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Hi , My grandfather Frederick Sidney Baker b 18 feb 1892 had I have been told by my aunt 6 brothers all killed in the Boer war. The names I have are
James H baker b 1876
George Baker b 1878
Ernest Baker b 1882
Samuel Baker 1886
all born in wisbech Norfolk Uk, ,Sorry that is all the info I have .
Where do I go from here to find out about these soldiers?
Any Comments please help.
Regards
Chris Baker
New Zealand

Hi Chris,

That must have been devastating for the family. 6 in one family!

One of the problems when researching those killed in the war is that their papers were routinely destroyed by the War Office and this makes finding out about them much harder.

There is a list of those killed in the Boer War called In Memoriam.

1. There is no J H Baker on the list but there are several J Bakers, including one who served in the Suffolk Regiment.

2. There are 4 G Bakers who served in the 17th Lancers, Somerset Light Infantry, South Staffordshire Regiment and South African Constabulary.

3. There are 3 E Bakers, who served in the Imperial Yeomanry, Scottish Horse and Somerset Light Infantry.

4. There are no S Bakers on the list.

To derive a full list of names, it would be worth looking for the family in the 1891 census.

Best wishes
David

The Suffolk Regiment Baker is probably not the one you are seeking. The casualty, 384 Sergeant J Baker, 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Resident London. Killed in action 4th January 1900 at Colesberg.

I suppose he could been born in Wisbech and moved to London?

Source: www.roll-of-honour.com/Suffolk/IpswichBoer.html

There were soldiers called J H Baker in the Boer War:

J H Baker 2nd Remount Depot
J H Baker 5th Dragoon Guards
J H Baker 1st Battalion South Staffordshire
J H Baker 3rd Battery Middlesex Regiment
J H Baker
J H Baker 7th Hussars
J H Baker 109th Squadron Imperial Yeomanry Yorkshire Hussars

And many S Bakers who were not casualties

S Baker 1st Battalion Royal Sussex
S Baker First City Crahamstown Volunteer
S Baker 70th Company 18th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry
S Baker 1st Battalion Suffolk
S Baker 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers
S Baker E Squadron Cape Colonial Forces
S Baker Uitenhage Town Guard
S Baker 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire
S Baker 2nd Battalion The South Wales Borderers
S Baker 2nd Battalion Wiltshire
S Baker 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment
S Baker Volunteer Company 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers
S Baker Colonial Light Horse
S Baker Driscoll's Scouts
S Baker
S Baker 2nd Volunteer Company Cheshire
S Baker 1st Battalion Suffolk
S Baker 3rd Volunteer Service Company The Queen's Own (R W Kent)
S Baker 7th Dragoon Guards
S Baker 2nd Dorset Regiment
S Baker 2nd D E O V Rifles
S Baker 70th Imperial Yeomanry
S Baker 2nd Battalion Wilshire
S Baker 4th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps
S Baker 3rd Battalion King's Royal Rifle
S Baker 2nd Battalion The Buffs E Kent
S Baker 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards
S Baker Duke of Edinburgh's Own Volunteer Rifles
S Baker 2nd Battalion D E O V R
S Baker 1st Battalion Royal Sussex
S Baker 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards
S Baker 2nd Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment
S Baker 3rd Volunteer Active Service Company Royal West Kent
S Baker 2nd Battalion P W O West Yorkshire
S Baker 2nd Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment
S Baker 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards
S Baker 2nd Battalion The South Wales Borderers
S Baker
S Baker 2nd Royal Fusiliers
S Baker 2nd Battalion The Buffs
S Baker 1st Battalion Suffolk
S Baker Driscoll's Scouts
S Baker 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards

Many men were invalided from South Africa during the war so could it have been that the Bakers were casualties rather than fatalities?

Chris,

Is this your page? www.myheritage.com/search-records?action...00012&origin=profile

Hello Chris

Interesting story! I must admit that 6 died from the same family is not a fact I had heard in 25 years of researching casualties and memorials, however "never say never".

Here is a list of all known Baker fatalities with the first initial matching the men you seek during the war drawn from the database behind The Anglo Boer War Register :

UNITID SURNAME NAME NUMBER Rank
South African Constabulary DIV E Baker EC 1841 Private
Imperial Yeomanry IYCOYLEIC 7 Baker Ernest Alfred 32017 Private
Scottish Horse NONE 1 Baker Evan F 584 Private
Somerset Light Infantry BTTN 2 Baker G 4712 Private
South Staffordshire Regiment BTTN 1 Baker G 5784 Private
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders BTTN 1 Baker J 4080 Private
Gordon Highlanders BTTN 2 Baker J 4478 Private
Garrison Artillery, Royal WDCOY 6 Baker J 68582 Gunner
Horse Artillery, Royal BTTY M Baker J 68160 Gunner
Army Medical Corps, Royal NONE Baker J 12794 Private
Sussex Regiment BTTN 1 Baker JF 3985 Private
Suffolk Regiment BTTN 1 Baker John 384 Sergeant
Robert's Horse NONE Baker John W 907 Trooper
Army Service Corps NONE Baker Joseph William Quartermaster & Honorary Lieutenant

Initials of forenames were not always accurately recorded so there is scope for error in official records. There will be men died at sea and at home (i.e. UK) who did not make it on the official casualty roll. These men are harder to uncover, but we are talking a handful in number.

Resources you can search:

Register of Soldier's Effects 1901-1929 - described
here .
British Army Soldier's Wills

Good luck with your research.
Meurig