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Corporal Samuel Henry Neale, 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders.

As I cannot find his service record or a mention of him on a medal roll, I cannot tell you his regimental number.

Samuel was born and raised in Smethwick. Census records show he was born in either 1869 or 1870. I have no idea why a lowland Smethwick man should serve in a Highland Regiment but he was not alone, another served in the Cameron Highlanders. He was described as a Reservist meaning he saw service prior to his time in South Africa which, based on the earlier history of the Regiment, probably included India.

As he was invalided home in 1900 he would not have qualified for the King’s South Africa Medal, which appears to rule him out as the S Neale, Gordon Highlanders listed in the ABW Forum Database.

However, I can tell you quite a bit about his wounding and prolonged recovery and his two private meetings in Birmingham with Sir Redvers & Lady Audrey Buller, because he gets 18 mentions in the local Smethwick paper- the Smethwick Telephone, a weekly published on Saturday’s.

Just over a year before he went to South Africa, Samuel married Jemima Smith in Smethwick (Q2 1898). Jemima figures in the following several times.

I have not included all 18 mentions as some are really repeats of previous ones and add nothing new. I have used italics for where I have quoted an article verbatim.

Smethwick Telephone October 28th1899 – an article about the setting up of a Reservists Fund in Smethwick contained the following paragraph regarding Samuel: Writing from the Castle, Edinburgh, Corporal S H Neale, a Smethwick Reservist of the Gordon Highlanders (who are under orders to join the 2nd Gordon Highlanders at Ladysmith, South Africa) thanks the townspeople of Smethwick for the kindness they are showing towards the wives and families of Reservists from Smethwick.

The ABW Forum write up on the Gordon Highlanders shows he arrived in Cape Town on 28th November 1899 but he never saw Ladysmith.

The next two articles are included in a fairly regular section throughout the war and entitled SMETHWICKIANS AT THE WAR.

Smethwick Telephone 13th January 1900 - “SHOT DOWN LIKE SHEEP” – BOER TREACHERY

Corporal S H Neale, a Reservist with the Gordon Highlanders, has written an interesting letter to Sergt-Instructor Davis of the Smethwick Volunteers. Neale who is himself a Smethwickian, writes from the Orange Field Hospital, where he is invalided “for doing a kindness to a wounded Boer”. He says “I expect you have seen the news of the Highland Brigade, and the blunder of someone advancing us in quarter columns under heavy fire. We were shot down like sheep. It was a terrible day. We were lying out the night previous in heavy rain. The Boers were in a grand position, and if it had not been for our heavy guns we should have been cut up, but our regiment did very well. It is very hot out here, and I am now in hospital for doing a kindness to a wounded Boer. Getting a slight wound in my left arm caused me to stumble for a time. Losing my Company I got mixed in with the Guards and through the Boer trenches (which were a grand piece of earthwork) and amongst dead and wounded Boers. One asked me for a drink of water and while giving it another one gave me a blow with his rifle, sending me a distance down the hill and injuring my back. When coming to myself I saw all the troops returning. I could not walk but had to crawl on my hands and knees out of range, as their shells and bullets came down like rain. Now I am here at the Field Hospital using condensed milk and jam tins to get our meals with”.

Smethwick Telephone 20th January 1900 - ANOTHER LETTER FROM CORPORAL NEALE

Corporal S H Neale of the Gordon Highlanders, who was the victim of Boer treachery under circumstances reported in our last issue, sustained more serious injuries than was first supposed. In another letter to his wife, he states: “I now write you under very difficult circumstances, as I am not able to move for my back, which I am sorry to say is a bad case. The doctors have examined me again and said I may get better in a curious way. I am worse than I thought I am shot through the left arm, and the worst is a compression of the spinal cord losing me the use of my left leg. I am now well cared for and have plenty of whatever I want. My daily allowance is 4oz brandy, four pints of milk, two lemonades, one pint of beef tea, one rice pudding and bread and butter, also a nurse to look after me. This is a nice healthy place. I have seen Joe Harrison at Modder River, also Lythall and Nickson, two Smethwick men, at the Orange River.” Neale expresses his desire to thank all those friends who have made kindly enquiries concerning him from time to time, and also his fellow workmates at the Carriage Works.

