TOPIC:

This has nothing to do with the Anglo-Boer War, but the man concerned might have been better off if he stayed a policeman and fought in this war instead of going farming.

From an entry in the Natal Mounted Police enlistment register:
Frederick Brian Grey enlisted as a Trooper in Pietermaritzburg on 11/2/1881 (No. 471). He was the son of Admiral the Honorable C G Grey of Upton, Bournemouth, Hampshire. He was discharged by purchase on 11/9/1882, and his character was recorded as "good".
It was later recorded that he was living at Springwater, Ixopo, in January 1883, and then farming at Bulwer in 1886.
The final undated entry is:
"Went to the dogs."

Brett

Maybe he started to breed Greyhounds......

M..

Mike

His father might have wished for such an innocent explanation! It must have been a lonely life for young single men in 19th Century rural Natal, and probably the most common destructive pastime was heavy drinking.

Regards
Brett

Hello Brett,
Is it clear who wrote that final entry?
Regards Frank

Brett Hendey wrote: This has nothing to do with the Anglo-Boer War, but the man concerned might have been better off if he stayed a policeman and fought in this war instead of going farming.

From an entry in the Natal Mounted Police enlistment register:
Frederick Brian Grey enlisted as a Trooper in Pietermaritzburg on 11/2/1881 (No. 471). He was the son of Admiral the Honorable C G Grey of Upton, Bournemouth, Hampshire. He was discharged by purchase on 11/9/1882, and his character was recorded as "good".
It was later recorded that he was living at Springwater, Ixopo, in January 1883, and then farming at Bulwer in 1886.
The final undated entry is:
"Went to the dogs."

Brett

No, Frank. A real weakness in researching the Natal Mounted Police is the poor record-keeping by HQ. It was a little better after 1894 when the NMP became the Natal Police, and better still after the Boer War when the NP magazine, 'The Nongqai', became an invaluable source of information.
Regards
Brett

Morning Brett,
Well, whosoever it might have been, he very clearly had a sense of humour.
Regards Frank