TOPIC:

Andy

James Kindness
25270 Private. Joined the 19th Company Imperial Yeomanry / 6th Battalion ( Lothian and Berwickshire) on the 11th February 1901 at Edinburgh. He was 35 years old and a Cork Cutter by trade.
He served in South Africa for 232 days. He was found to be medically unfit and was discharged on the 30th of November 1901. His medal roll suggests he was awarded a QSA with 3 clasps. Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal. And a 1901 date clasp. See attached rolls.
The rolls suggests he was a private. However his discharge and payment record mentions that he was a serving Sergeant for one month before his discharge.




Dave......

Thanks Dave,
The picture I found of him has him in military uniform with the sergeant stripes. He is one of my distant relatives. He was born in Aberdeen and the family moved out to South Africa. It looks like James's father died in SA and some of the family moved back to Aberdeen, as you noted he worked as a cork cutter. They lived in a house about 200 m where my son now lives, he was also born in SA.
I suspect the other Kindnesses you can see in the ABW Kindness search, George and Alexander are brothers of James and were probably in the colonial units. George was born there and both stayed in the Eastern Cape. That branch of the family dispersed themselves throughout the globe.
James died in a mental institution in Edinburgh 1912.
His son Colin died at Gallipoli / Dardanelles in 1915, strangely I picked up his medal on a Danish site.
I have also been able to find some of the original military records for my Great grandfather, my dad had them in a case in the attic.
I have also found out that another relative Constable Alexander Kindness was killed by renegade Indians in British Columbia 1912.
Thanks again for the help.
Cheers
Andy

Andy
With reference to James Kindness. The 1901 census has him working as an attendant at the mental institution. Did he die in service? Or was he later a patient?.
Also, I have a date of 1922 not 1912.


Dave......

Hi Dave,
This is where life becomes interesting in the world of Kindness. There are about 4 names that get used a lot, James is one of them George and Alexander and William being the others.
From the death record I can get it from his Mother's maiden name Robbie. There are also health records you can get as well, I am not looking at them but the hospital is a mental institution outside Edinburgh. When he went back to Scotland he lived in Edinburgh, family photo attached. . He looks like he is wearing his ABW medal.
I am still working on the tree but so far I have got back to 1696. I am working on the Auchterless branch at the moment, the parish boundaries are quite complex. The farm that they talk about in your document is in Seggat Farm.
My great Grandfather Alexander (Scots Guards, the ABW medal that started this) comes from the next parish, about 5 miles away.
Once you open Pandora's box!
Cheers
Andy

Hi Andy
A Pandora's box indeed. A complex research for sure.
Interestingly, the medals that James is wearing do not seem to match his entitlement.
As I L previously posted, looks like a single clasp QSA and a 2 clasp KSA.
Good luck with your research and family tree.

Dave........

PS.....You mentioned James's son Colin and his demise in the Dardenelles?
His service number was 5964. Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He died of his wounds on the Hospital ship HMHS Letitia on the 5th September 1915.