RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: skyp on Tuesday 05 August 08 01:26 BST (UK)
-
Can anyone point me in the right direction.
I am told my Grandfather, who was born 1866, was in the Boar War. Family history says he was a Cavaliary Officer and it was thought to be a North Staffordshire Regiment.
As I am not in the UK can only do checks via the internet, and I am not having any luck. No photos of him in uniform are available.
-
Hi skyp,
What was his name and place of birth ?
-
Hi Haliared
My Grandfather was
Alfred Edward CARTER
born 14 Dec 1866, Uttoxeter, Staffs.
-
Hi, can suggest a few websites that may point you in the right direction. Have had a quick look-but Alfred Carter is a common name around then !
www.angloboerwar.com
www.londongazette.co.uk
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
These are the ones that I search first when I find someone in the family in the Boer War.
I'll see if I can think of anything else.
Best wishes,
haliared
-
Thanks Haliared,
not got the first website so will give that one a go, agree with name problem.
-
Hi skyp,
Do you have him listed in the censuses? I think I have found him in 1881, 1891 and 1901, and his occupation in 1891 & 1901 is a saddler. As he has children aged 4 and 2 on the 1901 census, it would seem likely that if he was in the Boer War, he went after the census in 1901 (the war ended on 31 May 1902 and lasted 2 years and 8 months). If he was used to horses as a saddler then the Cavalry link seems promising doesn't it?
-
Hi Haliared
yes that is him as a saddler.
I am told that he was in the FIRST boar war, and never quite worked out what that meant. I assumed that it was the first years and I hadn't really thought of the childrens ages until you mentioned it!
The North Staffs regiment info came from his son, himself a military man, so I don't think that the info there would be wrong. Thought possible cavalry within that regiment, (which I believe is Prince of Wales, Nth Staff regiment,) rather than a Cavalry regiment itself.
skyp
-
Hi skyp,
Did you want the census details of Alfred in 1881, 1891 and 1901 or do you have them?
The website
www.armymuseums.org.uk
has details of the Staffordshire Regimental Museum who may be able to help you further. The Staffordshire Museum has an archive and a library on-site, and from the army museum website you can have details of the curators e-mail ( I haven't posted it because I'm not sure if I'm allowed to!). It also has the phone number and address of the museum too.
Best wishes, haliared
-
Thanks Haliared for leads.
Not been to that site, so will try that one. Would be even better if I was in the country. Every trip back home I seem to be running around doing some form of research, so perhaps next year will try that one if no luck online.
Thanks for kind offer of census, I do have then all.
regards
skyp
-
The First Boer War took place in 1881, so he would not have taken part in that, especially if he appears in 1881 census. As we were defeated by the Boers, the 2nd Boer War (1899 to 1902) is usually known as the ‘Boer War’.
Cavalry and infantry regiments were completely separate. But a saddler’s skills would be needed in an infantry regiment to look after the ‘webbing’ which was leather in those days, as well as any requirements for an officer’s horse.
You could try a post on www.britishmedalforum.com requesting a lookup on the medal roll for the North Staffs Regiment. A member may have a copy. You should put the regiment in the title. Otherwise it will require a researcher to visit Kew to look for his papers.
Ken
-
Thanks Ken, will get onto that one now
skyp
-
Hiya. This isn't info on the Boar War...but I am currently looking into the Carters myself and have this info. I also have pictures John Carter, Florence Sprake and their children.
-
Hi Rachel,
Great info in this document, I have sent you a PM.
:)