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Greetings,

I discovered the site while researching my grandfather's exploits in the Boer War and hope to further my research here. My grandfather was an American, 24 years old, when he arrived in in South Africa in 1899. He served in Montmorency's Scouts under the pseudonym Lewis Gano (he would later serve in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in France (1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade) using the same name). Based on the research I have done so far I have concluded that he is the same person as "Detective Gano" who was involved in arresting Hans Cordua during the Pretoria Plot in August 1900.

There is a bit of family lore that the horse Winston Churchill lost at Dewetsdorp, when he was saved by the actions of Trooper Clement Roberts, actually belonged to my grandfather and that Churchill had commandeered it earlier that day.

I hope to learn as much as possible regarding Montmorency's Scouts, the Pretoria Plot, and anything else that may concern Lewis Gano. I am particularly interested in any information that will help me understand what he was doing in South Africa and why he chose to serve under a name not his own. Although, I suspect those answers are likely to be found in New York and California..

Thanks for letting me join.

Denis Kaufman

Denis
Welcome to this forum. You have a most intriguing ancestor and I will look forward to reading more about him as your research progresses.
Regards
Brett

Lewis Gano enlisted into the 1st Brabant's Horse on the 22nd of November 1899 at Queenstown in the Cape and served with the regiment until his discharge on the 22nd of February 1900 in Dordrecht.
He is clearly shown on their roll in WO100/237 as number 148 Trooper with entitlement to a medal and Cape Colony clasp which appears to have been returned in 1907 after it had been prepared.
Rank and file SAMIF papers for this regiment survive in WO126/6-14 at Kew, so it would certainly be worth having a look.
Both WO100/259 and WO100/277 confirm his service in Montmorency's Scouts, he appears to have enlisted on the 23rd of February 1900 and discharged on the 31st of August 1900, the Provisional Transvaal Constabulary, this latter, initially on secondment, from the 12th of June 1900 to the 29th of December 1900 as a "scout" in the Pretoria Police, in addition, the medal roll of Montmorency's Scouts clearly shows his three clasp medal as well as service in the Transvaal CID.
Brabant's Horse was raised in Queenstown on the 5th of November 1899, so Gano was a founder member, in fact, General Brabant himself, spent much time in Queenstown choosing his own men, the regiment was disbanded in Capetown on New years eve 1901.
Montmorency's Scouts was raised, I believe, on the 15th of January 1900, in the Stockstroom District and disbanded on the 17th of November that same year, so Gano appears to have spent much time actually seconded to the Transvaal Police and who knows (or, indeed, dares to wonder! ) he might well have actually known the famous William Idebski, who formed the Criminal Investigation Dept of the Transvaal Police

Hello Denis,
And a warm welcome to the forum.
As Brett says you have most intriguing ancestors and I too look forward to further research.

Regards
Paul

Hello Frank,

Thank you for posting this information, I found it fascinating

Regards
Paul

Frank Kelley wrote: Lewis Gano enlisted into the 1st Brabant's Horse on the 22nd of November 1899 at Queenstown in the Cape and served with the regiment until his discharge on the 22nd of February 1900 in Dordrecht.
He is clearly shown on their roll in WO100/237 as number 148 Trooper with entitlement to a medal and Cape Colony clasp which appears to have been returned in 1907 after it had been prepared.
Rank and file SAMIF papers for this regiment survive in WO126/6-14 at Kew, so it would certainly be worth having a look.
Both WO100/259 and WO100/277 confirm his service in Montmorency's Scouts, he appears to have enlisted on the 23rd of February 1900 and discharged on the 31st od August 1900, the Provisional Transvaal Constabulary, this latter, initially on secondment, from the 12th of June 1900 to the 29th of December 1900 as a "scout" in the Pretoria Police, in addition, the medal roll of Montmorency's Scouts clearly shows his three clasp medal as well as service in the Transvaal CID.
Brabant's Horse was raised in Queenstown on the 5th of November 1899, so Gano was a founder member, in fact, General Brabant himself, spent much time in Queenstown choosing his own men, the regiment was disbanded in Capetown on New years eve 1901.
Montmorency's Scouts was raised, I believe, on the 15th of January 1900, in the Stockstroom District and disbanded on the 17th of November that same year, so Gano appears to have spent much time actually seconded to the Transvaal Police and who knows (or, indeed, dares to wonder! ) he might well have actually known the famous William Idebski, who formed the Criminal Investigation Dept of the Transvaal Police

Hello Paul,
Certainly an interesting fellow!
Regards Frank