RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: BigguyCalgary on Monday 13 March 06 15:53 GMT (UK)
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I just found out recently that my Grandfather apparently volunteered and fought in the Boer War. Now, my understanding is that there were two Boer Wars. One from December 1880 to March 1881 and one from October 1899 to May 1902. Now I suspect that if he did fight in one of them it would be in the second one. My question is, are there any online records out there on the internet where I could go and possibly confirm whether he was involved in this war? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
BigguyCalgary
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Try
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/kevinasplin/home.html
Lots of names there
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Hi BigGuy
I'll move this to the Armed Forces board where the experts lurk ;)
Regards
Biker
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Thanks very much Biker!!! There are so many boards here, it's hard sometimes to figure out where something belongs!! And thanks Rosamond, I'll give that link a try!!
Cheers,
BigguyCalgary
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I guess I should add that my Grandfather was Thomas Heritage and was born in 1877 in the Holborn/Clerkenwell area, that is why I figured if he did fight in the Boer War, it would be the second, as he would have been too young to fight in the first. As I say, any help would be very much appreciated.
Cheers,
BigguyCalgary
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Hi Big Guy and welcome to RootsChat! :)
While I'm looking for your Thomas in the Boer War - I found some Canadian Heritages in WW1 ....... ::) maybe they belong to you :) :)
http://www.rootschat.com/links/079/
Do you have any family stories about your Thomas or anything else you can tell us ? eg census or parents etc
Annie :)
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Hi Big Guy!
I think this is him in 1881 with father Thomas and mother Emma and siblings - if you can't get this I will write them out !!
1881
167 Bemerton St Islington
Thomas Heritage 4 Son Clerkenwell Middlesex Scholar
RG11/0234 Folio 98 Page 30
but I can't find him in 1891 when did they emigrate?
Annie :)
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Hi Annie,
Yes, that's him on the 1881 census. I have those records along with the marriage and birth certificates on my direct line back to my Great Great Grandfather Robert Heritage. My branch of the Heritages didn't come over to Canada until the early 1950s when my dad came over.
As to my Grandfather, just recently I connected with a cousin I didn't know about. He was told stories about my Grandfather by his father. Now he has mentioned three things to me from stories he heard. One being that my Grandfather fought in the Boer War. The other two stories I have no idea how to confirm. One was that my Grandfather was a Grand Master of the Freemasons and the other that he was involved in pearl diving in Australia.
Anyway, all I could think of was posting here to see if I could confirm the Boer War story.
Cheers,
BigguyCalgary
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Hi Annie,
Yes, that's him on the 1881 census. I have those records along with the marriage and birth certificates on my direct line back to my Great Great Grandfather Robert Heritage. My branch of the Heritages didn't come over to Canada until the early 1950s when my dad came over.
As to my Grandfather, just recently I connected with a cousin I didn't know about. He was told stories about my Grandfather by his father. Now he has mentioned three things to me from stories he heard. One being that my Grandfather fought in the Boer War. The other two stories I have no idea how to confirm. One was that my Grandfather was a Grand Master of the Freemasons and the other that he was involved in pearl diving in Australia.
Anyway, all I could think of was posting here to see if I could confirm the Boer War story.
Cheers,
BigguyCalgary
Hi Bigguy,
I just posted something in reply to a 2004 posting asking about your grandfather Thomas Heritage. Its not showing up as a posting (yet? -I am new to this site) Your Father and my Mother are cousins ie your Grandfather Thomas (which is my middle name) is my Grandmother's brother. There's lots I can tell you and even more that my parents can if you have specific questions.(they are 96 and 94 with pretty good memories particularly of older events. Let me know whether you receive this and/or my earlier post tonight.
Cheers
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Hi Chinaplate,
Thanks for this message. I didn't receive the other one. I'm really happy to see your post. I haven't been able to find very much information on any of my Grandfather's siblings and the only information I have on my Grandfather is mostly rumors. Which sister are we related through? Do you have your tree available anywhere? Please let me know.
Cheers,
BigguyCalgary
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Hi,
Back again. With the passage of time wondered if you still used this site therefore was so pleased to receive such a prompt reply. Wonders of the internet. In your Grandfathers day no such way of families connecting up again once contact is lost. I've rung my Mother and she would be pleased to answer any questions she can as her mother was very fond of your grandfather. I see that this site doesn't like people giving personal contact details but down the track it may be easiest for us to ring each other or exchange email addresses to not present information to everyone. Perhaps I should establish who I am first so you can be confident you are dealing with a bonefide family member. I don't have a family tree for the maternal side of my family but can answer some of your immediate questions.
Your grandfather Tom Heritage was first married to Nellie Collinridge (think the spelling is right) who died with no children. Tom went off to Australia gold prospecting and pearl diving after her death around the turn of the 19th centary (Barbara his daughter gave us a copy of his Australian miners right and seaman's certificate as he apparently bought a pearl lugger. He came back to London having made enough money to buy the tenancy of a pub the "Tower Hamlets" which was subsequently transferred to the "Devonshire Arms" which was bombed out in the war. He transferred to the "Weavers Arms" in 1941. There is quite a write up on him in a Jan 1950 Watney brewery company house magazine of which I have a photocopy. It mentions that "Mr Heritage is now married (your grandmother Grace) and has two six-footer sons and a daughter." (Roland, Thomas and Barbara - presume your "Bigguy Calgary means your Dad handed on his height genes. I've tried to attach a copy but says I've exceeded my byte limit. Will therefore sent the attachments separately and may even have to break up this message.
My Mum can give you all the perhaps 7 siblings of Thomas but just from my memory my Grandmother Louise was one of his twin sisters the other being Nellie. I remember being taken to visit their older sister Sarah but don't remember the other brother and sisters names.
As noted above Tom and Grace had your Dad Roland his brother that my Grandmother referred to as "Young Tommy" who married Eileen and I think had children. Barbara married Roy had your cousins Susan Nigel Julia and Andrew. We might have some contact addresses for them Their Dad Roy died in the last few years in Jersey having been considerably predeceased by Barbara. My parents had quite a lot of contact with them and they visited us here in Australia after we emigrated in 1961. My family is my mother Ethel only child of Louise and William Caley. Mum married my Dad Stanley Bell 71 years ago and had my sister Elaine who came across your message and my twin brother Graham. I am Roger. We are 67 so grew up with quite a bit of awareness and contact with your family in the 50's but in my memory your Dad was always referred to as being in Canada whereas it was first hand contact with his brother Tommy and sister Barbara and parents Tom and Grace. I'll send this off so you can decide how you want to go from here. I think this site has a personal message facility if we want to exchange more direct contacts. I'd like to hear something of you and your family. Were you aware of our existance? I look forward to filling in some gaps in our mutual family.
Cheers
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Trying to send p 25 ,26 and 27 of 1950 Watney House Magazine featuring Tom Heritage.
I've reduced the resolution but still can't get the pages through. will try something different .
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Trying OCR scanning on the Red Barrel Watney publication p 25
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The Red barrel p25 Tom Heritage
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The Red Barrel p26 Tom Heritage
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The Red Barrel p26 attached this time Tom Heritage
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Thanks for the above!! It's wonderful reading about him. I had heard rumours that he was the adventurous sort but I hadn't known any of the details. If you know of anything else I'd love to hear it.
Cheers,
BigguyCalgary