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Alexander Hay was born into a military family. His father Woulfe was to become a Major General in the Madras Staff Corps. His elder brother Henry served as a Lieutenant in the Middlesex regiment in 1884 and went on to command the 4th Battalion of Northumberland Fusiliers from 1916 to 1918 retiring as a Lieutenant- Colonel. However, Alexander decided to take a different path in his short military career.


Alexander Hay opened his eyes on Tuesday the 3rd of September 1872. Having been born in Trivandrum ( Now called Thiruvananthapuram) in the Southern Indian state of Kerala.



Trivandrum India


His father had moved on from the Honourable East India Company Service and was now a serving Lieutenant with the Madras Staff Corps. He rose through the ranks and in 1886 Alexander's father became a Major General. Although India held a special place in the Hay household with the birth of most of Alexander's siblings being born there and the continuous service his father achieved whilst being in India, events finally brought the family back to England. The family resided in Cheltenham, Hampstead and Hampshire. At the age of 18, Alexander was training to become a Doctor. He was a studying medical student. This may have been due to the fact that Alexander's mother Alida Maria came from a medical, albeit military based family also. Alida's father was Surgeon Major Henry William Porteous of the Madras medical staff. Unfortunately I cannot confirm how far Alexander progressed reference his medical career. He was schooled at Windsor but alas, no details pertaining to his medical education found. I have cross referenced his name with the medical registers of the period but unfortunately there were no relevant details forthcoming.

His whereabouts become very sketchy during the 1890s and I can find no details or indeed no reason for Alexander being in Welshpool on the 1st of January 1900. Perhaps, like with many of his countrymen he decided to join the colours. However, unlike his Father and his elder brothers of rank, Alexander chose to serve as a Private in the 49th Montgomeryshire Company of the Imperial Yeomanry.

Private 8348 Alexander Hay was over 27 years of age in 1900.
His trade or calling was recorded as a Gentleman. He was nearly 6 foot tall of reasonable weight with dark eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. He was deemed fit to serve and headed out to S. A. with his comrades in March 1900.

A brief history of the 49th (Montgomeryshire) Company is enclosed.

I cannot be certain where Private Hay served with his company. However, the map enclosed covers a good area where the 49th Montgomeryshire company were present. Alexander's Queens South Africa medal retains 4 bars which are attributed to Wittebergen, Transvaal and Cape Colony. He was only entitled to the 1901 clasp as he was Invalided home during April 1901.



The two Montgomeryshire companies mobilised at Welshpool on 4 January 1900 and began training at Welshpool and Newtown respectively. For advanced training the two companies moved to Wynnstay, the country estate of Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet, the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry's commanding officer, whose younger brother Captain Robert Williams-Wynn commanded the 31st Company. They were joined by a section of two Colt machine-guns on 'galloping carriages' that had been provided by public subscription. The 29th Denbighshire Company sailed first for Cape Town and arrived on 5 March. The other three companies which included the 30th, 31st and the 49th embarked on the  SS Montrose from Liverpool on 13 March and arrived in South Africa on the 8th April 1900.


Galloping machine gun carriage of the 9th Battalion

The 49th Company and MG Section had been left at Bloemfontein, suffering several casualties from Enteric fever before marching out on 29 May 1900 to join Lt-Gen Sir Leslie Rundle's Column at Senekal. In July an operation involving several columns to drive the Boers out of the eastern ORC and prevent them infiltrating south saw the 49th Company active in the Senekal, Winburg, Trommel and Witteberg districts. The operation succeeded in capturing Marthinus Prinsloo and about 4000 Boers, but De Wet and his men got away, leading to a series of 'De Wet Hunts'

In early August the 49th Montgomeryshire Company went by train from Winburg to Pretoria where with other IY companies and the MG section they were formed into a Provisional Battalion under the command of Col Howard.



Imperial Yeomanry on the Veldt


On the 16 August this battalion, together with a squadron of Tasmanian Mounted Infantry, became the mounted arm of Col Hickman's Flying Column operating under Maj-Gen Arthur Paget's division. The yeomen were soon in action, clashing with the Boers at Dredepoort, Onderstepoort and Haman's Kraal between 17 and 20 August, with the 49th Company suffering a number of casualties.

From Haman's Kraal, Hickman's Column took part in the pursuit of De Wet north of Pretoria, with clashes at Pienaar's River, Warm Baths and Nylstroom, where the 49th IY engaged in a sharp fight at Buiskop.

