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Bowerchalke is a small village and parish in the Chalk Hundred of Wiltshire, about nine miles south-west of Salisbury. It is in the south of Wiltshire, about a mile from the county border with Dorset. It was in this pastoral village in January 1870 that Jane and Robert Scutt welcomed their seventh child into the world, his name was John. John Scutt was born into a agricultural family who worked the fields and were employed by the local landowners of the day. John's father Robert was a Carter by trade and this was to be John's calling after he had completed his schooling. The year of 1881, and the Scutt family have now moved over the Wiltshire boundary and are residing in Pentridge, Dorset. After leaving school, John joined his family in the fields of Dorsetshire working as a agricultural labourer and carter.



Farm labourers in the 1880s were versatile and accomplished, performing a range of tasks. However,  the labourers work was back breaking and in Dorset and the surrounding Shires during this period, workers faced low wages,  exploitation and the threat of eviction for supporting agricultural unions. So it is no surprise that many farm labourers looked to her majesty's military services for a new career. John Scutt was one of these men and in October 1889 he travelled to the Wiltshire town of Devizes for his army medical. His toiling in the fields and his time as a Carter had provided him with strength and a good level of fitness as well as his skills with horses. John was of medium build with a fresh complexion. Brown eyes and hair, standing five foot nine inches tall and weighing in at nine stone nine.  3717- Private, John Scutt was passed fit for service and on the 25th of October 1889 he attested to serve in the 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers.

Why the Lancers and not his local regiments? The Wiltshire's, Hampshire's or the Dorsets perhaps. Personally, I think John may have been attracted to the Lancers with a promise of a steady income, far off travel and adventure, or specifically to join a prestigious, active cavalry regiment that had just returned from fighting in the Sudan. In 1889, the 5th Lancers were in the middle of a ten-year tour in India, making the cavalry a, "romantic" escape from a life of monotonous, low-paid, and back breaking seasonal agricultural labour. Also, his time as a Carter and his familiarity with horse husbandry could have also played a part in his decision. Either way, it was not uncommon for English farm labourers to join a Irish Regiment.

The 5th Lancers can trace their roots back to 1689 when they were called Wynnes Royal Dragoons of Ireland. In 1857 it was decided that there was a requirement for the cavalry establishment of the British Army to be augmented by a further two Regiments. Thus on the 9th of January 1858, two Regiments were raised. The 18th Light Dragoons and the 5th Royal Irish Dragoons later restyled the 5th Royal Irish Lancers (1861). The reconstituted Regiment received its first overseas posting to Cawnpore in India where they remained for 10 years.

It was in the year of 1890 that Private Scutt was to follow his previous Lancer comrades and go on to serve in India. His first year of basic training was carried out in Ireland (Currah) and then a brief relocation to England. However, for the next several years Private Scutt was to serve in the military cantonments of Meerut and Muttra. The role of Lancers in India consisted of various operations which included.
Frontier Patrol and Surveillance, where Lancers were used for essential  scouting, foraging, and patrolling of the mountainous border regions. They were responsible for monitoring tribal movements and protecting the frontier from raids. Internal Security and Policing,  where they were used to maintain law and order within Indian cantons , particularly in guarding the North-West Frontier and protecting British interests.
It was during this time that the regiment was ordered to prepare for another theatre of operation which would take them approximately 4000 nautical miles to another continent.



The Regiment were placed under orders for South Africa and, on the 29th of January 1898 handed over the horses to a detachment of the 9th Lancers from Natal. The same day the advanced party left for Bombay with the heavy baggage. On the following day the Regiment left Muttra by train.  A halt at Jhansi, and on the following nights at Hoshungabad Khandwa, and Deolali rest camps. Deolali, was not left until the 8th of February, when the journey was continued onto Bombay, and the Regiment embarked the same evening on board the Royal Indian Marine Ship "Clive.”

On leaving the Bengal command the General Officer commanding,  Sir Baker Russell, made the following remarks on the 5th Lancers.

" A first rate Regiment in first rate order" I never saw better.
It is in every way fit for active service. I am sorry to lose it from my command."

After a reasonabley uneventful voyage the "Clive" arrived off Durban, Natal, on the 24th of February, but owing to a case of small-pox amongst the native crew, she was placed in quarantine, and anchored at the mouth of the harbour. On the 5th of March the Regiment disembarked, and proceeded by rail to Pinetown, remaining there under canvas until the 10th of March.

There are quite a few accounts regarding the actions of the 5th Lancers whilst engaged in South Africa. Elandsglatte, Tugela Heights,  Belfast, Rietfontein, Lombards Kop and the Seige of Ladysmith. However, although Private Scutt served for over 4 years in South Africa I cannot ascertain his connection directly to any specific Squadrons. He was certainly at Belfast and the Defence of Ladysmith. He may have been attached to A, C or D squadrons in some capacity, but I have no hard evidence to prove it, and to be sincerely honest I do not know what Private Scutt got up to during the seige. The following paragraphs and additional link may give an insight into Private Scutt and his fellow "Redbreasts " actions.

