TOPIC:

Joseph Goss

Master Boot maker and Corporal, South African Constabulary.

- Queens South Africa Medal to 552 Trooper J. Goss with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 & 1902

Early years

Joseph Goss was born in Bodmin, Cornwall on 4 April 1863 or that’s the theory anyway. In point of fact he was born a number of years earlier. Proof of this comes in the form of his appearance as a 1 year old in the 1861 England census.

The son of Joseph and Louisa Goss he was born into a family tradition of shoe or boot makers, this being his father’s trade. The youngest of the children he was joined in the house by brothers’ John (9), Richard (5) and sisters’ Louisa (3) and Mary (7). The family lived at 15 Higher Bare Street in Bodmin.

Ten years later a ten year old Joseph was still a school boy and the family were still living in Higher Bare Street, having moved on to no. 41. The family, typical of Victorian families of the period, had grown in the intervening years. Joseph was no longer the youngest, having been joined by Martha (9), Charles (7), Frederick (5) and William (3) Father Joseph was now a Master Shoe Maker and an employer of three boys, all of them his older sons.

Marriage and a family of his own

Of the family in 1881 there is no sign, it’s almost as if the official census takers passed them by but, by 1891 Joseph, now 32 years of age, had married, in the Parish Church of St. Pauls in Devonport on 18 July 1886, and had offspring of his own. His wife was Mary Alice (known as Alice) had given birth to yet another Joseph (4) as well as Bertram (2) and Gladys, a baby of 11 months.

The Goss family had broken away from Bodmin and found a house for themselves at 69 Chapel Street in Devonport. In keeping with the family tradition Joseph was a Boot maker by trade.

The Boer War

Eight years later, in October 1899, the Anglo Boer War had broken out and Goss must have spotted a lucrative employment opportunity wherein he could ply his trade.

Having taken passage alone to South Africa (he does not appear to have been part of any contingent) Goss attested for service with the South African Constabulary at Krugersdorp on 6 December 1900. It was noted that he was 5 feet 10 inches tall and of Good physical development (stoutly built) with Very Good hearing, brown hair, blue eyes and a pale complexion. He had a small varicose vein on one leg which was not viewed by Dr Heard as being an impediment.

Initially assigned no. B803 Goss was ready for duty as a 2nd Class Trooper. On 1 October 1901 he was transferred from the Reserve Division to “B” Division.

Quite what Goss got up to in the war is a matter for conjecture but it can be safely assumed that he was not a front-line soldier or policeman (the S.A.C. were used in a para-military capacity) It is more likely that, as a boot maker he was employed in that capacity there being a huge demand for his services.

At home in England wife Alice and the children; Joseph (13), Bertram (12), Gladys (10), Alice (9), Olive (7) and Edwin (4) were living at 25 3rd Avenue in Devonport (later at 21 Victory Street, Devonport), no doubt anxious as to what husband and father was being exposed to under the harsh African sun.

Life for Goss continued. On 6 March 1901 Goss wrote to the Military Governor, Pretoria as follows:

“Sir, I beg to make application for the return of OLIVER EDWARD WILLEY, Boot Maker whose place of business is situate in “Cheapside” at the side of the Government Buildings, between the Theatre and Pretorius Street.

His present address is 12 Lello’s Passage, Durban, and has been resident there since leaving Pretoria on the 5th October 1899.

Mr. Willey has been a resident in the Transvaal for 20 years. He is a British subject, born in Cornwall.

Any service he may be able to render to the authorities, he will be willing to do.”

On 13 March he received his reply, which was not encouraging:

“Sir, in reply to your communication of the 6th instant addressed to the Military Governor of Pretoria, applying for a permit on behalf of Oliver Edward Willey, to return here, I have to inform you that the circumstances are such that it is impossible to comply with your request at present.”

Claim for compensation

On 29 May 1901 he submitted a Claim for Compensation by a British Subject.

