TOPIC:

Hello
I am new to the Forum and very new to Anglo-Boer war research within the context of family history.

I am researching my first cousin twice removed, Edgar Priest, born 26 Feb 1878, in Saddleworth, Yorkshire (now Greater Manchester). He emigrated to the Unites States at the beginning of March 1901 and in 1911 became the first organist and choirmaster at Washington National Cathedral. His biography on their website states that he served with the British Army in the Boer War prior to going to the States.

The window within which he could have served is short. I have a newspaper report of him playing the organ for a wedding at the church in Friezland, Saddleworth, where he lived, at the end of January 1900.

I have reviewed all the entries I can find – all under E Priest and he had no middle name – on this website and on Ancestry medal records and can only find 1 man who it seems to me could possibly be him:

Pte E Priest. 5829. 3rd Bn, Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. Received Cape Colony and Orange Free State clasps

The other records are I think for Regular Army men, from 1st and 2nd Battalions, Kings Royal Rifle Company.

However, I am inexpert at identifying Anglo-Boer War records and would welcome advice from more expert researchers.

Is it likely that a Yorkshireman would have served as a volunteer in a Lancaster regiment? Which regiment would he have more likely served in as a volunteer? Is it also likely that his service could have been so brief? Any E or Edgar Priests I have missed and are my assumptions about the other potential men inaccurate?

Any help or pointers gratefully received

Thanks

Helen

Hello Helen and welcome to the forum.

As you say, the window for service in South Africa is short but it is not impossible that he served there. He could feasibly have gone to South Africa and then been invalided home perhaps due to injury or illness.

I did look at the Imperial Yeomanry roll as these men served for a about a year and, while there are 4 Priests, there are no Edgars.

There are no service records for 5829 E Priest to shed more light on him.

The 3rd Battalion left for South Africa in February 1900. This from The Times, 13 February 1900:





He was not invalided according to the roll.

I am not sure of the date when the 3rd returned to England.

If you have time, I would suggest searching the shipping records to see if you can see when the battalion returned. www.angloboerwar.com/other-information/86-shipping-records

Do you have the data he sailed to the US?

Best wishes
David

The regimental history is called The King's Own. Author Colonel L I Cowper. Volume II covers 1814 to 1914.

There is also a shorter history called A Gallant Regiment published in 1914. There is no author but it comprises reprints from the Lancaster Observer so the newspapers collections online would be another place to check.

Hello djb and thanks so much for very helpful reply. Thanks for checking those records for me. I will certainly follow up on your suggestions for further research. It just seems odd that a music scholar who had qualified as an organ teacher in Nov 1899 should enlist and go off soldiering for a year. He sailed for the US on 2 Mar 1901, from Liverpool. It is definitely him in the passenger record as he gives his occupation as organist. I have contacted the Washington National Cathedral Archives to see if they have anything further in their records to substantiate the Boer War claim but in Covid circumstances it may take a while to hear anything back. This is the biog:
cathedral.org/staff/edgar-priest/
Helen

Hello Helen
I did find another E Priest who served in South Africa and he was in the 1st Battalion West Riding Regiment. 3261 Private E Priest. His medal clasp entitlement were Transvaal and the 1902 date clasp. Alas, the tight time frame you mentioned regarding your relative playing the organ in January 1900 may conflict with the above soldier. The 1st battalion departed to South Africa in December 1899 and arrived at the Cape on 21st January. The Yorkshire connection is there, however, it seems too tight date wise to be your first cousin. As for your question pertaining to soldiers serving in regiments not attributed to their area was not uncommon. I have soldiers’ records which have Shropshire men in the Gordon Highlanders & the Cheshire’s, Warwickshire men in the Liverpool regiment. There were Volunteer battalions of the Duke of Wellingtons (West Riding) regiment that served in South Africa. I had a quick check of the casualty lists for the West Riding and the KO Royal Lancaster’s but no E Priest recorded being wounded and returned home. The taste for adventure and a call of duty may have encouraged Edgar to go to South Africa but more research needs to be done to ascertain if this did happen. Please keep us posted on your findings.
Best regards
Dave

5829 PRIEST is not your man.
Listed on the relevant roll as 5829 H. PRIEST he received a Kings South Africa medal, indicating that he served through to 1902

Pete