TOPIC:

Please excuse this old guy. I have never contributed to a forum before but this problem has got me beat.
John William Allen Temple was my Grandfather. In Sept. 1896 at 18 years of age, he left Dr Barnardo's Homes to "go to sea". This was a euphemism for the Merchant Navy, probably as a deck rating.
The family story that I remember says that he was on a ship that went to South Africa. The ship was requisitioned on arrival in S.A. as a hospital ship and Grandad was given a gun and made to join the war. He came home in 1903. No dates or places were mentioned. My older brother thought he was at the relief of Ladysmith but the timeframe doesn't seem to fit. Here is a brief timeframe that we would like to fill the gaps in.
1896 - Sept, Grandad goes to sea.
1898 - Dec. He must have been in Liverpool (England) because his daughter was born in Sept. 1899.
1899 - Nov. Married my Grandmother. (He was probably at sea between Dec. 1898 and Nov. 1899.
1901 - Mar. Must have been back in Liverpool because my Dad was born in Dec 1901.
1903 - Got home. Must have been before Mar. because another daughter was born Dec. 1903.
The Merchant Navy is very difficult to research particularly for lower ranks and this is proving very difficult. Any comments or suggestions would be most appreciated.

Michael

If your Grandfather came ashore in November 1899 in Cape Town or Durban, more likely the latter, he could have joined one of the irregular regiments recruiting at that time (e.g. Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, Imperial Light Infantry etc), taken part in the operations to relieve the Siege of Ladysmith, and then returned to Britain.

Regards
Brett

Michaeltemple
Welcome to the forum. Doing basic research on such queries is pretty difficult without hard info. If he did get to SA as crew on a requisitioned ship, he may have enlisted in one of the Colonial units. One of our more computer-literate forum members may be able to do a name-search; trouble is that there is likely to be more than one "J.TEMPLE" and not all initials are always shown on the rolls. So, I think you will need a little more before your GF can be fleshed-out.
Good luck
IL.

Brett,
Grandad was married 4th Nov 1899. If he shot through almost immediately, your suggestion might just fit. I will give it a go.
Thanks,
Michael

Michael
Just now I had a look through the medal rolls for Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry, Bethune's Mounted Infantry and the South African Light Horse. No entry for a "J.W.A.Temple"; nor indeed any entry for a "J.Temple". As Brett says, any enlistment would largely depend upon the port in which your GF left the ship.
As well, it is extremely unlikely that he was "given a gun and made to join the war". Being a pretty raw chap, he would have to enlist and undergo at least SOME basic training. Probably not much if the Nov.-Dec.1899 dates you propose are accurate.
Michael, my trawl was a fishing expedition - and sometimes they catch a fish and more often they do not.