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I've had this chaps medals for over 5 years but don't think I've ever posted them here. What makes this group particularly appealing to me is the connection to Dr Jameson and the Jameson Raid about which so much has been written over the years. Goldschmidt went through a few "transmogrifications" and ended up as Goldsmith prior to the end of his life.

An interesting man and one whose medals I am proud to number among my collection.

Henry Temple Goldschmidt

Trooper, Western Province Mounted Rifles – Anglo Boer War
Private, 2nd Imperial Light Horse – WWI

- Queens South Africa Medal with Cape Colony clasp to 257 Tpr. H.T. Goldschmidt, Western Province M.R.
- 1914/15 Star to Pte. H.T. Goldsmidt, 2nd I.L.H.
- British War Medal to Pte. H.T. Goldsmidt, 2nd I.L.H.
- Allied Victory Medal to Pte. H.T. Goldsmidt, 2nd I.L.H.

Henry (or Harry) Goldschmidt was born in Cape Town on 28 October 1871 the son of Anthony Goldschmidt, a Jewish immigrant from Offenbach in Germany and his wife Johanna Margaret Helen Baumann. He was to make his mark in history as the Private Secretary of none other than Dr. Leander Starr Jameson, and this at the time of the failed Jameson Raid.



At some point the family moved to Kimberley which, in those days, was already fast becoming the epicentre of the diamond industry. Mr Goldschmidt took up the profession of Broker whilst his son Henry joined the Charter Company (later known as the British South Africa Company) in 1891 at the age of 20 and was the Assistant Secretary in Rhodesia to two administrators, Earl Grey and Sir Arthur Lawley, before becoming private secretary to Dr. Jameson in 1895.

He was to remain in that position until after the Raid, which took place from 29 December 1895 until 2 January 1896, failed, and was present at Pitsani in Bechuanaland with Dr. Jameson and Captain Heyman. The day after the column left for the Transvaal, he was sent on to Johannesburg to be ready to meet Dr. Jameson. As history will reflect, this meeting never took place with Jameson and his fellow Raiders arrested by the Boers under Cronje before they were anywhere near Johannesburg.

After the Raid he returned to Rhodesia and became secretary to Sir Arthur Lawley, the Deputy Administrator of Matabeleland. Ill health however, occasioned his transfer to the Cape where he was at the time Cecil John Rhodes passed away. A British South Africa Company register records him as a Clerk in the Cape Town Agency of that illustrious body in 1900.

War had by now broken out between the Boers and the British but Goldschmidt was to bide his time before enlisting at Malmesbury with the Western Province Mounted Rifles for service on 10 January 1901 with no. 257.

His Attestation Papers reflected that he was now 29 years of age and that he was a Rhodesian Civil Servant by occupation who had seen previous service with the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers. His address he provided as Madeira House, Cape Town and his business address as British South African Company, Cape Town. He listed his grandmother, Mrs. Goldschmidt, as his next of kin c/o the Colonial Orphan Chamber, Cape Town.

For the remainder of the Anglo Boer War Goldschmidt was to be confined to action in the Cape Colony earning for himself the Queens South Africa Medal with Cape Colony clasp as a result.

Discharge came on 8 April 1901 with a war gratuity of £5 for his trouble. The Discharge Certificate, signed at Malmesbury, described Goldschmidt as being 5 feet 9 ½ inches in height with a fair complexion, brown eyes and auburn hair. His Conduct was described as Very Good.

Henry Goldschmidt returned to his civilian occupation and was heard from again on 25 October 1914, some three months after the commencement of the Great War, when he attested at Johannesburg with “H” Squad of the 2nd Imperial Light Horse for service. He was now 41 years of age and still unmarried providing one W. Gilchrist of Muldersvlei in the Cape Province as his next of kin. Awarded the rank of Trooper and no. 262 he underwent a change in the spelling of his surname from Goldschmidt to Goldsmidt. Whether or not this was as a result of the German connotation attached to his name is unknown.

On 9 December 1914 he embarked aboard S.S. “Glenorchy” for German South West Africa where he was to serve with the regiment until discharge on 12 June 1915, some three weeks before the cessation of hostilities on 9 July 1915. He was allowed to reckon 231 days service and his conduct and character were regarded as Very Good.

According to his Description on Final Discharge he was aged 43, 5 feet 9 inches in height, had a fresh complexion, dark brown hair and grey eyes and was an Accountant by profession.

For his efforts Goldsmidt (sic) was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal (missing) and Allied Victory Medal. The Star was despatched to him on 2 June 1921 with the others following on 6 September 1922.

Goldschmidt took leave of the Chartered Company and entered the employ of Dunlop where he served them in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg until retiring in 1949.

A Tourist Passport issued to him in Cape Town on 13 May 1940 showed that he had undergone yet another name change, this time to Goldsmith, an anglicised version of his original name.

Harry Goldsmith passed away at Netherleigh Home in Johannesburg on 29 August 1963 at the age of 91 years ten months. He had never married and bequeathed his estate to friends Harry and Molly Seccull.

According to an Obituary published in the Bulawayo Chronicle on 18 September 1963 entitled “Jameson Raid man who knew all the secrets dies at 95”, he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Stock Exchange, mines and mining companies, and for 15 years wrote a stock exchange article for the Sunday News. For a period he was managing director of the Financial Review in Johannesburg.



He refused to let anyone have access to his collection of photographs, documents, letters and telegrams connected with the early days in Rhodesia and the Jameson Raid, which other Rhodesian pioneers on the Rand believed would be most revealing. He was a keen follower of rugby, cricket and horse racing and in recent years had followed all the big events on the radio.
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Thanks for posting this, Rory. An interesting gentleman.

Thanks Arthur. Is there a chance that he's in your Cape Civil List?

I can track down no death details for him - all very odd.

Regards

Rory

Rory,

I think that you might find that this is your man even though they name him as Harry rather than Henry.

Cheers

DEPOT TAB
SOURCE MHG
TYPE LEER
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 6892/63
PART 1
DESCRIPTION GOLDSMITH, HARRY TEMPLE.
STARTING 19630000
ENDING 19630000
REMARKS UNMARRIED.

Rory wrote: Thanks Arthur. Is there a chance that he's in your Cape Civil List?

I've had a look in the civil service list, but no sign of him.

Thank you Adrian and Arthur! And compliments of the season to you both