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Louis Dunbar, Imperial Yeomanry - suicide on 11.5.1901 5 years 1 day ago #63394

  • BereniceUK
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SUICIDE OF AN ISLINGTON YEOMAN.
An inquest was held at Islington on Tuesday, on Louis Dunbar, 43, who, having served for 12 months and 57 days with the Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa, was invalided home with enteric. He became in a very low and desponding condition, fearing that he would come to the workhouse, and on Saturday night he shot himself with a Lee-Metford rifle in his bedroom. A verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity" was returned.

Northampton Mercury, Friday 17th May 1901

The General Register Office confirms his death in the second quarter of 1901, and it was registered at Islington.

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Louis Dunbar, Imperial Yeomanry - suicide on 11.5.1901 5 years 1 day ago #63396

  • Frank Kelley
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Very sad indeed, he appears to have joined the famous Rough Riders in London on the 20th of March 1900 and served in South Africa from the 15th of April following until the 28th of January in the new year, a former "Death or Glory" boy too, certainly a far cry from the typical yeoman of the day.
Still, never mind, then as now, it is difficult to know what went on behind closed doors.

BereniceUK wrote:

SUICIDE OF AN ISLINGTON YEOMAN.
An inquest was held at Islington on Tuesday, on Louis Dunbar, 43, who, having served for 12 months and 57 days with the Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa, was invalided home with enteric. He became in a very low and desponding condition, fearing that he would come to the workhouse, and on Saturday night he shot himself with a Lee-Metford rifle in his bedroom. A verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity" was returned.

Northampton Mercury, Friday 17th May 1901

The General Register Office confirms his death in the second quarter of 1901, and it was registered at Islington.

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Louis Dunbar, Imperial Yeomanry - suicide on 11.5.1901 5 years 1 day ago #63398

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43 seems to me to be quite a mature age for an active serviceman at that time. Likely to have had previous military experience?

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Louis Dunbar, Imperial Yeomanry - suicide on 11.5.1901 5 years 1 day ago #63399

  • Frank Kelley
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Yes indeed, a former 17th Lancer, their nickname that I mentioned, simply came from the famous "motto" which you see on just about everything, although, certainly upon a shabrack, for example, it was impressive to the eye.
I dare say it must have encapsulated their common ideals, the regiment was very much an institution. he appears to have been on furlough at the time of his death, he had stated his age to be forty years upon joining the year before.
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Louis Dunbar, Imperial Yeomanry - suicide on 11.5.1901 4 years 11 months ago #63410

  • Frank Kelley
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I've been thinking about this poor fellow quite a bit this week since reading this thread, the time line is interesting, the newspaper is dated Friday the 17th of May, it states an inquest into his death had taken place on Tuesday, so that would be the 14th of May and his death had been on the Saturday, which would be the 11th of May.
WO97 makes no mention, but, does confirm discharge upon the 15th of May, however, an address of number 9 Camden Street, Islington, is shown, absolutely tragic , a really sad ending and a complete and utter waste, he was certainly an old sweat who must have visited many infamous canteens across the Empire over the years.

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Louis Dunbar, Imperial Yeomanry - suicide on 11.5.1901 4 years 11 months ago #63448

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I quite agree, Frank - all the years of service he'd given his country, and he ended up like that. So little support for ex-soldiers who needed a bit of help. I wonder if he was buried in a pauper's grave.

Interesting that he possessed a rifle while living in London. Presumably he'd brought it back from South Africa.

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