TOPIC:

Moresby Chinnery – Mentioned in Dispatches

Lieutenant, Kitchener’s Horse
Lieutenant, Roberts Horse
Captain, 2nd Scottish Horse – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State & Transvaal to Lieut. M. CHINNERY, KITCHENER’S HORSE
- Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902 to CAPT. M. CHINNERY, SCOT. HORSE

Moresby Chinnery was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. The son of an extremely wealthy City of London Stockbroker, he would have wanted for nothing in his formative years but, as is so often the case, life doesn’t always go according to script and he ended up in South Africa, almost as a remittance man, but one who, with a life-long passion for horse racing, made something of himself when the opportunity presented itself.



Moresby was born in Fairlawn, Teddington in the County of Middlesex on 19 August 1874, the son of Walter Moresby Chinnery, an eminent member of Victorian society and a wealthy city Stockbroker, and his wife Mary (born Dixon). His birth certificate, issued in the district of Hampton told us that his father was a “Stockjobber” by profession, his baptismal certificate, issued on 15 September 1874, described him as a Gentleman – in reality he was both, and a highly respected man to boot.

According to the 1881 England census, Chinnery was 6 years old and resident in the House at Rose Hill (a mansion of significant proportions), along with his father and siblings, Selina (7) and Harry (5) – of his mother there was no sign but the small family were outnumbered by the plethora of servants in their employ. Mr Chinnery, a generous man it seems, was also taking care of two Wards in Chancery – 19 year old Katherine Grove and her younger brother Sydney (17) – these were in fact his niece and nephew. Servants were plentiful with Louisa Sudre, a 45 year old French Governess in attendance, along with Charlotte Wells the Cook; Matilda Bass, a Lady’s Maid; Mary Bailey the Upper House Maid; Mary Jacobs the Under House Maid; Jane Vicary the Nurse Maid and Mary Smith the Kitchen Maid. As if that wasn’t already too many people on the payroll, Mr Chinnery also employed a Coachman who stayed with his family above the stables at Rose Hill and a gardener who stayed with his family in Rose Hill Lodge.


Rosehill where Chinnery spent his formative years.

Ten years later, at the time of the 1891 England census, a 16 year old Moresby was a guest in the house of his uncle, Henry Chinnery – this worthy was in partnership with Moresby’s father and was equally wealthy and successful. I won’t bore the reader with the litany of servants to be found in Winslow Hall, Sheep Street, Buckinghamshire but they were many in number. Henry had managed to trump his bother Walter, by employing a Butler to manage the eleven servants in service.

Quite what choice of career had been molded for Chinnery by his education is unknown but, a mere five years later, a notice appeared in the London Gazette of 8 December 1896 to the effect that Lieutenant Moresby Chinnery, from 4th Battalion, the Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment), was to be Second Lieutenant with the 3rd Hussars – and there it was, like so many offspring of the landed gentry and the wealthy, a commission had been secured for a 22 year old Chinnery in Her Majesty’s Army.

All was going swimmingly until Chinnery, an impetuous man by the sound of things, ran afoul of the law. The incident was contained in an article headed “A REMARKABLE FINE”, which appeared in the Evening Express of 25 March 1898:
“The Chatham stipendiary magistrate on Thursday afternoon imposed the heavy fine of £10, including costs, upon Lieutenant Moresby Chinnery, of the 3rd King’s Own Hussars, stationed at Chatham, for allowing his dog to be out in the street without a muzzle. The officer was convicted for a similar offence and fined a fortnight ago. When summonsed a second time he failed to appear, and was represented by his servant, whereupon the magistrate directed that a warrant should be imposed for his apprehension failing his appearance on Thursday.”

Perhaps this “civil disobedience” on his part was a harbinger of things to come? Perhaps he was with his regiment at Lucknow in India, whence they had proceeded in 1898, and was unable to attend the court session. It did not affect his career however, with the London Gazette of 27 September 1898 carrying news of his promotion to Lieutenant with effect from 14 July 1898.

