TOPIC:

Private George Jones, 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Died at Pembroke Dock, 23rd October 1899.


....The regiment departed Pembroke Dock by train on Sunday evening, the 22nd, en route to Southampton, and then on to South Africa - at 11.15 that Sunday morning George Jones had been shot and fatally wounded - he died the following day.
. ...."Yesterday, the Coroner, Mr H. J. E. Price, held an inquest at the Hut Encampment, Pembroke Dock, touching the death of Private George Jones, of the Welsh Fusiliers, who was accidentally shot at the camp on Sunday.
....Private Wm. Jarvis deposed that deceased was a private in the Reserves, having been discharged at Gosport in January, 1897. He was 28 years of age. In civil life he was a constable in the Cardiff Borough Police. He had been called to join his regiment.
....Thomas Grainger, drummer in the 1st Batt. Royal Welsh Fusiliers, deposed he did not know deceased and had never seen him. He (witness) was standing outside the drummers' barrack room talking to others about 11.15 a.m. He picked up a rifle which was standing against the wall. He believed it belonged to Drummer Archer. He was loading and unloading it without cartridges for practice. He turned round and saw Drummer Butler with a cartridge which he believed was a dummy. He put it in the rifle, pulled the trigger, and the shot went off. He did not have the rifle to his shoulder. He heard someone shout in the barrack room opposite where he was standing. He positively said he thought there was no danger in firing off the rifle with the cartridge. When he found he had wounded someone he at once reported himself to his Captain and was put in the guardroom.
....Surgeon-Major Poole, R.A.M.C., deposed to attending deceased. He had a severe gunshot wound in the left arm. It was attended with profuse haemorrhage and shock. He died on Monday evening. The bullet passed behind the left shoulder blade, entering the chest, piercing the upper portion of the lung, and passing out through the left upper arm. Death was due to internal haemorrhage.
....The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," adding as a rider that there was no evidence to show where the cartridge came from, or who was responsible for it being in Butler's possession."
The Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph, Wednesday 25th October 1899
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....George was buried in St Woolos Cemetery, Newport. .
Private Samuel Maynard, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Accidentally killed at Preston, 15th January 1900.
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....Sam Maynard was a 28 year-old reservist, probably from Preston, who had just been called up for active service, when he and another private went to Preston Railway Station to meet some of his (Sam's) friends. They both went on to Platform 1 to get over to the facing platform, but rather than use the footbridge, and despite the shouted warnings of his companion and a porter, Sam chose to jump down to the tracks and cross over that way. He was just climbing up on to the opposite platform when the buffer of the Rochdale to Blackpool express caught him, and he fell between the train and platform. When his body could be reached it was terribly mangled, and he died half an hour later.
....Possibly interred in New Hall Lane Cemetery, Preston. .
Frederick Hugh Williams, Imperial Yeomanry. Died at Portskewett, 20th February 1901.
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....Fred Williams was the 21 year-old son of the vicar of Portskewett, a Monmouthshire village near Caldicot, between Newport and Chepstow; he was accepted for the Imperial Yeomanry in January, 1901, and went with his fellow Yeomen to barracks in Aldershot, prior to going to South Africa. About a fortnight before his death he returned home on leave to say goodbye to family and friends, but was laid up with pneumonia "contracted through sleeping in a damp bed at Aldershot."
....Almost certainly buried in Portskewett churchyard.
....A letter dated 10th February, 1901, from an anonymous writer, "Trooper," of the South Wales Yeomanry, had appeared in the Evening Express on the 11th, complaining about the conditions at the Aldershot barracks, citing poor food, overcrowded rooms, and having to sleep with four blankets each on bare boards or bare iron bedsteads. Was Fred Williams the anonymous 'Trooper'?
....Trooper's allegations were refuted four days later in a letter by nine named Glamorgan troopers, sent from the Aldershot barracks.

Berenice - seeking permission to post piece about Private George Jones on the "Pembrokeshire - I Love It!" Facebook page - I usually post butterflies and sunsets but this will make a nice change! Btw I live in Pembrokeshire and have it on my list to photo the Boer War Memorials at Carmarthen & Haverfordwest before anybody asks. David.

Sure, although I think this one is a more interesting Pembrokeshire death, as he was an invalided soldier and he died while the war was still in progress - www.angloboerwar.com/forum/7-genealogy-a...died-3-12-1901#55231
If you post it, maybe someone could come up with a photo of Bushell's grave.

The implication of the final sentence is that he would have been going out to South Africa; the local newspaper may confirm that when I can get access to it. However, I can't find an exact match for him in the death registrations. The nearest is William John Lawrence, death registered at Gravesend, in the first quarter of 1900, and aged 37.

"The sad intelligence reached Earlestown on Monday of the death in Gosport Hospital of Private W. L. Lawrence, Royal West Surrey Regiment. Deceased was in apparent good health up to Friday last, but on that day his relatives in Earlestown received a telegram informing them that he had been suddenly taken seriously ill. The next telegram conveyed the sad news of his death. At present the relatives are at a loss to account for the real cause of his death, as are the medical attendants, who inquired of the family if they desired a post-mortem examination of the body, to which they replied negatively. Lawrence was 37 years of age, upon the 2nd Class Reserve list, and would have completed his service as a Reservist in March last. He was employed as a postman in the town, and was much respected by his co-workers, who, on his leaving for the regimental depot on December 23rd, made him a suitable present. The mother of Lawrence had a strange foreboding that he would never live to reach the front."
The Leigh Chronicle, Friday 19th January 1900

Hello Berenice
I couldn't find any exact information regarding a William John Lawrence .
Here is what I did find.
Both named William Lawrence, both served in the Royal West Surrey Regiment
Regimental numbers 852 & 4298
852 W Lawrence born in Farnham
4298 W Lawrence born in Guilford.
Labourer's by trade, both soldiers were aged 34 when they left the Army reserves.

4298 W Lawrence was Invalided out of the regiment due to severe complications with Syphilis, his medical notes State that he may find occupations difficult in Civil life and series illness may follow.....The only other snippet of information is that he had a sister called Charlotte.

852 W Lawrence was discharged in 1900 from the reserves, he had a brother called Charles Lawrence.

They were the only 2 Lawrence's I could find regarding the West Surrey Regiment.



Dave......

Dave F wrote: Hello Berenice
I couldn't find any exact information regarding a William John Lawrence .
Here is what I did find.
Both named William Lawrence, both served in the Royal West Surrey Regiment
Regimental numbers 852 & 4298
852 W Lawrence born in Farnham
4298 W Lawrence born in Guilford.
Labourer's by trade, both soldiers were aged 34 when they left the Army reserves.

4298 W Lawrence was Invalided out of the regiment due to severe complications with Syphilis, his medical notes State that he may find occupations difficult in Civil life and series illness may follow.....The only other snippet of information is that he had a sister called Charlotte.

852 W Lawrence was discharged in 1900 from the reserves, he had a brother called Charles Lawrence.

They were the only 2 Lawrence's I could find regarding the West Surrey Regiment.

Dave......

Thanks, Dave. When Newton Library's microfilm reader is back in use, they're going to let me know, so then I can check up on this. Depending on what the Newton/Earlestown newspaper reported, I might get a copy of William John Lawrence's death certificate.