Robert Jamieson Johannesburg police, Transvaal Scottish

[sue1959]

I'm trying to fond information on Robert Jamieson. He was born in Ireland but went to South Africe c1900. One of his relatives has a medal with ' South Africa 1902 Transvaal Orange Free State, Cape Colony on it so I presume he was in the Transvaal Scottish Volunteers.
Though being Irish I don't know if he would have been allowed in the regiment.
He married Agnes Mitchell, Scottish, in SA. Agnes was a cook in Government house.They had three children while residing ther, John, Janet and Agnes. They returned to Ireland in 1909. We think this was due to a head injury he received whether in the Volunteers or the police we don't know. On the ships manifest of their return journey his employment was Policeman.

I have found info about him on his return to Ireland but would welcome any info on his time in SA if possible.
Thanks
Sue

[Hackstaple]

The Transvaal Scottish was only formed in 1902, after the end of the Boer War. It was a citizen volunteer force although it did see action in WW1 as did many militia and volunteer regiments.

Jamieson is distinctly a Scottish name so he may have thought of himslef as Scottish although born in Ireland. He may well have seen service in another unit in the war.

The medal is not apparently an official decoration as the Kings South Africa Medal has only two clasps - South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902. It was only issued to those who had already been awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal.

[Elwyn Soutter]

This looks like the family in the 1911 census for Ireland.

www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Kildare/Monasterevin/Main_Street/538407/


Elwyn

[sue1959]

Thank you both. Yes that's them in the census. Janet died soon after they arrived back. I have actually got in touch with Johns Daughter who told me about the medal.
Would that mean he was in SA prior to 1902? Perhaps he was in the boer war? (sorry history not my strong point) We can find no evidence of him until the 1902 medal. He could either be the younger brother of my husbands GGrandfather (John S)or an illegitimate child of JS's brother Andrew but we think he was a brother as given the times he wouldn't be brought up in the family. That would be why when he left SA and returned to Ireland he went to Monasterevin where another brother (George) lived. Hope that's not too confusing.

[Hackstaple]

There is nothing there to tell us whether he was in the Boer War or arrived afterwards.

We do know he was in receipt a police pension and that might have been from South Africa but he seems to have been already about 25 or so when he went there.

Why would he go there at that time? He may have joined the army for the Boer War but his medals have been lost. He may have gone there specifically to join the police.

In 1902 the only Government House was Groote Schur, left to the nation by Cecil John Rhodes. That would place Agnes as employed there and Robert as in the Cape Police. But the local volunteer regiment was the Cape Town Highlanders.

So it is but difficult to flesh this out. His name will appear in some muster rolls that an expert might have access to.

[Hackstaple]

I see the family, Robert's occupation stated as Policeman, arrived back on 13/7/1909 at Southampton but they left, not from Cape Town but from Durban. So that would indicate that they had worked in Durban or in the Transvaal.

[sue1959]

Thank you for the info. I'll keep plodding  away as you never know what you'll turn up.

[sue1959]

I've started a new thread as I've found out a bit of new info.
Here is an exerpt from an email of a relative.


'Grandfather Robert was in the Johannesburg police force as I have his hat/cap? badge here with me. I've made a few futile attempts to find some information on them but as they seem to be a private police force not a national one I haven't found anything yet. '
Apparantly he was beaten about the head whilst in the Police and was invalided out.
So that gives me the police force he was in where do I go from here?

re Transvaal Scottish volunteers medal.

South Africa 1902,Transvaal,Orange Free State,Cape Colony,this is written on 4 metal bars below which hangs the medal with Queen Victoria on one side and South Africa written on the other side, with Britannia in the fore ground, ships in the distance and troops in the mid distance, (that is what it looks like to me).  There is also a cap badge,square with Transvall Scottish Volunteers on a circle and a thistle in the center with the words Alba Nam Buadh written on it.




Any info welcome
Thanks
Sue

[rutti tutti]

Hi there,
There are 2 references to Robert Jamieson in the archives (NAAIRS) One relates to having 157 sick days and the other is for being medically boarded. It you apply for those documents via EGGSA, you should have more details. Please read the stickys at the top of the board regarding NAAIRS and death notices and ordering things from the archive.
Ruth