Edward Dawson Redhead initially went to South Africa with the St John Ambulance Brigade as a Superintendent Officer, service number 1441. He left South Africa on 30th November 1900 to return to England. He later returned to South Africa and served with the South Africa Constabulary from 4 May 1901 until his death from enteric fever on 26 February 1902. At his death he held the rank of Sergeant and his service number was 1865.
Edward was born in Kendal and on the 1891 Census return was living near the Castle in Kendal (street name illegible) with his parents and siblings. Edward was 9 at the time and his father a “Police Constable”. The enlistment papers of his elder brother show the family had moved to Park Avenue in Kendal by 1897. His 1902 Probate gave his address as Lowbutterbent, New Hutton, Westmorland – New Hutton lies just east of Kendal. He left an estate worth £125 15s 6d and his mother was executrix of his estate, his father had died in 1900.
His elder brother by 4 years, Christopher Wilson Redhead, also served in the Second Boer War as Private 5589 1st Battalion Border Regiment. He enlisted in the army in September 1897 giving his occupation as “Boot Warehouseman” , in 1891 he was a “Boot Checker” and his elder sister a “Boot Fitter”. (K Shoes & Boots were made in Kendal, don’t know if they supplied the British Army). After just seven weeks training Christopher was despatched to Malta. The battalion moved to South Africa in September 1899 and so Christopher was involved from the very start and did not leave South Africa until September 1902. He then did two years service in the East Indies before returning to South Africa again in early 1905. During September 1905 he returned home and was discharged to the army reserve having spent almost 8 years on active service overseas. In October 1907 he was found guilty in his absence of not complying with the regulations of the Reserve Forces Act of 1882 - he had emigrated, without permission, to the USA the previous year. He eventually settled in Minneapolis in the State of Minnesota where he married a widow with one child and they had two more children. Christopher passed away in Minneapolis in August 1957 aged 80. A Redhead enclave was obviously established in Minneapolis because two of his brothers, one of his sisters and his widowed mother all ended their days there leaving just one sister to enjoy the delights of Kendal & district until her death.
Edward was posthumously awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with the “Orange Free State” & “Transvaal” clasps and the King’s South Africa Medal with both clasps. Christopher also received the King’s South Africa Medal with both clasps but did rather better with his Queen’s South Africa Medal which had 5 clasps – “Cape Colony”, “Orange Free State”, “Transvaal”, “Tugela Heights” & “Relief of Ladysmith”.
I have looked on-line to see if I could find a newspaper report of Edward’s death but failed – however, on checking, the facility I use does not give access to the Westmorland Gazette or Kendal Mercury during the time of the Boer War.
So that is an appraisal of two Redheads by a Redhead - totally unrelated as far as I am aware but had better check with the custodian of the family tree - one of my nieces. The Redheads named on the Newcastle upon Tyne ABW Memorial are a better bet but I think even they fail to make the connection.
