TOPIC:

I've come across this fellow before - is listed on memorial in Victoria - apparently a hero - tho most were weren't they.

Vernette,
Why do you think that your grandfather served in the Anglo Boer War, are you just assuming that he did, or do you have any real evidence that suggests he did and if so what exactly does it consist of?
Records are indeed free to search whilst actually at Kew, many are available to you on line thesedays too, though, of course, these are not free.
Unless you have a serious problem with your email, it is very easy to contact any of the very many researchers who spend there working week at Kew, but you would need to provide he/she with the details of the person you are looking for so a search can be made.
Regards Frank

Frank-my info sketchy-GGF committed theft in Aus, given option join war or jail - he disappeared from Aus before 1900, never heard of again. A 'photo exists of a woman and kids taken in Pietermaritzberg-timeline appears right. An aunt & Uncle travelled to SA '50's I think, no mention in war graves there despite thorough search. I reckoned William A(lfred) was the man, but GGF bit of a cad probably a coward so looking after horses would suit him. I didn't realise adv research wld be at cost, not a problem but which researcher to use?. I'll look for civil/boer war researcher. Honestly the mind boggles. May be wild goose chase. I will tackle civil records that city, see if I can find ANY data re bigamous marriage.

Vernette,
The Scottish Horse was certainly not the place for a "cad" or a coward and to be quite honest, life in the SAMIF was not an easy one, Willian Alfred Nicholls would have done rather more that just look after horses.
Infact, by late 1901, the transports carring the "Citizen Bushmen" (many who were doing a return to South Africa) arriving from Australia into Capetown were actually held up, off shore, in Table Bay whilst government detectives, backed up by members of the Cape Police went on board, to search the ships concerned, for escaped criminals.
Moreover, the Marquess of Tullibardine, also had the habit of boarding these ships too, he liked to have the pick of the best recruits for "his own" Scottish Horse, he had a good eye and seldom chose a bad apple.
These really were very hard young men, many of who, quite frankly, enjoyed the war.
Regards Frank