TOPIC:

PARKER.—On 30th October, at the Princess Christian Cottage Home, near Blllericay, after four years of suffering from a wound received at Modder River, November, 1899, Frederick Parker, late Trooper Rimington's Guides, age 38.



....Our obituary to-day includes a notification of the death, on Friday, at the Princess Christian Cottage Home, near Billericay, after four years of suffering from a wound received at Modder River, in November, 1899, of Frederick Parker, late Trooper Rimington's Guides, aged 38 years. The deceased was born at Teston, Kent, in 1865, and was educated chiefly at the Middleclass School at Maidstone, after leaving which he was apprenticed to the grocery trade. But his was a roving disposition, and he went to Sydney and Philadelphia. Returning to England in 1897, he volunteered to take part in the Græco-Turkish War, through which he passed without receiving any serious injury. In August, 1899, he again left his native shores, this time bound for Cape Town, where he managed a grocery store, but the outbreak of the late Boer war proved too much for his Viking spirit, and he at once volunteered for active service in Rimington's Guides, and passed through three engagements, viz., Graspan, Belmont, and Modder River. It was on the evening of the last-named engagement that he received the injury which has now unfortunately terminated his career. He had crossed the river and was reconnoitring, when his horse was suddenly shot by a Boer bullet, and while he was upon the veldt a second bullet entered the poor man's back, coming out near the collar-bone, and rendering him completely helpless. This was at about six p.m., and he lay until about two p.m. the day following, before he was recovered by his comrades. He was conveyed to the Field Hospital at Belmont, where his wounds were temporarily attended to, after which he was removed to Wynberg Hospital. In the following March he was invalided home to Netley. During his stay at Wynberg, Trooper Parker was visited by Rudyard Kipling, who was much interested in his case, and wrote of him as his "War Fetich." At Netley he was with others visited by the late Queen, and among his most treasured possession was a bunch of flowers dried and framed with which her Majesty presented him. This bunch of flowers was never afterwards out of his sight so long as he lived. The following paragraph appeared in a London newspaper some time after, when the gracious donor had been called Home, and the mortally wounded soldier still lingered on :—

....An exceeding touching story reaches us of an incident which occurred when the Queen visited Netley, and of its sequel. Among the patients was a private soldier who had been shot through the spine in South Africa, whose case was considered hopeless. The Queen sat down beside his bed and after talking sympathetically with him for some time gave him a bunch of lilies of the valley, which she happened to be carrying in her hand. Then she sent for the surgeon and asked if anything could be done for the poor fellow. The answer was that his death was only a question of time, that all that was possible had been done, and that all the efforts of science were directed to relieving him as far as possible from pain. As the Queen moved away she spoke what the man regarded as precious words of comfort, and Her Majesty was evidently deeply moved. After a while the patient rallied, and was removed to his home in Essex, where he now lies. When he heard on Wednesday that the Queen was dead he was much affected ; and although scarcely able to speak managed to make it understood that he wanted to send some flowers to the Queen's funeral. Knowing that in the ordinary course he would not be able to fulfil his wish, he sent a bunch of lilies of the valley to one of the magistrates for the county, who forwarded it to a Queen's Equerry. This gentleman brougnt the whole matter to the knowledge of the King, who at once gave orders that the soldier's bunch of lilies should be laid on the Queen's coffin, and caused a telegram to be sent to the Essex magistrate asking him to inform the soldier that this had been done. One has only to imagine how the King could turn from the overwhelming amount of work and anxiety through which he has been passing in order to render this delicate tribute to the loyalty of the wounded soldier—to understand how sympathetic he is in all that concerns his people and that belongs to the memory of his august mother."