During September1900 the column was in almost constant action, protecting Lord Roberts' flank as he marched on Lydenburg. Later the column operated along the Pretoria to Pietersburg railway.
There was a perception that the war was almost over and future operations would be of a police nature. Lord Roberts handed over command to Lord Kitchener. On 2 October the 49th Company was ordered back to Pretoria to begin the journey home, but this was quickly countermanded. Depleted by sickness and transfers to the British South African Constabulary (BSAC), the company continued in service with Hickman's Column. During October and November it operated in western Transvaal, including Hickman's successful raid on Jericho.

On 29 November 1900 Paget made a frontal attack on Ben Viljoen's force at Rhenoster Nek with his infantry while swinging his mounted troops round the Boers' right flank. Hickman's column of yeomanry and Queensland Mounted Infantry came up on the flank of the infantry but was held in check. Although the attack was ultimately successful, casualties were heavy and the Boers got away. The column then moved by forced marches to Hebron to take part in operations against Koos de la Rey. On 29th December the 49th Company was sent back to Elandsfontein, near Johannesburg, to rest and refit. On 2 February 1901 it entrained for Bethulie and then joined the 29th, 30th and 31st Companies at Silk Spruit to unite the 9th (Welsh) Battalion for the first time.

By this time Private A Hay had served 398 days in South Africa.
It is not known what the exact cause of his return to England was attributed to. However, he was discharged from Netley hospital on July 2nd 1901, having been found medically unfit for further service. There is no record of his conduct or character whilst serving with the Colours.

After his discharge Alexander stated that his intended place of residence was to be Bartholomews Hospital Smithfields London. I am uncertain if this was to carry on with a career in medicine or he was going to reside at the hospital for future treatment. From 1902 to 1904 I have been unable to pin Alexander down to any permanent residence. I do not think he returned to Welshpool to collect his bronze Montgomeryshire IY medal, although he may have been sent it at a later date. He had a very large family and may have stayed with one of his brothers or sisters, he may even have gone back to his parents home in Hampshire. Unfortunately this is all supposition on my part. However, Alexander was drawn back to the Veldt and a new life in South Africa.
I have no definitive time frame on when he returned, I found a tempting snippet of information regarding an Alexander Hay aged 33 leaving Hamburg for Lagos in 1904 as a prospector on board a German liner.
However, fast forward to 1908, where romance is certainly in the air. Alexander meets the 24 year old Kathleen Hare. They marry in 1909 at Witwatersrand Johannesburg. Alexander is working for the mining industry and is living at Denver Johannesburg when his first child James is born in 1910. Another son William arrived in 1912 where the family were recorded as being farmer's at Middleburg. Unfortunately the marriage was not to last long and Alexander and Kathleen divorced in 1914. It is believed that Alexander Hay never remarried. He went on to become a Commercial Traveller and moved back to the Johannesburg suburbs. 1925, Alexander was 52 years old, his health was not good and in March that year he was admitted to the Johannesburg General Hospital. He spent eleven days being treated for a liver problem. Unfortunately he died in hospital from a liver abscess which caused toxemia on the 5th April 1925. His last occupation was recorded as a Reduction worker.


Grand Station Hotel


His last known residences were recorded as the Grand Station Hotel Jeppestown Johannesburg and the Alexandria convalescent home Johannesburg. His final resting place was reported to be New Cemetery Johannesburg. However, I have been unable to locate his grave at this present time.

Queens South Africa medal awarded to 8348 Private Alexander Hay
49th Montgomeryshire Imperial Yeomanry, 9th Battalion




Alexander's QSA

Very interesting story Dave. Thank you for sharing your research.

Dave F
I was particularly interested in your recounting of 49th Coy. I.Y.'s activities during 1900-1901. Your man enlisted for short service in the original I.Y. Contingent and these joined up during the burst of public enthusiasm after the Boer invasion of the British colonies and the early set backs suffered in the field. These original Yeomen were reported as generally being sportsmen, keen for adventure (which they got) and eager to serve the country. Despite some blemishes, the original I.Y. had a good reputation. When their year's enlistment expired, they went home; the war was over, wasn't it? Lord Roberts said so.
The first IY Contingent was followed by the New Yeomanry (2nd Contingent) and these men were hastily recruited, only sketchily trained in country (in some cases the shooting qualifications were derisory) and it seemed they were intended to be some sort of Police force. The reality was that they were dropped into a particularly vicious guerilla war and the early record of the New Yeomanry was sometimes poor. However, they did recover and ended up being well regarded by various commanders who commanded them in the field. Unfortunately, their early bad reputation stuck in other quarters and it seems that today QSA medals named generally to the I.Y. are not very well regarded. Like everything else, the true story is in the detail.
Thanks for that post. It was very good and enjoyable reading.
Regards
IL.