This form, completed in the Pretoria District gave Goss’ postal address as S.A.C. Camp, Proclamation Hill, Pretoria. The amount claimed by him was £49.6.0 and was made up of 2 beds, 2 mattresses, 4 pillows, 6 chairs, one easy chair, 1 large table, 2 small tables, crockery, knives, forks etc.; portmanteau travelling trunk, 3 suits of clothes, underwear etc.; a 3 lever watch Gold Albert and a Gold Pin with stones.

On the same day he wrote to the Compensation Officer, Volkstem Buildings, Pretoria as follows:

“Sir, I herewith beg to make formal claim for damage and loss sustained by me during hostilities. The house in which I resided is situated at Erf 211 Sunnyside.

Mr Willey, with whom I lived having only just returned to Pretoria, I have been unable to obtain access until now, and am therefore unable to send in details of claim at present time, but will do so as early as possible.

Your obedient servant, Joseph Goss, Master Boot Maker, S.A.C. Modderfontein.”

The paperwork reveals that Goss was resident in Sunnyside, Pretoria as a lodger in the home of a Mr. Willey. Willey left the Transvaal, probably in the Uitlander rush to evacuate, on 3 October 1899 and only returned on 5 December 1900.

More than likely because the war was still raging Goss wasn’t to get any immediate relief. On 18 August 1903 he signed a sworn statement in front of the Resident Magistrate at Pretoria as follows:

‘I am the claimant. I have never been a Burgher nor exercised Burghers rights. I did not assist the Boer forces during hostilities, either directly or indirectly. I am now a Corporal in the S.A.C.

The articles specified on Schedule A annexed here were stored by me in the house of at Sunnyside belonging to Mr. O.E. Willey, my late employer.

I returned to Pretoria after Willey’s return in 1901 and visited the house. I inspected it with him. The house was in a shocking state, every bit of furniture in the house, his own as well as mine had been simply smashed to pieces. I have been unable to recover any of my property.

The amounts claimed are much below cost. The watch cost me £7 in England and the Gold Albert £12 in Johannesburg and the gold pin was a present from my wife.

I am the only person interested in this claim. I have had no relatives on commando.’

The Assistant Resident Magistrate tasked with investigating this claim wrote that:

‘I am satisfied as to the bona fides of this claimant and the genuineness of the claim. The amounts claimed are fairly reasonable.’

Reasonable they may have been but Goss was only granted relief of £30 putting an end to the matter.

With that out of the way Goss took up his policing career. He had been promoted to the rank of Corporal on 1 July 1902 and now, on reduction of establishment which followed the end of the war, he reverted to the rank of 3rd Class Trooper on 12 August 1903.

Discharge

Having been re-engaged for a further two years service on 6 December 1902 he continued on with “D” Mobile troop until he was discharged, time expired, on 5 December 1905. His Military Character was rated as Very Good.

What became of Goss in later life is unknown.

Rory,

An excellent biography. I can imagine that if he was employed as per his trade, he would have been a very busy man indeed!

Best wishes
David

Sir,
Joseph Henry Goss(1860-1940) returned to South Africa after the war bringing his family: - Mary Alice Warren 1868-1949) his children Joseph Reginald Goss (1888-1968), Alice May Goss(1890-1968), Gladys Louisa Goss(1891-1956), Olive Blanche Goss(1895), Edwin Henry Goss(1897-1965) and Bertram Sidney Goss (1889-1971)

They grew into a substantial Goss line in South Africa today.

Joseph Henry died in Pretoria 2nd December 1940

I spoke to Gloria Edith Goss, one of his grandchildren, back in 1994 - she suggested there was a link between the family and the sinking of the Galway Castle in 1918? Apparently there were family members on board but I have not been able to find any corroborating evidence.

Dear McEwan

Thank you ever so much for that information. Is there anything else that you can share with me? E.G. PHOTOS ETC.

I will PM you my contact details. Please would you do likewise.

Regards

Rory

Posted details as requested... Do you have a hi res image of the medal obverse and the bars?

Hi McEwan

I've sent you a PM.

Photos are as per my post or until I can get to my camera

Regards

Rory