TOPIC:

Hi,

I'm not sure whether this is the correct forum for this query, but I wonder whether anyone on here might be able to help me.

I am researching Alexander McTAVISH, who, according to family history emigrated to South Africa sometime around 1880 to 1885 following a family argument.

We know that he married a South African woman, Annie Nellie JORDAN, (who was born in Winterburg, Cape Colony around 1873), sometime prior to 1890, as they had 2 children together in 1890 and 1891, both children being born in Queenstown.

Further family history is that Alexander was a mounted police officer and as Queenstown was the HQ for 5 District Cape Mounted Police, it is possible that he was a member of the Cape Mounted Police.

To date I have not been able to confirm whether this is correct and am wondering whether anyone knows whether service records for the Cape Mounted Rifles survived and if so how I might be able to search them to see if I can find Alexander?

Of interest is that in November 1901, Annie was in England where she re married, her status on the wedding certificate being shown as widow. This indicates that Alexander would have died prior to 1901. Possibly coincidentally, her 2nd husband, William JOHNSTON had served in the British Royal Artillery in South Africa from 1899 to 1901.

Thank you in anticipation

Mike

HI Mike

The SA National Archives (NAAIRS website) have the following on an Alexander McTavish:

DEPOT KAB
SOURCE MOOC
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 7/1/448
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 33
PART 1
DESCRIPTION MCTAVISH, ALEXANDER. INVENTORY.
STARTING 18830000
ENDING 18830000
REMARKS FILED 1883.
DEPOT KAB
SOURCE MOOC
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 6/9/203
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 7699
PART 1
DESCRIPTION MCTAVISH, ALEXANDER. DEATH NOTICE.
STARTING 18830000
ENDING 18830000

EPOT TAB
SOURCE SAC
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 154
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE A395
PART 1
DESCRIPTION RECORD OF CONDUCT AND SERVICE ALEXANDER MCTAVISH.
STARTING 1901
ENDING 1901

There does not appear to be a CGHGS medal to McTavish according to the Owen Roll, so any possible service in the CMR or Cape Police could relate to service after about 1882, or else the medal was not applied for.

I cannot find a gravestone on eGGSA website for McTavish or MacTavish.

I cannot find records on Annie Nellie Jordan on NAAIRs.

Regards

Adrian

There's a copy of the roll here if anyone needs it: www.angloboerwar.com/medals-and-awards/non-boer-war/292-cgh-gsm

No McTavish listed though.

Mike,

These are the matches on the Ancestry index of medals issued for the Boer War:

MIKESEL wrote: Further family history is that Alexander was a mounted police officer and as Queenstown was the HQ for 5 District Cape Mounted Police, it is possible that he was a member of the Cape Mounted Police.

To date I have not been able to confirm whether this is correct and am wondering whether anyone knows whether service records for the Cape Mounted Rifles survived and if so how I might be able to search them to see if I can find Alexander?

Queenstown also had its own district police force, under the direction of the resident magistrate, so it's possible that McTavish was employed there rather than in the Cape Police. If any service records survive, they would probably be among the magistrate's records in the Western Cape Archives in Cape Town.

Surviving records of the Cape Mounted Riflemen are also in the Archives, among the Defence Department files.

Hi Adrian

This sounds quite promising. I would like to look further at it but do you know how I might go about getting hold of a copy of the original documents?

best regards

Mike