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Thomas Bigmore was born at St. Woollos, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales on 7th August 1878. In the 1881 Census he was living at 2 Upper Marion Street, Newport along with his father Simon Bigmore, whose occupation was dock lumper ( as you may gather from what the job title implies, these men were engaged in the loading and unloading of vessels and vehicles, in effect 'lumping' cargoes) and his mother Helen. Thomas also had an elder sister Anne.
In the Census of 1891 the family still lived in Upper Marion Street, Newport but had moved along the street to number 34. This was in no doubt to accomodate Simon and Helen's growing family, which now comprised of;
Parents Simon and Helen.
Anne (15).
Thomas (11).
Helen (9).
Simon (7).
Elizabeth (6).
Lydia (1).
Santehanna (1 month). A most unusual name for the time.

In 1896, Thomas signed up for his first spell of service in the armed forces, enlisting with the Royal Marine Artillery with service number 6240. He was discharged from this unit in 1898.
Thomas obviously felt that the life of a gunner in the Royal Artillery was the life for him, as he attested to the Royal Artillery on 19th May 1898 at Newport. His surviving attestation documents help to further tell his story. He was issued service number 27976 and became part of the Royal Garrison Artillery (10th Mountain Division) in the rank of Gunner.
At his initial examination on enlistment, Thomas was recorded as being a lofty (for the time) 5'10" and weighing in at 145lbs (10 stone 5 pounds if you prefer). He was quite a well built fellow, again by the average of the era, with a chest expansion range of 36" minimum and 38" maximum. He was of fresh complexion, had grey eyes and brown hair. He bore no distinguishing marks and declared that his religious denomination was Wesleyan.
He received a Certificate of 3rd Class Education on 5th June 1899, so we can see Thomas well on the way to self improvement.

Drifting away from reporting on his attestation, I will take the reader over to South Africa and the theatre of war where Gunner Thomas Bigmore eventually found himself with his unit of the RGA to fight the men of the Boer Republics. His first tale of adventures was published in the South Wales Daily News dated 26th November 1899. I have already posted this article onto the ABW forum, but will repeat here as I feel it helps with the flow of the story.

"LETTERS FROM THE WAR.
AT NICHOLSON'S NEK.
THRILLING ADVENTURES OF A NEWPORT MAN.
Private T. Bigmore, of the 10th Mountain Battery. captured at Nicholson's Nek, who was forunate enough to make his escape, writes as follows to his father at Newport, under date, Ladysmith camp, November 1st:- " Last Sunday my battery, along with the Irish Fusiliers and Gloucesters were sent out on a night march through the through the enemy's lines to take a position ready for Monday morning to turn the enemy's flank in order that our main army might catch him. We had got about two miles from the position we were supposed to take when about1'999 Boer horsemen charged us. It was pitch dark, and they could have been only about 20 yards off when they charged. Everybody of course was taken unawares, and there was a proper panic. We all blame the guide, for it must all have been planned beforehand, because they were already waiting for us. I am pleased to say I was one of the lucky ones to escape, after a very hard fight for life. I was stunned by a rifle, and lay in a hole until the next morning. The first gun that was fired woke me only to find two Irishmen who were fighting for the Boers, shouting at me to fall in between them, and I had to do so. They were only young fellows about 17n years of age. They took the only bit of bread off me, and one made me carry his rifle. I was very bad at the time, so that he could eat with pleasure. The other had his rifle in one hand and bread in the other, and at last I let the fellow on my left have his rifle across his face. He fell, and the other ran off as quickly as his legs could carry him. I ran about a hundred yards into the bed of a river, remaining there all day. At night I took my boots off, and under cover of darkness crawled six miles on my hands and knees through their lines. I came to a large house, and slept in an outhouse until about half-past four, when hearing some trotting I looked out on the 18th Hussars. I put my hand up, and three of them came to me. This was on Tuesday morning, and I had been since Sunday night without food or water. While telling the Hussars how we had been cut off, and while one was giving me a biscuit from his haversack, bullets suddenly flew around in all directions. The Hussars galloped away and left me. After galloping about 400 yards one of them returned. I was weak, but by catching hold of his stirrups he was able to take me to his outposts, where I got food and water. I was hit three times, but am now alright. Over 100 of my battery are missing."

I have checked the casualty list for RGA in Hayward (1982) and can find no record of Thomas actually being wounded or captured. However, maybe the incidents were not reported or transcribed correctly? We will never know other than from the eyewitness account of Gunner Bigmore.

The next evidence of Thomas' involvement in military operations is from Watt (2000) where Thomas is recorded as dying from enteric fever at Ladysmith on 17th March 1900 (Watt quotes initials CT). So we can venture to say with confidence that he was a defender of Ladysmith during the Boer investment of the town, but met the similar end of many of his comrades who succumbed to disease contracted from infected food or water.
For his presence at Ladysmith and service in South Africa, Thomas was entitled to the Queen's South Africa medal with the clasp 'DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH.'
Referring back to the attestation documents, his father Simon, was informed of his son's death a week later on 24th March 1900 and was in receipt of the award on 16th July 1903. His address was now given as 12 David Street, Newport. This must have been very difficult to take after reading of Thomas' adventures in the local press just less than five months previous.
The Military History Sheet informs us that his short period of service with the Royal Garrison Artillery began at home on 19th May 1898 and that he was in service for just 219 days in total.

27976 Gunner Thomas Bigmore's remains were interred at Ladysmith, Intombi Cemetery. He is commemorated on monument 1A.
He is further commemorated on the Welsh National Boer War Memorial at Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales

Newport lad, gunner, defender of Ladysmith, remembered.........