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William Eccles was a true colonial - born and bred in England he came out to South Africa to seek his fortune in the Civil Service of the day; bumping his head with officialdom all along the way....

William Gregory Eccles

Corporal, Natal Carbineers

- Queens South Africa Medal to 402 Cpl. W.G. Eccles, Natal Carbnrs with clasps Tugela Height, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek and South Africa 1901

William Eccles was born at 36 Hart Street in the Sub-District of St George, Bloomsbury in the County of Middlesex on 3 July 1866 the son of Gregory William Eccles and his wife Anne Hyde Eccles born Gregory. His father was an Assistant at the British Museum and an important and well connected man in his own right as we shall see later.


Eccles and his wife

The 1871 England census gives us an early glimpse into the Eccles’ domestic situation. Anne, at 39 was some seven years older than her husband. William, although only 4 years old, was the oldest of four children and joining him in the house at 2 Claremont Villas in Croydon were younger siblings Henry (3), Ellen (2) and Horace (1). Bringing up the rear of what was a prosperous household was Elizabeth Evenden a Nurse and Domestic worker and Sarah Austin, a general servant. Mr Eccles was listed as a Senior Assistant in the Library of the British Museum.

Ten years later, at the time of the 1881 census the family had moved and were now living in Warple Road, Epsom. William was now a 14 year old school boy and Henry, Ellen and Horace had been joined by sister Anne (8). Mary Beadle was the Domestic Servant catering to the families needs. Mr Eccles importance seems to have increased and he was now the ‘Agent under the Copyright Act for the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh’ along with his other duties at the British Museum Library.


The mug won by Eccles whilst a student Doctor at St Thomas's

After his initial schooling Eccles appeared destined for a career in medicine. This is revealed by his application to the Colonial Secretary for employment in the Colonial Engineer’s Office or the Custom’s Department in Natal. Quite what had lured him away from England to South Africa is unclear but the abovementioned application found him already ensconced in Pietermaritzburg on 1 June 1889 which is when he wrote as follows,

“Sir

I am very desirous of getting an appointment in the Civil Service, and am writing to ask you if you will kindly assist me. I am 22 years of age and was educated at Epsom and at St. Thomas’s Hospital at which latter place I studied medicine for 2 years.

My father is in the Civil Service at home (British Museum) and I may refer you to Mr Harry Escombe (a leading light in Natal and destined to become Prime Minister of that Colony), or to Mr Nevill, of the Observatory, Durban with both of whom I am intimately acquainted for my character etc.

If possible I should like to get into either the Colonial Engineer’s Office or into the Customs. Should you be able to help me in any way I shall be most deeply indebted to you.

I have the honour to be etc. etc.”

That he was already employed becomes apparent from correspondence to the Colonial Engineer in response to his application stating,

“Mr Eccles was I believe for some months engaged in your department. Will you please say what you know of his proficiency?”

The response to this was,

“Mr Eccles was employed as Temporary Clerk in this office for five months ending 30th June last and I have pleasure in reporting that I found him to be attentive to duties, always willing to work after hours and help toward work during a pressure in any way he could. His Shorthand both as regards writing and reading is fully up to average in speed and accuracy.

I had no hesitation in giving Mr Eccles a Satisfactory testimonial when his services were not further required. He is very temperate.”
Later that year, on 19 November, he married Emmeline Gertrude Skoulding Cann, a 26 year old spinster at St. Cyprian’s Church in Durban. Fanny D’urban Escombe, Sir Harry Escombe’s daughter was one of the witnesses. Eccles was 23 at the time.

Playing a waiting game for an appointment appeared to pay off for Eccles – His first appointment with the Civil Service was as Extra Tidewater in the Customs Department in Durban. He commenced employment there at the age of 24 on 8 September 1890 on an annual salary of £120. Subsequent to this he was transferred as a Warder to the Central Gaol in Pietermaritzburg on 1 September 1891 on a salary band between £108 and £132. This job was of short duration however as he became a Steward in the Natal Government Asylum in Pietermaritzburg six months later on 25 March 1892 on a salary of £120. This last post came with the added bonus of free quarters and rations.

All appears to have gone smoothly from then on until, on 18 May 1894, he wrote to the Medical Superintendent of the Government Asylum asking that his letter be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary as follows,

“Sir

I believe that although I have been for several years in the service of the Government I am not on the Permanent Staff of the Civil Service and in view of coming legislation on the subject I venture to apply to be put on the Permanent Staff.

