TOPIC:

Redacted.
Pete

The North Staffs Regt write up on the ABW forum states they sailed to SA in January 1900. The ABW Forum shipping records report the Aurania left Southampton on 15th January 1900 with 1,050 men of the 2nd North Staffs on board along with about 540 odds & sods.

There are four 2nd North Staffs in my Smethwickian 207, listed below with SA service dates and QSA clasps:
Pte 3018 William Evetts; 15/01/1900 – 29/07/1902; Joh, CC, OFS
Pte Roland Pugh; 15/01/1900 – 12/09/1902; Paa, CC, Tr
Pte 4469 James Rooney; 03/02/1902 – 10/10/1902; Tr, SA 1902
Pte 4241 Joseph Jabez Townsend; 15/01/1900 – 26/09/1900; CC, OFS, Tr, SA 1901

I do not know the cause of Roland Pugh’s early death but I doubt he committed suicide because it would have been reported in the local rag – papers of the time had a “liking” of death by unnatural causes. He does appear on Public Family Trees on Ancestry but only as a peripheral character and all they can proffer is that he died before 1911 because Sarah Jane appears as a widow on the 1911 census – so purchase of a copy of his death certificate would be required.

The ”In Memoriam” section of the Smethwick Telephone of 8th December 1906 tells me Joseph Jabez Townsend also died prematurely on 7th December 1905 followed by his daughter on 26th December 1905. His wife was Edith Maria Downing (who at one time lived in Kitchener Street in Birmingham). The marriage of Edith Maria and Joseph Jabez was registered in Q2 1905, the birth of Doris Maria in Q3 1905 and, as indicated by the 1906 “In Memoriam”, the death of Joseph Jabez and Doris Maria in Q4 1905!!!
.
I do know that James Rooney died of chronic bronchitis but that was in 1949 – his Army Pensioner Death Certificate is attached to his service records.

I have no idea when William Evetts died let alone of what!

Pete – I will message you regarding Smethwick.

Hi David

With reference to your man Roland Pugh and the Paardeberg clasp.
I think it is possible that a section of North Staffs 2nd Battalion were from their Mounted Infantry company; quite a few different regimental MI served in the relief of Kimberley and then went on to Paardeberg.
Sometimes the service papers reflect the MI service. Alas, in Roland's case this is not recorded. However,  the medal rolls suggest that  Paardeberg clasps were awarded to North Staffs men. There is no direct correlation to the 2nd Battalion having fought at Paardeberg in the battle reports. However, I did find this snippet of information regarding the possible Mounted Infantry theory pertaining to the North Staffs.




Dave..........

I think Dave's hit the nail on the head!

Further proof that Dave has walloped the nail on the head.

I mentioned that from the medal roll 3 officers of the Battalion also got the Paaderberg clasp, actually I miscounted and it is 4. Can only find one on the name search and this is his entry with my red highlighting added:

TWEEDIE, HENRY CARMICHAEL, Captain, was born 25 January 1876, second son of Major General Michael Tweedie, of Boveney, Folkestone, formerly of the Royal Artillery. He was educated privately, and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and joined the North Staffordshire Regiment 6 September 1896; became Lieutenant 24 February 1899, and Captain 13 November 1901. He served in South Africa, 1900-2, being employed throughout the war with the Mounted Infantry; took part in operations in the Orange Free State, February to May, 1900, including operations at Paardeberg,17 to 26 February; action at Driefontein; operations in the Transvaal, June to 29 November 1900; operations in the Transvaal, 30 November 1900 to December 1901, and March to 31 May 1902; operations in Orange River Colony, June to September 1901, and January to March 1902; operations in Cape Colony, September to November 1901. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 25 April 1902]

It is good to have experts on the other end of the wire. Many thanks.