This was all very de rigueur but things were about to go horribly wrong for Chinnery – as any army officer, especially in Victorian times will testify, any behaviour or incident which brings one into disrepute, is frowned upon and is tantamount to career suicide. Unfortunately for Chinnery, his latest contravention was made public with an announcement in the London Gazette of 16 February 1900 – under the sinister banner “Bankrupts”, it read as follows:

‘Moresby Chinnery, domiciled in England, at present residing at the Cantonments, Lucknow, Bengal, India, lately residing and on duty with his regiment at Chatham, Kent, a lieutenant in Her Majesty’s (King’s Own) Hussars.’

So there it was for all to see (including the authorities) – Chinnery had committed the cardinal sin of being unable to manage his finances – something not to be countenanced by his employer. The inevitable consequence followed swiftly with the publication in the London Gazette of 20 March 1900 that, “Lieutenant Moresby Chinnery is removed from the Army, Her Majesty having no further use for his services. Dated 21st March 1900.”

Chinnery had been cut loose on an unforgiving world. What was he to do? He was qualified for a life in uniform and that had now been denied him. Fortunately, in faraway South Africa, the Empire was at war with two recalcitrant Boer Republics in the form of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. The Anglo Boer War had already been underway for ten months by the time Chinnery sailed for South African shores. He had virtually become a remittance man – one kept by his wealthy family, as long as he remained at arm’s length and didn’t return home to heap further disgrace upon his nearest and dearest.

Having disembarked, he set about finding a regiment that would suit his purpose – joining a Regular Army outfit wasn’t a possibility so he set his sights on a Colonial unit, one which would be unlikely to know his history, and if they did, wouldn’t be troubled by it. Settling on Kitchener’s Horse he was duly attested on 15 September 1900 with no. 9369 and the rank of Sergeant.

The seminal battles of Paardeberg, Driefontein, Diamond Hill and others in which the regiment had participated were a thing of the past by the time he joined, but there was still much fighting to be done in the months and years to come. They had been detached to pursue De Wet when he joined, and were relentless in his pursuit. In his despatch of 10th October 1900 Lord Roberts mentioned that "De Lisle's corps of mounted infantry was withdrawn from Clements' column and moved by rail on 17th September to Rhenoster, where it was joined by 250 men of Kitchener's Horse from Kroonstad". This portion of Kitchener's Horse took part in the pursuit of De Wet on the south side of the Vaal and other operations under General C Knox in the Kroonstad district during September, October, and November, and were present on 27th October when 2 guns were captured at Rensburg, and in the very successful action of Bothaville on 6th November when 6 guns, a pom-pom, a maxim, and 130 prisoners were taken.

Another portion of the corps was employed in the Eastern Transvaal, and frequently had casualties about Brugspruit in September and the first half of October. They took part in French's march from the Delagoa Railway to Heidelberg in October 1900. The fighting was continuous and the strain on all most severe.

A detachment which had remained in the Gatsrand and Krugersdorp district on the north side of the Vaal operated throughout September with Clements and Ridley, and had sharp fighting under General Hart on 23rd and 24th November 1900, when they lost 2 men killed.

This portion of the regiment was with General Clements when he was attacked and met with disaster at Nooitgedacht in the Magaliesberg on 13th December 1900. It will be remembered that a high hill commanding the camp, and which was garrisoned by 4 companies of the 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, was assaulted by the enemy in great force and was captured. Kitchener's Horse and the 2nd Battalion Mounted Infantry were on the west or left front of the camp; the enemy attacked upon this side in the most determined manner, and although some pickets were captured or wiped out entirely, the attack on the west was driven off, the enemy losing very heavily in his endeavour to push into the camp from that direction. When, however, it was seen that the high hill commanding the camp had been captured by the enemy, the General decided to retire.

With difficulty General Clements got away his guns and most of his ammunition, but the camp was left standing and some stores were lost. The losses of Kitchener's Horse were severe: Lieutenant Skene and 8 men were killed, and Captain Stevenson and about 12 men wounded and about 40 taken prisoners. Some of the latter were wounded.

The regiment, much reduced in numbers, operated in the second phase of the war chiefly in the Western Transvaal, and had a few casualties on various occasions. Both Kitchener’s Horse and Roberts Horse were for a time in a column under Colonel Hickie (despatch of 8th July 1901), and continued to do good work in the Transvaal. On 8th and 9th July both Roberts' and Kitchener's Horse were sharply engaged and suffered casualties. They were, during the next few months, constantly in touch with the enemy, and often suffered losses, as on 4th November 1901, when Kitchener's Horse had 5 men wounded at Vaalbank.

