TOPIC:

Hello members

I'm hoping someone can help me please. I have a number of candidates for my bio great grandfather, who was possibly named George Cotton. He was in Cape Town in late 1903. I've picked up DNA matches to this man's whole family and can place him in the England Census for 1871, 1881, 1891 1901 and 1921, living in Newington, London, England with his parents, and later his wife and children. He was born in Q1 of 1868. My best guess is that he made his way to Cape Town for the Anglo Boer War and while there fathered a child. There were several soldiers named George Cotton in the war and their service numbers are as follows:-

25523
13228
2634
1715
1685
6220
2842

The trouble is I cannot see (with my Ancestry or Family Search memberships) what year any of the above George Cottons were born. I have excluded a few others, but all the above men remain candidates.

Does anyone know how we could either figure out the birth years of the above men or perhaps whether any of them had a wife named Emily Ada Cotton? That would enable me to tie the Cape Town Cotton to the Newington, London one.

Any help appreciated, thanks, Bonny

Probably a coincidence but an Emily Ada Cotton married a George Albert Harmer in Durban, South Africa in 1901 during the Boer War - he was an employee on the Natal Government Railways. See Below

Rory wrote: Probably a coincidence but an Emily Ada Cotton married a George Albert Harmer in Durban, South Africa in 1901 during the Boer War - he was an employee on the Natal Government Railways. See Below

Thank you for looking Rory. Yes I think a coincidence as George Cotton’s wife was back in London with the children.

Based on Military Records on Find my Past only two of the possibles you list seem to have had any affiliation with London.

13228 - born William George cotton in Kensington in 1876 and family still living in Kensington when he attested in 1894 although he enlisted in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Served in the Durham Light Infantry and was finally discharged in 1909 in the UK. His overseas service included South Africa September 1899 - October 1900. At one time promoted to CSM but later blotted his copybook big time and appears to have forfeited his army pension and Queen's South Africa Medal. So probably for the best he is not your great grandfather.

2634 - all I can tell you he was G F Cotton who served in the 5th Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and served in the Second Boer War 1899-1902.

Of the others there was no record(s) for 6220 and off the top of my head 25523 came from Suffolk, born about 1866 and served in Kitchener's Horse, a South African raised unit and 2842 came from Bedfordshire and was born in 1872.

Hi Smethwick - Thank you very much, I will cross 13228 off my list. My guy was definitely born in Q1 1868, and in all Census docs he made sure to mention Newington, so I doubt any of the other geographical areas would apply. Also, he never mentions a 2nd name or declares a middle name at any of his milestone events, so I am pretty sure he was plain old George. Because he was born in the 1st quarter of 1868 he might have crept into 1867 in some way. I wonder who 6220, 1685 and 1715 were?

I might need to look for George's other brothers, but the DNA matches are either less high or non-existent for them. I guess non-existent DNA online doesn't mean there's nobody to test. I have Richard Cotton b. Oct 1866, William Cotton b. Oct 1869 (unlikely based on DNA), Edward Cotton b. June 1875, Frederick Cotton b. Dec 1878 (Unlikely based on DNA) and Thomas b. 1882.

I will look more at these other brothers in the meanwhile, but I am placing this record here for myself.

Thanks again, Bonny

Good Morning Bonny,

Try as I might I cannot find a Second Boer War soldier to fit with your great-grandfather based on the info you have supplied.

That begs the question "are you certain he served in the Second Boer War of 1899-1902 especially as he was residing in London and working as an 'upholsterer' at the time of the 31st March 1901 Census?" Appearing on the 1901 Census does not rule out service in the Second Boer War but with a 10 year old daughter in 1911 would almost certainly mean his service was after the 1901 Census as a volunteer in something like the second contingent of the Imperial Yeomanry and limited to a year overseas.

The other possibility is that he served under a false name - perhaps Emily, with 3 children, did not want him to go and he was covering his tracks. Those that did serve under false names often used their mother's maiden name.

I presume when you wrote you had found him on the 1921 Census you meant the 1911 Census. So here he is with Emily and five children on the 1921 Census. He seems to have had a slight change of heart about where he was born but as Southwark neighbours Newington not a real issue. I presume you are aware that his son Alfred served in the Great War and was wounded - his service papers can be found on Ancestry.

Regards, David (Smethwick)