Help with a mystery please

[lezley]

Hi
can anybody please help me, I am trying to find any info about my ggrandmothers brother..
Hugh Billsland Little b.27/8/1875 Bankend Lanarkshire Scotland   d.18/9/1902 Standerton.
this is all I know about him and would like to know more as both my Grandad and my dad were named after him (that is with his full name and Anderson on the end)
Although I have spelled correctly, I have also seen it written as both Bilsland and Bilslard.
I would dearly love to know what he was doing in South Africa (rumour has it that he was a soldier) wether or not he married and had children and what killed him at the age of 27.
Thanks so much in advance for any help
Regards Lesley

[pampoen]

Hi in response to your request. I tried looking up his name on the National State Archives (NASA) website in South Africa but no luck. However there is a website called ancestorsonboard which is free to look up names but to see the passenger list is 5 credits.

I was able to find a Little no christian name who was born in 1875 and left Southampton in 1897 bound for Cape Town South Africa. I would suspect this is him.

If you could find which unit he served in then you could find out exactly if he died in 1902 in Standerton. Where did you get this date from?

Hope this is some help.

Cheers Derek

[Danchaslyn]

Hello Lezley

If Hugh Billsland Little was a soldier, its likely from the dates you have that he was serving with British Troops in the Boer Wars.

At Standerton was an infamous Concentration Camp, run by the British Army for the internment of Boers.  He may have served on the staff there?

Also, there are many documentated cases of soldiers from both sides, dying of Enteric, during a outbreak at Standerton, 1902, and, of course, at other times.

Cheers
Danchaslyn

[STRENG]

Hi Lesley.

I too, have a 3xGreat Grandfather John Anderson of Bathgate. I am cleaning out my parents home and found quite a bit of 'history' of John R. Anderson. Including a photo album from the late 1800's.  My father, John R. Anderson IV, only recognizes my grandfather, J Bruce Anderson I. My brother was John R. Anderson V. My fathers Uncle was John R Anderson III and his grandfather was John R. Anderson II, Mayor of Park Ridge Illinois, 1925-1929.  I have his campaign poster hanging on the wall in my office.

Would it be possible to get copies of John Anderson's will and any other information you may have?

Wish I had this information when I was stationed with the USNavy at RAF Edzell in the 1970's!

Regards, Bruce