....The journey of the wounded soldier from Netley to Billericay was safely accomplished on May 31st, 1900. The lower part of the poor man's body was completely paralysed, and during the weary years that have since elapsed he has been compelled to lie on his back in exactly the same position. His sufferings at times were most acute, but he bore them with exemplary patience. Universal sympathy is expressed with his parents in their sad loss.
....The funeral took place in Great Burstead Churchyard on Thursday afternoon. Every mark of respect was shown on the route. The carriages contained Mr. and Mrs. Robert Parker, father and mother ; Mr. Edward Parker (brother) and Mrs. E. Parker, Mrs. Warner Parker, Mrs Clarke, Nurse Parks, and Mrs. Massingham ; Col. Wood, Miss Wood, and Mrs. Hilder ; Dr. F, Carter, Mrs. Spitty, and Mrs. Shuttleworth ; Mrs. Tweed, Miss Tweed, and Miss Ellis. The cortege was met at the church gates by a large number of residents and friends. The ceremony, both in the church and at the graveside, was impressively conducted by the Rev. H. Carpenter, and the choral service was feelingiy rendered by the Laindon choir. Mr. W. H. G. Ansell, who presided at the organ, played the "Dead March." At the grave "The labourer's task is o'er "was sung. The coffin was covered and surrounded with wreaths and flowers. All the arrangements were ably carried out by Mr. J. W. Waylett, of Billericay.
The Essex Newsman, Saturday 7th November 1903


An additional piece of information appeared in a different newspaper.

....Parker, who was originally a grocer's assistant, had had an adventurous career, having fought for the Cubans in their struggle for independence, and under the Greek flag in the war with Turkey.
Nottingham Evening Post, Monday 9th November 1903

Great story, a few more details in this articles; Barking, East Ham & Ilford Advertiser, Upton Park and Dagenham Gazette 02061900. Dundee Evening Telegraph 10111903. He was shot as rode out to draw fire.

Curiously the medal roll only entitles him to the clasp Belmont.

Worth checking exactly where Rimington's Guides were at Modder River - outside the area to qualify for the medal?

Belmont.
At Orange River Bridge were the 9th Lancers, Rimington’s Guides, 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers, a battery of the RFA and an armoured train.

Methuen’s cavalry comprised two squadrons of 9th Lancers, 100 Rimington’s Guides and some mounted infantry.

The British column halted for the night at Fincham’s Farm.  A party of 9th Lancers and Rimington’s Guides rode on to Thomas’s farm at Belmont, coming under fire on the way, where they again came under fire and returned to the main body.

With three of the four areas of high ground lost, the Boers decided to withdraw. At around 7.30 a.m. they abandoned their positions on Mont Blanc, returned to their horses, and escaped north. This was when Methuen’s lack of cavalry became significant. He simply could not mount a pursuit of the Boers. An attempt was made to do so by Rimington’s Guides and a squadron of the 9th Lancers, but they were outnumbered by fresh Boer horsemen under De la Rey and were lucky to escape intact.

According to L L Gordon's guide.
Rimmington Guides were eligible for the Belmont and Modder River clasps,: His obituary states Trooper Parker had been in both clasp locations Belmont & Modder and Graspan
which does raise the question why he has no Modder River clasp. It does look like Trooper Parker was engaged in most of the actions with the R Guides.

This data was taken from the Damant's Horse information.
Parker Frederick Trooper 2 Mar 1900 Invalided to England.

Parker J Trooper Wounded. Modder River, 28 November 1899
Source: South African Field Force Casualty Roll
The initial J could be an error.
I found a Frederick Parker in the 1871 census living as a boarder aged 6 in Teston Kent. I thought it might provide a middle name ie J . Alas, it didn't.

Dave F wrote: I found a Frederick Parker in the 1871 census living as a boarder aged 6 in Teston Kent. I thought it might provide a middle name ie J . Alas, it didn't.

Named as "Frederick Parker" at both birth (first quarter of 1865, Maidstone registration district) and death (Chelmsford registration district).

Interested members
L.March-Phillips, writing in "With Rimington" (1902) says - in the chapter titled "Modder River" - ".........about the middle of the day, we were sent down to the river on the Boer right, as parties of the enemy were thought to be breaking away in that direction. And here, I am sorry to say, poor Parker who had served in the Greek-Turkish war, and used to beguile our long night marches with stories of the Thessalian hills and the courage of the Turks, was hit, it is feared mortally."
Regards
IL.

Cheers IL
I think that answers the question.
Best wishes
Dave