TOPIC:

Shepherd, Percy Gladstone

Percy G. Shepherd, son of John Shepherd, a Scottish immigrant, went to school in Colesberg. At the age of 17, just before his matriculation examination, he moved to Johannesburg to take up an appointment with the Johannesburg Board of Executors. From the end of 1888 he worked for a firm of wholesale merchants. In 1895 he started business as a commercial broker, estate agent and financial agent. His interest in geology led him to deal mainly in mining properties. Upon discovering the extension of the Witwatersrand reefs to the Middelburg district [which he described in a paper that I have not been able to identify] he floated the Middelburg Exploration Syndicate, which caused a sensation when its share price rose from an initial ?25 to ?1000. Towards the end of 1896 he prospected for diamonds around Kimberley, but without much success. Back in Johannesburg he and George Ross took options on properties on the northern Witwatersrand, in the hope that payable gold would be found north of the Main Reef, and floated companies to mine there. Some of these companies were later incorporated in North Witwatersrand Gold Mines, Ltd. Shepherd was the chairman of all the companies he floated and also owned valuable property in central Johannesburg.

Shepherd's study of the local geology was written up as The principles of geology as deduced from a study of the sedimentary formations in South Africa (London, 1897, 34p), published for private circulation only. In this work he states that his conclusions are diametrically opposed to contemporary geological opinions, but that he considers them worth publishing. During 1898 he attended some meetings of the Geological Society of South Africa and participated in the discussion of two papers dealing with the geology of the farm "Zwartkop No. 82". However, he became a member of the society only after the Anglo-boer War (1899-1902).

Shortly after the outbreak of the war, while on a visit to England, Shepherd helped to raise Lord Loch's Horse regiment. He returned to South Africa on active duty and received a medal with four clasps. After the war he became chairman of a committee of British businessmen that tried to obtain exemption from paying taxes and fees that had accumulated during the war. He was sent to London to plead their case, but to no avail. When the first municipal elections were held in Johannesburg in 1903 he originated the Reform Party and became its president. He also played an active role in opposing proposed changes to the laws governing gold mining in the Transvaal Colony. He was a member of the South African Association for the Advancement of Science from 1903 to at least 1906. Correspondence and press cuttings related to him are kept in the Strange Collection of the Johannesburg Public Library.

Source: www.s2a3.org.za/bio/Biograph_final.php?serial=2569

QSA named to the rank of Sergeant.

From the next City Coins auction, November 2020

Near Heilbron, 22 May 1900

After collecting forage, a party under Lieut. Lloyd, ASC, which included several privates as escort, were returning with their wagons when they were surrounded by large numbers of Boers and had to surrender.
WO 108-372 (SA Surrenders).

QSA (3) CC, OFS, Jhburg (2 Tpr. G.J.H. Eady, Loch’s Horse.)

George Eady, a Stockbroker from London, enlisted in “A” Squadron of Loch’s Horse on 26 March 1900.

He was one of the men under Lt Lloyd taken prisoner and held in the Waterval PoW Camp north of Pretoria. After his release on 6 June 1900, he re-joined his unit only to die of enteric at Kroonstad on 10 November 1900.

Thomas Lake, warrant number 81793, joined the Metropolitan Police in P Division on 28 Dec 1896, and left on 17 Feb 1900. He served in Loch's Horse in the Boer War from 15 March 1900. He re-joined the police on 27 May 1901, and left on 9 April 1923. Last posted to N Division as a PC.

Skilled in South African warfare
A detachment of Lord Loch's Horse on parade

Source: Under the Union Jack, Vol II

Here is one more:

LOCK’S HORSE, "B" SQUADRON

137 – 178 TROOPER GUY, AUSTEN NICHOLSON, CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, TRANSVAAL

Mike

A tranche of QSAs to Loch's Horse has recently been listed and sold on eBay. The seller was goldeneye based in San Antonio, Texas in the US of A
I guess he/she must have bought an old collection. If this lot have been 'off the market ' for 30 or 40 years, no wonder medals to the unit have been thin on the ground!

In no particular order the following medals can now be said to be extant;

205 Trooper Richard Fairclough: B Squadron.
101 Trooper Eric England: A Squadron.
212 Trooper G.L. Grant: B Squadron. Died of disease.
104 Trooper Frederick Beagent: ? Squadron. POW and released. Canadian Scouts 40707.
168 Trooper Jesse Tyson: ? Squadron.
17 Trooper H. J. G. Beech: A Squadron. Orange River Colony Police 28.
94 Sergeant W. T. Cowdery: A Squadron. On secondment from 13th Hussars, Regimental number 2744. Papers extant from 13HRS. Rather liked houses if I'll repute if his medical records are anything to go by!
18 Trooper J. Spear: ? Squadron.
45 Trooper Thomas Daniel Phillips: A Squadron. Orange River Colony Police 29, probably a good friend of 17 Beech, I suspect. Had clasp Relief of Mafeking on the QSA. Hmmmm...
139 Trooper Ernest Jennings: ? Squadron.
110 Sergeant Roland Adam: B Squadron. Later promoted to 2nd. Lieutenant in King's Dragoon Guards.
30 Corporal Richard Lamplough Hulse: A Squadron. Mentioned earlier in this thread.

More on Adam and Hulse in due course as I got the winning bids on both medals.

Would anyone know from whose collection these medals have reappeared from? And did anyone else on the forum pick any up?
There should be some interesting backstories to these fellows as they were mostly gentlemen and one of the requirements of recruitment was that the applicant should have ideally served in South Africa previously.

PS. I have no connection to the seller.