TOPIC:

Anyone know who this man was, assuming that his history was as stated?


At Newport on Wednesday an application was made for an order for payment by the Newport County Borough of the maintenance of a lunatic now in the Abergavenny Asylum. The person was born in St. Lucia, West Indies, but came to England when a lad, and joined the Royal Artillery. He was on service in South Africa during the Boer was, but deserted, and returned to England. He surrendered at Dumfries, and was sent to Newport. Tried by Court Martial he was sentenced to 84 days' imprisonment, and was sent to Dorchester to serve the time. Whilst in prison he became insane, and at the end of the term he was sent to the Abergavenny Asylum. The Town Clerk opposed the application, on the ground that he ought not to have been sent to Abergavenny, but to the asylum at Dorchester, or removed to Dumfries, where he was arrested. It transpired that the man had not served at Newport Barracks, but was sent there for trial because Newport was then the only depot for the Mountain Battery in the country. The Bench made the order asked for.

The Cardiff Times, Saturday 16th May 1903

Berenice
Stirling tells us that two Mountain Batteries served in SA; 4th and 10th. IL has a soft spot for 4th MB and just now trawled the medal rolls for both 4th MB and 10th MB. Several entries marked "medal forfeited" for a number of reasons - but the only one seen with marginal note "Deserted" was "33115 Gunner Boyle, F. of 4MB". His roll entry is marked "NO MEDAL" (he would have received clasps TH and RofL) Additional notes in the margin are: "deserted at Newport (could be Nawport - hard to read) and "invalided to Depot, Mtn. Div and indecipherable".
A reasonable pick from the available info; "assuming that his history was as stated".
Best regards
IL.