Chinnery, his leadership qualities having been recognised, had been promoted to Lieutenant and it was in that rank that he shot to prominence, being mentioned in dispatches by Lord Roberts (8 December 1901) for, in all likelihood, the role he played in the aforementioned engagements. The dispatch, which appeared in the London Gazette dated 17 January 1901, read as follows:

“For gallant leading of a force under heavy fire and capturing some prisoners.” Lieutenant Monro was mentioned for the same action.

As has been seen, Kitchener’s Horse and Roberts Horse often operated in tandem, being attached to the same column on a number of occasions. It came, therefore, as no surprise that Chinnery, on 1 November 1901, was transferred to Roberts Horse, a unit with whom he was to remain as a Lieutenant, until 31 December 1901 – a short period of 61 days. Still not quite done with the army, he next joined the 2nd Battalion, Scottish Horse, the regiment raised by the Marquis of Tullibardine. This was on 1 January 1902 and came with promotion to Captain’s rank. Chinnery, by all accounts, had redeemed himself.



After October 1901, the 2nd Scottish Horse continued to operate in the Eastern Transvaal in the column of Colonel Mackenzie. There was often severe fighting, and on 20th December 1901 Major Jennings Bramley (19th Hussars), who had succeeded Major Murray in the command of the 2nd Scottish Horse, and Lieutenant John Dow were killed at Lake Banagher. In February, a month after Chinnery joined them, the regiment made some smart captures of influential Boers about Carolina. He saw service with them until 25 June 1902, before resigning his position.

Further evidence of Chinnery’s re-emergence into society came courtesy of the ubiquitous London Gazette which, on 23 September 1902, carried the following communication from the War Office, Pall Mall – “3rd Hussars, The removal from the Army of Lieutenant Mores by Chinnery, notified in the Gazette of 20th March, 1900, is cancelled.

The war, and his part therein, over; Chinnery elected to remain in South Africa. Making his home in Johannesburg, at the age of 33 he was accepted into the Kosmos Lodge of the Free Masons on 12 February 1908. Interestingly his occupation in the applicable register was given as “none”. Later that year, in July 1908, he applied himself to the Supreme Court of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope. The gist of the story was that he intended to wed a divorcee, Margherita Sophinia Gray, but the Resident Magistrate had refused to officiate at the ceremony stating that Mrs Gray’s divorce decree, issued in Edinburgh, Scotland, was not sufficiently authenticated enough in its wording. The matter was soon cleared up, paving the way for Chinnery, now 34 years old, to wed.

At some point he betook himself to the sunny climes of Durban where he immersed himself in horse racing, gaining prominence as the Official Handicapper of the world famous Durban July Handicap – a role which he fulfilled with aplomb from 1914 until his retirement in 1945 at the age of 69. It was in his last year that he was approached to write his reminiscences of the great race. He wrote (partially) as follows:

“The first Durban Turf Club Handicap that I framed, was that of 1914. The race has always been known by the racing public as the “July” but the above was then its official title, and it was not until 1928 that the Stewards bowed to popular clamour and made the alteration to the Durban July Handicap.

In 1914 the distance of the race was 1 mile and 1 furlong – an unsuitable distance – the start being almost on the turn. At my request it was altered the following year to 1¼ miles and remained at that distance till 1941, when 110 yards were added, making the race 1 mile 2½ furlongs.”

He went on to demonstrate his amazing powers of recall by documenting every winner of the race since he started – no mean feat after 32 years.

Moresby Chinnery, a remarkable man, passed away at the Ridge Convalescent Home in Durban, from Broncho Pneumonia and Senility, on 8 July 1959 at the age of 84. His address at the time of his passing was 92 Broadwindsor Court, Broad Street, Durban and his mortal remains are interred in the Stellawood Cemetery in that city.

A trawl through the newspaper archives has unearthed yet another titbit iro one of my recipients. Surrey Advertiser, January 25, 1902