After the disaster at Nicholson's Nek and Lombards Kop the Infantry and Cavalry retreated in some disarray back into Ladysmith. White's gamble on a knock out blow of the Boer forces in a set piece action was to prove very costly for his soldiers and his reputation. Various Cavalry units were sent out in reconnaissance roles but were recalled when it appeared that the Boer horseman might cut the Cavalry off.
A few days after mournful Monday (30th October) the four month seige of Ladysmith began.


Ladysmith

The 5th Lancers were camped West of Ladysmith very close to the Klip River along with the 5th Dragoon guards and 18th Hussars. As to the actions of the 5th Lancers I have included a link courtesy of forum contributor Rory.  Although my man, Private Scutt was not at Elandslaagte with Rory's Fred Gascoigne, he quite possibly could have been with him at Belfast and Ladysmith.

www.angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-...-man-at-elandslaagte

During the first 3  months of the seige of Ladysmith the 5th Lancers were utilised as a Cavalry unit. They were constantly being stood to awaiting orders and frequently stood down. They supported actions at Observation Hill, Riflemans Ridge and Caesar's Camp. The day to day routine regarding the care for their horses was also important and were maintained rigorously during the opening phases of the seige. The welfare of the horses were a priority. However, during the last month of the conflict a change was fast approaching. The prestigious mounted unit was soon to become a infantry battalion. The lance's were handed in along with their swords, carbines and saddles and the troopers drew out rifles and bayonets instead.



The horses at this point were also suffering and deteriorating. During January 1900 the slaughter for food of the regular cavalry's horses had begun.  'We can not feed our men' wrote one officer of the 5th Lancers in his diary, ' we cannot feed our horses so the horses must suffer to feed the men. Only 300 of the regular cavalry horses were retained which equated to 75 for each regiment. There were distressing scenes over many days as horses that were put out to graze bolted and many were injured or too weak to survive. It was almost a blessing when a number of horses were requisitioned for slaughter and later turned into Chevril ( A type of beef tea / soup) meat paste and sausages were also made from the regiments horses to help feed the Ladysmith defenders.



After the Relief of Ladysmith ended on 1 March 1900 the Regiment, together with the 18th and 19th Hussars moved out to Field's Farm, and on the 9th of April to Pound's Plateau, below Mbulwana, where the brigade was gradually re-horsed and brought up to strength with drafts from England.

During the second phase of the war the 5th Lancers were mainly in the Eastern Transvaal operating under Smith-Dorrien, Colonel Spens, and other commanders. They took part in the sweep into the Vryheid district. A portion of the regiment was in Cape Colony in 1901 and 1902, and had rather an unhappy time on the Zeekoe River near Aberdeen on 6th April 1901, when they lost 2 killed, 9 wounded, and 23 taken prisoners.

Private Scutt had been in South Africa for four years, one hundred and sixty days. His time with the colours was coming to an end and he returned home in August 1902 after 13 years of service. I always wonder how a soldier who had been away from home for over 12 years adapts when he finally returns home. Private Scutt had certainly witnessed and experienced what India had to offer at the time and then of course he witnessed the horrors of warfare that were probably firmly fixed in his subconscious during his time in the South Africa campaign.


Alas, life had to go on. John's return to England consisted of a few months in Garrison where his discharge from the colours was recorded and finalised. He then made his way back to his home county of Wiltshire.
In 1905 John Scutt had found romance and married Bruce Charlotte Kingsbury who lived in Dorset. There was a considerable age gap between them, John was 35 and Bruce was 20 years old when they exchanged their vows. Agricultural employment again beckoned and John worked the land as a labourer and later became a cowman. 1911 sees the family having moved from Downton Wiltshire back over the county line to Boveridge Dorset. The family has now grown and include 3 children, Winnie,  Robert and Walter. The 1921 census has the Scutt family living at Home Farm, Redenham Hampshire. I believe this was possibly part of the Redenham estate which included Home farm, various small holdings and 12 cottages. John was now working for a Mrs Hill as a cowman. The family also had a couple of new additions with another daughter called Mabel and a son Norman.

Additional Information.
After 1923 I cannot find any additional details on John. There are 25 family trees on Ancestry and unfortunately I could not find a date of his death. His wife Bruce Charlotte died in 1931.
One of his sons Robert had the middle name of Buller.
His Queens South Africa medal is missing it's Cape Colony clasp.




Acknowledgements and Research sources.
British Battles.Com
Ancestry
Find My Past
The 5th Royal Irish Lancers in South Africa ( Walter Temple Wilcox)
The History of British Cavalry Volume 4 1899 to 1913 ( The Marquess of Anglesey)
Angloboerwar.com
Rory and Smethwick (David)

As always, any errors or anomalies are purely down to yours truly. Additional information or corrections are most welcome.  Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read Private John Scutts story.

Best wishes

Dave....