TOPIC:

As we all know the hobby of medal collecting is the gift that keeps on giving.

In my research into Major JG Maynard of the B.M.I whose pair I won at a recent auction, I have discovered that this poor unfortunate lost both his sons in the Imperial cause. Claude St John Maynard perished from enteric at Ladysmith on 3.3. 1900 whilst serving with the Natal Police and Herbert St John Maynard expired at Springfontein (the medal roll says Bloemfontein) on 12.6.1900 whilst serving with the 48th Coy. Imperial Yeomanry.

I know the circumstances surrounding the Ladysmith death but can anyone enlighten me as to what happened at Springfontein on 12 June 1900?

This poor man (Major Maynard) was 60 at the time and must have borne his loss bravely.

Regards

Rory

Rory,

That is a sad story.

It appears that Springfontein at the time was the home of a general hospital and also the Welsh Hospital.

From The Times, 28 Jun 1900



From The Times, 19 Jun 1900

Rory,

He died in the Welsh Hospital. From The Times, 15 Jun 1900:

Rory – I am very interested in how you managed to prove Claude St John Maynard (Natal Police, died 03/03/1900 aged 27) & Herbert St John Maynard (48th Company IY, died 12/06/1900 aged 29) were brothers.

Herbert comes in about 90th on the first wave 48th Company IY Medal Roll and is one of several to date whose life I have not been able to fully work out.

Herbert’s attestation papers say he was born in South Africa and he gave his mother (Mrs I Maynard) as next of kin living at 16 Howard Road, Bristol. Fortunately, she had not moved by the time of the 1901 Census and this return showed she was born in Worcester, South Africa and Herbert’s two younger sisters were also born in South Africa - Ethel Marion aged 23 in Cape Town and Lily aged 20 in Somerset West, South Africa. This enabled me to find Herbert living at the same address with his mother and sisters on the 1891 Census – this showed he was born in Wellington, South Africa. On both the returns Isabel was listed as married but there was no man about the house. The age of Lily indicated it was probably a waste of time looking for the family on the 1881 census, which it proved to be but I found Isabel, Ethel & Lily on the 1911 census living together in Brighton – Isabel still married but still no man present – however, the occupation column was interesting as Isabel had written “receiving allowance from husband (in Russia)”, Ethel & Lily by 1911 were both “certified” school teachers. The other interesting thing is that Isabel also entered 44 years of marriage during which she had produced 10 children of whom only 2 were still alive – so plenty of scope for Claude to also have been her son. Searching the newspapers of the day only told me that Ethel had been successful in a musical exam held in Colston Hall, Bristol in 1894 and she had been taught by her mother.

Intombi, Ladysmith Cemetery



Springfontein Military Cemetery

Smethwick wrote: Rory – I am very interested in how you managed to prove Claude St John Maynard (Natal Police, died 03/03/1900 aged 27) & Herbert St John Maynard (48th Company IY, died 12/06/1900 aged 29) were brothers.

Herbert comes in about 90th on the first wave 48th Company IY Medal Roll and is one of several to date whose life I have not been able to fully work out.

Herbert’s attestation papers say he was born in South Africa and he gave his mother (Mrs I Maynard) as next of kin living at 16 Howard Road, Bristol. Fortunately, she had not moved by the time of the 1901 Census and this return showed she was born in Worcester, South Africa and Herbert’s two younger sisters were also born in South Africa - Ethel Marion aged 23 in Cape Town and Lily aged 20 in Somerset West, South Africa. This enabled me to find Herbert living at the same address with his mother and sisters on the 1891 Census – this showed he was born in Wellington, South Africa. On both the returns Isabel was listed as married but there was no man about the house. The age of Lily indicated it was probably a waste of time looking for the family on the 1881 census, which it proved to be but I found Isabel, Ethel & Lily on the 1911 census living together in Brighton – Isabel still married but still no man present – however, the occupation column was interesting as Isabel had written “receiving allowance from husband (in Russia)”, Ethel & Lily by 1911 were both “certified” school teachers. The other interesting thing is that Isabel also entered 44 years of marriage during which she had produced 10 children of whom only 2 were still alive – so plenty of scope for Claude to also have been her son. Searching the newspapers of the day only told me that Ethel had been successful in a musical exam held in Colston Hall, Bristol in 1894 and she had been taught by her mother.

Hi David

Please see extracts from the baptismal records (below) which show, unequivocally, that they were brothers.





Regards

Rory