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Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Transvaal Clerk F. G.Pooley, Indian Contgnt.

Ex City Coins. 2010
DNW 2013 £170
Burman 2014 £285

I have been looking at this medal for sometime. It seemed unloved for some reason. I missed it at City Coins and again at DNW so eventually when it appeared on Burman's List I took it.

Initially I thought he was an Anglo-Indian since he is listed on the roll with other Indians as a 5th Class Clerk in the Military Accounts Department, Indian Contingent.

His Medal entitlement is a QSA with a "Transvaal" and a "South Africa 1902" clasps

The Pretoria Archives have references to Pooley joining the Transvaal Education Department so I thought this would be my first Post War immigrant to South Africa. He is not.

Frederick George was born St. Columb, Cornwall in 1871 to Joel and Mary Jane Pooley, living at 30 Moon Street, Padstow. By the 1881 Census, Joel had died and Mary was living with her father Thomas Blanning. Blanning is significant since Frederick was to incorporate it in his own name and once I started searching for Blanning-Pooley all his Post Boer War activities were revealed.

In 1887 Frederick Pooley attested in the Royal Artillery and by January 1889 was stationed in India. His early career was marred by periods of desertion and imprisonment. In 1896 he transferred to the reserve to live at 4 Khan Road, Poona with his wife Mary Ada Nicholson Marks whom he married in 1898. She had been born at the Cape in 1868/9 – daughter of a soldier. His Profession at the time is stated as “Curator Poona Religious Book Depot” (In view of his later beliefs this may have been a religious tract society of some kind.)

Unfortunately the last part of his statement of service is indistinct, but the date 20.4.1901 is clear. Did he enroll as an civilian clerk?

By 1902 Frederick was in The Transvaal as a Civilian Clerk with the Military Accounts Department, Indian Contingent.

Pooley elected to remain in South Africa and was appointed as an Accounting Clerk at the Head Office, Pretoria at a salary of £250 a year from the 1st October 1902 (Johannesburg and Rand Schools Office) in the Department of the Colonial Secretary of the Transvaal. Several documents in the Pretoria Archives relate to his application for his wife, who had been caring for her ailing mother, to join him in South Africa at the Department’s cost and his eventual redundancy in 1907 and returning to India.

Frederick and Mary maintained their links with South Africa travelling by boat to Southampton in 1925, 1929 and 1940. By 1925 he was calling himself by his maternal Grandfather’s name, Blanning-Pooley and was living alternatively in Natal and Cardiff, Wales and gave his profession as a Civil Servant. His wife made the journey alone in 1960.

Pooley's character seems to be of a Cornish Nationalist and a holder of esoteric religious beliefs

The 1938 Cornish Gorsedd initiated Pooley as a “Bard” (Map Lanyvet, Son of Lanivet),. representing Cornishmen in South Africa.
(The Cornish Gorsedd was set up in 1928 at Boscawen-un by Henry Jenner, one of the early proponents of Cornish language revival, who took the name "Gwas Myghal", meaning "servant of Michael". He and twelve others were initiated by the Archdruid of Wales. It has been held every year since, except during World War II. 1,000 people have been Cornish bards.)

Pooley was author of the ballad “ The Four Wheels – a Tribute to Cornishmen who fought for King Charles II” 1946

Pooley wrote on Buddhism. The first article I have found is “Tracts for the Times –Points on Buddhism” was published by Samana Visuddha in Madras in 1910

Two of his hymns are included in the Young Buddhists Companion “When the Sun at Morn is Rising” and” Happy Little Children We”

An article of his “ The Ability of Buddhism to Solve Present Day Problems” appeared in “The South African Theosophist” in 1923

“Buddhism in Everyday Life. A Religion for the Western Householder” was published in 1928

Good Morning David.....

Glad you were able to find it at last it must be very satisfying .....

Very good story and fantastic research.....

Just think that it would have cost him a years+ to buy his medal back.....

Mike

Thanks Mike.
Hmm. After his return to India he was able to gain some prominence. Certainly he traveled 3 times, initially 3rd Class but later as a "tourist". He did feel that he should hyphenate his name ( Genealogical Degeneracy according to Eric Partridge ) and he maintained homes in Pretoria,Natal? and Cardiff. I was wondering if he owed his social rise to the Theosophical Society?

That's a great write-up. It was nice to handle Pooley's medal when Philip Burman had it a few months ago and I'm more pleased that it has found a good home.

Best wishes
David

David

Thank you for sharing a great story about the man behind the medal. Your instincts about this medal were clearly correct from the beginning, so it must be a very satisfying acquisition.

Regards
Brett

Hi David
I put this QSA with City Coins with you in mind. Glad that it is now in your collection : you did the research that I neglected to do!
Henk