated. Did he visited Spain in 1902 with Rowland Thirlmere (whose real name was John Walker)? Thirlmere writes about him being in the company of a fellow traveller, but he doesn't give us his name. Was this companion Captain St. Leger? Some of this sketches are signed by him, and some others by Gilbert Rogers.

Does anyone knows about any travel of Captain St. Leger to Eastern Spain in the years of the turn of the century?

Thank you