The Carriage Works was the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Waggon Company which, despite its name, was situated in Middlemore Road, Smethwick. In October 1899 the firm was subcontracted to build the seven carriages for Princess Christian’s Hospital Train. The contract said they should be completed by 13th January 1900, in practice they were ready for final inspection by 20thDecember 1899. Under normal circumstances they would have taken 7 to 8 months to complete but by round the clock working and the enthusiasm of all involved the task was completed in just over 2 months. An article in the Smethwick Telephone of 22nd November 1902 reported that the Carriage Works Reservists Fund had been closed but had supported the families of 19 Reservists who had worked for the firm. They all came home with the exception of Joe Harrison, mentioned by Samuel above, who died of enteric fever on the voyage home and I presume was buried at sea. Also mentioned Henry Lythall who served in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, was wounded at the Battle of Doorn Kop and warrants a separate post. Nickson I have been unable to make any progress on. All this does raise the intriguing prospect that the wounded Samuel and sick Joe were possibly transported by a train they helped to construct. I have no definite evidence that Henry Lythall ever worked at the Carriage Works.

Smethwick Telephone 30th June 1900 – Borough Briefs

Corporal S H Neale, who was wounded through Boer treachery, returned to Smethwick on Tuesday night. The gallant Gordon Highlander, it will be remembered, received a severe blow in the back whilst giving a wounded Boer a drink of water. His spine was found to be seriously injured, and he was invalided home to Netley but everyone will be glad to hear that his case is not considered hopeless.

Smethwick Telephone 24th November 1900 – Here and There

Corporal Neale. The impression seems to have got abroad that Corporal Neale, the gallant Gordon Highlander, who was so treacherously smitten in his back whilst giving a wounded Boer a drink of water during that terrible battle of Magersfontein, will soon be able to resume his ordinary occupation. Dr Suckling, well known Birmingham physician, has indeed performed a wonderful cure, for Neale is now able to walk and thus dispense with the carriage which Lady Buller so kindly forwarded him; but it must be months at least before the Gordon Highlander possesses the vigour and strength necessary to follow employment in a factory. A few friends have therefore conceived the idea of putting him into business, and, with this object in view, a concert on his behalf will take place in the Town Hall on December 12th.

Smethwick Telephone 1st & 8th December 1900 – the good people of Smethwick are reminded about the concert and encouraged to attend as it is in aid of a “worthy object” and a further incentive was the artistes who would be performing: Miss Minnie Hackett (contralto), Miss Bertha Phillips (contralto and solo piano), Miss Nellie Hewitt A.R.C.M (variety instrumentalist), Mr T U Crow (humourist), Mr Thomas Collins (elocutionist), the Smethwick Quartette (F Bayley, E Clarke, E Ward and J Round), Messers J C Nicklin and F Bayley (accompanists).

Smethwick Telephone 19th January 1901 – Corporal Neale received two separate mentions in this issue. The first to tell us the concert raised £79 9s 10d for him with £60 coming from the tickets sales and the rest from donations and programme sales. It is also stressed that there were no expenses and the whole sum went to the gallant Gordon Highlander.
So, we can presume there was no charge by the Council for the use of the Town Hall and the artistes gave of their time and virtuosity freely. The article also stated that the fund was now closed but as a later edition of the paper reported that the fund had risen to just over £110 (about £14k in today’s money) we can presume there were some further donations.

The same edition reported on the following page that Corporal Neale had once been a player of note in the local football scene and when this had been brought to the attention of the Birmingham & District Football Association they had granted him £20 out of their “patriotic funds”.

Smethwick Telephone 16th February 1901 – a short letter from Corporal Neale was printed in which he thanked his friends, supporters and Dr Suckling.

The 1901 Census found Samuel & Jemima and their two children, Amy & Roland Victor just over the border in Birmingham in Chantry Street, Handsworth. Samuel’s occupation was given as “Newsagent & Stationer”. We can presume this was the business his friends set him up in with the help of the concert & football association funds.

