TOPIC:

I live in Pontypool,South Wales and have been researching my family history for 10 years.
I've hit a brick wall regarding my grandfather Edgar Jenkins.
I have found him on censuses up until 1891 but no sign of him afterwards.
I know he married in 1904 here in Pontypool and later went to live in South Africa,my mother being born there.
I've often wondered what took him to SA and I'm now considering he may have been in the Boer War ,liked the country and decided to settle there.
I've found details on this great site, of an Edgar Jenkins and wonder if there is any way I can confirm this is my Edgar.
Would be grateful for any help and look forward to being a member of this site
Many thanks
Mag

Hello and welcome to this forum,
The Anglo Boer War was a very good reason to find many men on their way to South Africa, exciting times indeed.
To answer your question, you need to start off with what you know and then expand on it, there were for example a number of E Jenkins in the British Army who served in the war, including members of the Welsh Regt and Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
The man shown on this site, who you refer to, also served in the Commander in Chiefs Bodyguard, so in his case, if you find his original attestation and any discharge paper in WO126 at The National Archives Kew in London, if his details match what you know, then, there is your man.
Service papers for the British Army of that period are also there and many, though, by no means all, are available on line.
Regards Frank

Hello and Welcome to the Forum Meg.....

My Grandfather is from Abertridwr and is also an E. Jenkins, actually E. W. Jenkins, he went by the name William as there were a number of E. Jenkins's in the neighbourhood....

I wish you luck on your search.....

I had a hard time finding some relations who were killed in WW1 and had to go through just about every Jenkins and Williams in the casualty list and was only able to find them by the names of their parents.....

Mike

Mag,

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your research. Please let us know how you get on.

Best wishes
David

Hello Mag,

And a warm welcome to the forum, good luck with your future research.

Paul

Many thanks to you all for your warm welcome and comments.
I do know that the Volunteer 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers had a barracks in the village(Pontymister) where Edgar was living in 1891 and then in 1901 the family is living in Pontypool where the 3rd and 4th Vol Batt had a headquarters.
I will do what Frank suggests and see how I get along.
Best wishes
Mag