TOPIC:

Alfred Stratton had the kind of life that we only read about, in this day and age. Doomed to a cycle of poverty and life in Victorian England's workhouses what possible future could he chisel out for himself?

Alfred Stratton

Private, 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (Militia) and
Private, Army Ordnance Corps – Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal and South Africa 1902

Alfred Stratton had a hard life and would appear to have been born into penurious circumstances, a happenstance which possibly impacted on his outlook on life.

His tale starts in about 1878 when he was born in Cambridgeshire, England the son of Thomas Stratton and his wife Lydia, born Dellow. Thomas appears to have been an indigent and part-time farm servant.

Our first exposure to a young Alfred comes in the 1881 England census where, listed as a 3 year “Pauper” he is domiciled in the “Cambridge Union Workhouse” in Mill Road, Cambridge along with his father, mother and siblings Benjamin (7) and Horace (6)



The Workhouse as it appears today

The workhouse was a feature of Victorian England and one well illustrated by Charles Dickens who experienced, first hand, what life was like in these edifices to the destitute and the impoverished who really had little or no future ahead of them and were in dire straits from which it was difficult to emerge. On 8 April 1883 a serious fire broke out at the workhouse resulting in the gutting of both the men’s infirmary and well as the nurses quarters which were completely destroyed. One can only imagine the panic felt by a young Alfred who would have been witness to this event.

By the time the 1891 England census had rolled around things hadn’t improved for Alfred who was now, at the age of 13 a “Boy under the order of Detention” at the Leicester School Board Industrial School in Rathby, Leicestershire. This school provided accommodation for 200 boys “who are committed here by the magistrate's warrant.” His father had passed away in 1887 further exacerbating the family’s malaise. Alfred’s trade, such as it was for a 13 year old boy, was that of a Tailor.

Given the hardships he must have endured enrolling in the Militia must have seemed like a pleasant form of escapism to Stratton. On 2 March 1897 he completed the Militia Attestation forms for service with the 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment at Cambridge.

Claiming to be 18 years and 4 months old ne confirmed that he was a Labourer in the employ of Mr A Winter of Cambridge. Physically he was very small – only 5 feet 3 inches in height – and weighed a paltry 106 pounds. With a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair he had no distinctive marks about his person and, after being pronounced Fit by the Doctor, was assigned the rank of Private and no. 1686. As his next of kin’s address he provided No. 9 Brittania Place, East Road, Cambridge.

Probably wanting to play a more prominent role in the military or even wanting to secure a future for himself Stratton completed the forms for Short Service at Dalston on 25 July 1899. This meant that he was committing to a life in uniform of 7 years with the Colours and 5 years in the Reserve after that – a total of 12 years.

Although more than 2 years since he completed the Militia enrolment he was, magically, only 18 years and 10 months old (in his estimation). Confirming that he was still serving in the Militia he opted for the Army Ordnance Corps where he was assigned the no. 3917 and the rank of Private. Physically he was much the same save for the fact that he now weighed 115 pounds and was sporting a scar on his left forehead.

Starting his fully-fledged military career at Woolwich he was not to know that, within a matter of three months, war was to break out between the two recalcitrant Boer Republics in far away South Africa and the might of the British Empire. Having served a total of 236 days at Home, Stratton was shipped to the war zone in South Africa arriving in the field on 18 March 1900, some five months after hostilities had commenced. Having served 289 days under the heat of the African sun he was repatriated to England only to return to the war on 11 March 1902. Quite what he was doing in England is unknown but he was there from 1 January 1901 until late February 1902 – period of 1 year and 69 days.

Stratton saw service in a number of the Colonies – to wit Natal, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal earning himself the Queens medal with clasps to those “states” as well as one for South Africa 1902.

It would appear that he stayed on in South Africa with his unit applying for an extension of his term to 8 years on 31 April 1904. The last entry on his papers is an ominous one – the simple word “Deserted” and the date, 22 July 1905. It seems that Stratton had had enough.

What became of him thereafter is unknown but let us pray that his lot improved.

Rory
Thanks for a good read! Unfortunately, his circumstances would have been rather commonplace in the "good old days"; yet he did make something of himself and doubtless earned his medal. I would not hestitate to comment that his prospects in SA (doubtless under an assumed name) would have been far better than those "at home".
Regards
IL.

Hello Rory,
A very pleasing and quite scarce medal, the naming, in particular, is very nice indeed.
Regards Frank

Thank you gentlemen

I must say your comments, and those of others, are a source of inspiration to me and spur me on to "dig deeper"

Frank - I must confess to being enamoured by that combination of clasps. Whereas not in any way unique, I seldom come accross State clasps which incude a Natal variant with the others.

Regards

Rory

Rory,

Such a sad story and no happy ending.
Very well written and a nice medal and clasps.
Rory your research is second to non

Cheers
Paul

Hello Rory,
Whilst I have not bothered to actually look at WO100/233, I would have thought that medal with that particular combination was actually quite a scarce one.
Regards Frank

Rory wrote: Thank you gentlemen

I must say your comments, and those of others, are a source of inspiration to me and spur me on to "dig deeper"

Frank - I must confess to being enamoured by that combination of clasps. Whereas not in any way unique, I seldom come accross State clasps which incude a Natal variant with the others.

Regards

Rory