Smethwick Telephone 8th August 1903 - GENERAL BULLER AND CORPORAL NEALE

General Buller, who had a grand reception when he visited Birmingham on Tuesday, stayed with Lord Norton at Hams Hall until Thursday morning. On arriving at Birmingham Lady Audrey Buller enquired after Corporal Neale, who was seriously wounded in the back by one of the Boers at Magersfontein. He was invalided home and taken to the Connaught Hospital, at Aldershot, where he received very kind attention from Lady Buller, who has continued to interest herself in his welfare. At the gallant General’s request, Chief Constable Rafter paid a visit to Corporal Neale’s home in High Park Road on Wednesday and arranged for him to meet General and Lady Buller at New St Station on Thursday morning. Corporal Neale, who was attired in the uniform of the regiment (Gordon Highlanders) to which he belonged, was accompanied by his wife, the two children, and father-in-law (Mr Smith) and Lieutenant Chandler. Neale was heartily greeted by Sir Redvers and Lady Buller, who regarded his recovery as nothing less than marvellous. They expressed their appreciation of the assistance that the Smethwick Ambulance had provided and thanked Lieutenant Chandler. Lady Buller chatted with Mrs Neale and gave a present to each of the children. Corporal Neale and his wife are naturally very proud of the special attention that was paid them, and acknowledged their indebtedness to the General and his Lady. Sir Redvers was very gratified with the reception given him, remarking that it was the grandest he had received upon the occasion of a private visit.

This event was also reported in the Birmingham papers who said the meeting occurred in the waiting room of New St Station. The High Park Road (Smethwick) address suggests Samuel was not a success as a Newsagent. The inclusion of his father-in-law in the visit makes me wonder if Samuel & Jemima had been reduced to living with his in-laws.

Smethwick Telephone 12th January 1907 – a paragraph in the “Here and There” section tells us that Sir Redvers and Lady Buller paid another visit to Birmingham to attend a dinner and they again requested a meeting with Samuel which this time happened in the Grand Hotel and lasted half an hour. The article reminds the readers who Samuel was and tells us the Smethwick Ambulance, mentioned above, was a Horse Ambulance. It also tells us that since their last meeting Samuel had secured the position of Superintendent of the Birmingham Lost Dog’s Home.

The 1911 census found Samuel still running the Lost Dog’s Home in New Canal Street in the centre of Birmingham. By now he and Jemima had four children.

Electoral Roll records show that Samuel passed away about 1928 in his late fifties and whilst still Superintendent of the Lost Dog’s Home. Jemima, who was the same age as Samuel, lived another 15 years, passing away in Birmingham in 1943, aged 73.

Thank you for your posting of the articles published in the Smethwick Telephone. It is very interesting to read about the efforts of local folks in helping Samuel along the toad to recovery and helping to set him and his family up for the future in regard of his disability due to his wound.
£110 back in the day was a large sum of money to a working bloke.
Also, nice to hear of the attention for the wellbeing of Samuel shown by Sir Redvers and Lady Buller, was which was typical of the concern shown by the General for the men under his command.
With reference to a Smethwickian serving with a highland regiment, does any of Samuel's ancestry indicate Scottish ancestry? As we know, people migrated to Birmingham from all parts of the UK.

Both his parents were born in Birmingham. His paternal grandparents were a bit more diverse with one in Birmingham and the other in Tipton. Two of his paternal grandparents were also born in Birmingham. Don't know any further but his mother's maiden name was Lashley which does not sound very Scottish. The surname Neale is considered to be Irish in derivation.

The community spirit was notable - there are many reports of those going to S Africa receiving a send-off from their workmates and being presented with a purse containing a couple of guineas and some pipes & tobacco. Then they went down to the local hostelry and sang patriotic songs. Most of the larger firms set up a Reservist Fund. There was also a Municipal Reservists Fund with the Mayor and Aldermen setting an example - at one time this one totalled just over £2,200 (over a quarter of a million in today's money!). Samuel was not the only one to have a fund raising concert. At the time the population of Smethwick was 55k with 11k houses for them to live in - today the population is slightly lower but with a lot more houses.

Great research there, I can tell you his number and medal roll details, no service papers survive.

Interesting there were two "S Neal(e)" in the Gordon Highlanders, both wounded and invalided:

and he is this one: