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Hello, thanks for your response.
Yes, correct. R B Baker is not amongst the listed dead as provided by Elmarie. But I have not been able to find a dead Roxby Balneavis Baker anywhere! I have no idea when he died or where. Sadly, the same thing applies to his father, William Andrew Baker b1852. He also disappeared off the face of the earth - possibly in Western Australia anytime onwards from 1919 according to the census records for Fremantle. I might have mentioned some time ago when I first started making enquires on this website, I am writing my family's history. I don't want to make up stuff if the facts are there still to be found. So I am in a catch 22. Can't complete writing if I don't have the documented evidence... Roxby's mother, Mary Balneavis Baker died in Wolverand in 1896. I only have a New Zealand newspaper clipping announcing her death, and to date not found a death certificate for her either. So 3 out of 4 family members with no documented deaths! Sort of in keeping with the tragedy of their lives. This includes the eldest son, Colin Balneaivs Baker of whom I found documented information, who led a very sad life. I admit that never could I have dreamed up such twists and turns and tragedy in one family. Its mind boggling. Frustrating too. And I would dearly love to get to the bottom of these mysteries. Thank you again.

Pietrasanta wrote "I have not followed your advice of ' prudent to contact the Ancestry family tree contributors, they may be able to help? But it seems that the military information they have is very sketchy.' only because I don't know how to access the Ancestry family tree contributors. As said a while ago I am dyslexic and finding my way around these sites takes me forever... I dreadfully afraid I am going to mess something up..."

One of the FT's on Ancestry has been created by a lady called Jacqueline Falcomer who appears to be a direct descendant of Colin Balneavis Baker. Googling Jacqueline Falcomer reveals a lady who writes novels based in Tuscany. Pietrasanta is a town in Tuscany.

All any of the numerous FT's tell us about Roxby Balneavis Baker is that he was born in NZ in 1879, some supply definite evidence of this. However, there is no evidence given that Roxby ever went to S Africa let alone fought in the Boer War. None supply details of his death although they do for his brother, Colin. If Roxby did indeed fight in the Boer War he might well have used an alias as the family seem to have been divided in their loyalties.

Unfortunately, the glimmer of light at the end of that long tunnel regarding R B Baker has just faded away. The Marshalls Horse Corporal R B Baker 599 medal roll suggests he went on to serve in the Scottish Horse. The Scottish Horse medal roll has a Lieutenant B R Baker 36936. A possible error on the transcription of Christian name letters?
Alas, I believe that this Baker is Basil Rupert Baker. I guess the only other scenario open now is to research Basil and to find out if he ever used a pseudonym in his lifetime?


Dave.........

Hello Dave, Ouch! Too Right. Thus the light at the end of the long tunnel has faded.
Smethwick suggested yesterday that perhaps Roxby never went to South Africa let alone participate in the Boer War. Roxby definitely arrived as a young boy in the Cape with his parents, William Andrew Baker, Mary Balneavis Baker and older brother Colin Balneavis Baker as I have documentation for the family in Woodstock, Cape after their attempt at running a boarding house-hotel and went bankrupt almost within the first year of their arrival. Thereafter followed a stint in jail for William Andrew Baker for fraud, something that he indulges in again in New Zealand, then Western Australia where it is assumed he died after 1919. Given that William Andrew Baker's younger brother, Walter Headland Valentine Baker also fought in the Boer War (he lived in Durban at that time), I am only imagining that Roxby fought on the British side, given there is no clear record of him fighting for the Boers, as there is of his brother Colin, for whom I have documented proof. As said, so sad that 3 out of 4 members of a family have no death certification. Again, I sincerely thank you and all the wizards at AngloBoerWar.com for your gracious help. It is sincerely appreciated. If anything crops up, please do pass it along to me.

Clarification regarding Basil Rupert Baker.
Born in 1875, Askham, Westmorland ( Cumbria)
He served in Marshalls Horse and Scottish Horse. No psuedonyn I'm afraid.
He died in 1917 whilst serving as a Captain QMS Canadian forces.

I will of course keep you posted if I turn up any information on your ancestors. At present I am not having any luck whatsoever. I wish you well with your research, please keep the forum posted if you ever discover any details on the illusive Roxby.

Best wishes

Dave.......

If I may enter this discussion : is there any evidence that Roxby Balneavis Baker lived to adulthood? He might have died in infancy or childhood. Registration of deaths was not compulsory at the Cape until 1895. If Roxby had died there in the 1880s or early '90s, there need not have been an official record, especially as he wouldn't have left an estate to wind up.

I'm confused about his parentage. Given that his middle name was Balneavis, he appears to have been the son of William Andrew Baker and Mary Balneavis, who married in NZ in 1876.* According to Wikitree, William was a land surveyor in NZ, secretary to the Hon J. Sheehan, later a trader in Rhodesia, where he lost all his property in a 'Zulu' raid, and returned to NZ via Zanzibar and New South wales in 1894. His wife Mary returned separately to NZ via the Cape.

But was William Andrew Baker the same person as the William Andrews (with an S) Baker who was declared insolvent in Cape Town in 1881 and prosecuted for theft in 1884? If William the surveyor was still in NZ in 1880*, he must have been very unfortunate to have moved to the Cape Colony and gone insolvent almost immediately.

And if Mary Balneavis Baker returned to NZ in 1894, how did she come to die in Wolwerand, Klerksdorp in the South African Republic, two years later?

If the family was living in the SAR at the time the war began, though, it might explain why Colin served in the Boer forces, even though he would have been an 'uitlander'.

*https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Baker-20353