General Sir Redvers BULLER

[Welsh Chris]

I have often wondered how my Scottish  gt grandmother Margaret Grant Forse who worked as housekeeper or ladies maid in the household of general Sir Redvers Buller in Bruton St London came to marry my gt grandfather William Forse, boot closer, of Exeter. I now know that the general had estates in Devon and my grandfather worked for a firm called Isaacs which made hunting shoes for the gentry. Does anyone know if the general would bring his London servants when visiting Devon? Or any clue as to where his household would have been listed in 1881 ( I believe he was in S. Africa) as my gt gran seems to have disappeared.!

[ryan]

Buller had allot to do with Exeter. He was a benefactor in the city. He was born and died in Crediton which is just outside of Exeter. There is a street named for him, a large statue of him atop a horse near Exeter College, and a mermorial tablet in Exeter Cathedral. It says that he had many friends in the west country and was beloved by all in Exeter. Buller was often here. He most likely had a home in the city but I cannot find any mention of it, I'm sad to say. And yeah, I'm pretty sure that domestic staff would tag along for journeys, even to South Africa where, in the 1880s the escalations to the Boer War were present. As you're probably aware Buller had a big part to play in this conflict, and was praised as being the saviour of the Boer War.

Good luck with your search for info on Margaret.

[apd]

Chris,

Ryan posts a lot of truths there.

My Dart ancestors came from Crediton, and one of them was John Dart, a builder. He got a lot of church work through "Buller influence" according to Venn.

If possible, you should go to your library and see if they have a copy of Venn, as he almost certainly would have discussed the influence of the Buller family on Crediton in his two volumes on Crediton, and there is a good chance that your ancestors may be found in Venn if they lived and worked for any time in Crediton - especially if they worked in such an important household.

The passage I refer to above concerning "Buller influence" is an extract from "Crediton", Page 283, Volume 2, by T.W. Venn (October 1957 revision). As far as I am aware, these volumes are only available in substancial libraries.

Adrian

[Welsh Chris]

Thanks for the info, will certainly follow it up. Sorry my reply took so long - i changed my computer and didn't store my records. Big mistake!

[Mowsehowse]

There was obviously an influence in Brixham too as I know there was a Bullers Arms pub and trawlers named after him.