TOPIC:

History from my grandfather, Charles Edwin Sheldon, DOB: Feb 23 1869 Walsall Wood Walsall Staffordshire states he was in the Boer War. I have a beautiful updated colorized portrait of him in his uniform from that time. I didn't see any record of service for him in your files. I vaguely remember that he enlisted near the end of the war and do not know if he actually was in Africa. Of course, the family just says, he was in the war. He immigrated from Walsall to Canada in 1904 until 1920, then the US to Florida until he died at 92 in Tampa Florida. It would be nice if I could have this information verified. Thank you for any help. Margaret

Margaret
Welcome to the Forum. It may assist any ID if you could post the pic of your GF Charles Edwin Sheldon in uniform. I had a trawl through my list of members of the Imperial Yeomanry who served in South Africa during the Boer War and saw no match. It is possible that he went to SA and served in a locally raised unit. He may have enlisted in the UK and just not got to SA. Any additional information via the family would assist. Forum members do quite often try to field queries similar to yours - sometimes successfully and sometimes not.
Regards
IL.

Welcome to the forum, Margaret,

There is a C E Sheldon who served in Roberts' Horse and Kitchener's Horse.



To verify this is him, we would need to check his attestation papers at the National Archives in London. I am planning to go there next Saturday so will see if his papers are present.

Kind regards
David

David
The nominal rolls for RH and KH have 23196 as Charles Edward. Might be confusion of Edwin and Edward.
However, RH roll shows 12 months service from December 1900. Charles Edwin is recorded at home in Walsall on census night 1901.
Peter

Margaret,

I had a look at the attestation paper for C Sheldon in Kitchener's Horse.

Given the declared age here is 24, this is not your relative so, as Volunteer suggested, he probably did not see service in the Boer War.

A million thanks for clearing this up!. I agree with you that this is not my Charles Sheldon as he was not 24 years old, single and a seaman in 1900. He was a bridle cutter and bit maker and married with children in Walsall. I will post the photo soon. Margaret Sheldon Bellanger