21565 PRIVATE JAMES BUBB: MARSHALL'S HORSE
James Bubb was a typical uitlander whom I believe was descended from an 1820 settler family.
The ancestral Bubb may well have been one George Edward Bubb who was born in Deal, Kent, England on 1st May 1798 and emigrated to South Africa on 7th January 1820 aboard the "SS Weymouth Castle" with Gurney's party.
He married Hester Maria Scholtz in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape in 1827. The union was a fruitful one producing no less than 15 children in 32 years!
Therefore, the area around Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth was well populated with Bubbs!
George Edward Bubb (01/05/1798 to 08/12/1880 and buried in St. Katherine's churchyard, Uitenhage).
Image reproduced for research purposes from the 1820Settlers.com website.
The family tree gets a little sketchy between the generations, but let us assume that James was a third generation colonial. At the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War he would no doubt believe that he should volunteer to get involved with protecting what he would consider to be his 'homeland' and way of life.
The nominal roll for Marshall's Horse highlights the date 21st October 1900 with regimental number 21565.Whether this is his date of attestation or discharge is unclear. Also serving was 21563 Private W. H. Bubb, most likely related.
His next recorded military service was with the revered South African Light Horse as Trooper 36509 with initials GHJ.
It is very possible that James also had a stint with Uitenhage Town Guard. There we find men carrying the surname Bubb with the following initials; A, E, F, G, GC, GW, GWE, JT and E.
Queen's South Africa medal bearing clasps Cape Colony/Orange Free State and Transvaal awarded to 21565 Private James Bubb.
Impressed naming to rim.
Impressed regimental naming to the rim.