I have the honour...”

Mr. Bird, the Colonial Secretary very politely replied that, ‘The Government is unable to alter the terms upon which Mr Eccles holds his appointment.’

Eccles accepted this grudgingly but those who thought the matter was at an end in his mind were rudely mistaken. On 15 January 1895, some six months after his initial request, Eccles fired the first broadside of what was to become a flurry of correspondence between himself and the authorities. The subject was, once again, to do with his being placed on the Permanent Staff. In a lengthy and well reasoned letter he wrote,

“Sir

I have the honour to apply under Sec. 12 Part 2 of Law 21/1894 to be placed on the permanent Civil Service of the Colony.
I understand that the chief reason my former application, forwarded to you in May last, being refused, was that the Medical Superintendent (Dr Hyslop) objected on the grounds that he had improperly stipulated with the late Government that the post should not be made a permanent one. While quite admitting this objection I would beg to call your attention to the fact that since the Civil Service Law of 1894 has come into force, my position is quite changed as prior to it I was eligible for a post in one of the regular offices whereas now I am debarred owing to being now 25 years of age.

I would further point out that what I desire is not that the office should be made a permanent one, but that I should be permanently brought under the advantages of being a member of the Service. I may add that though I have been in Government service for nearly five years I have received no increase of salary. The same objections which are advanced to prevent me being put on the permanent staff being apparently also sufficient to prohibit my getting the latter.

Taking these circumstances into account and also the fact that I have a wife and family dependent upon me, I trust that you will bring this letter before the Government for their favourable consideration.

I have the honour to be....”

On 19 January 1895 the Medical Superintendent forwarded this letter to the Colonial Secretary with the comment,

“I forward this application as requested. I have nothing to add to what I have previously reported on the subject.

In conveying to Mr Eccles the resolution of the Government on his application of May last, I merely quoted the terms of your Minute to me of 21 May 1894. I could not of course give the reason why the Government refused his request.”

That Dr Hyslop was, by and large, the problem becomes apparent from his comments (below) which were in answer to the Government agreeing to place Eccles on the Superannuation Fund whilst not placing him on the Permanent Establishment. Hyslop replied thus,

“I have held these papers over for a month but as it may be some time before Mr Eccles is able to resume duty (he was off sick) perhaps you would prefer that I should not wait for his return to work before communicating to him the decision arrived at by the Government.

Of course it is understood that while I have no personal wish to stand in the way of Mr Eccles being allowed to take advantage of any privileges offered by the Civil Service Act I have always held that the officer holding the post of Steward to the Asylum should not be on the Permanent Establishment.”

Miffed at the delay the Colonial Secretary shot back stating that, ‘It was the intention that Mr Eccles should be at once informed in terms of my minute of the 22nd Ultimo. Will you please communicate with him accordingly and obtain the information asked for in the latter part of that minute.’

With this Eccles became a contributing member of what was essentially the Government Pension Fund – he was allowed to backdate his contributions from September 1894 and to pay off the arrears in instalments of £1 per month. That issued resolved life carried on; the 1896 Street Directory for Maritzburg records that Eccles, W.G., Steward was resident at the N.G. Asylum.

After all this hullabaloo Eccles wasn’t to remain much longer under the auspices of Dr Hyslop. On 13 August 1896 he received the following letter from the Principal Under Secretary,

"Sir

I have the honour to inform you that His Excellency the Governor in Council has been pleased to appoint you to be Customs Supervisor and Excise Surveyor at Pietermaritzburg, with salary of £180 per annum, and with effect from 1 July 1896.

Under this appointment it will be necessary for you to contribute to the Public Service Guarantee Fund.

I have the honour....”

This unleashed another wave of controversy this time around whether or not Eccles designation was that of Customs Supervisor and Excise Officer or Excise Surveyor (semantics reigned supreme in Victorian times) On 6 August 1896 the Colonial Secretary wrote to the Treasurer on this point as follows,

“Mr Eccles appointment as made by the Governor in Council is that of Customs Supervisor and Excise Surveyor, Pietermaritzburg. The title “Excise Officer” inserted in his letter of appointment is an error. If you will kindly obtain from Mr Eccles the letter of appointment issued to him I will have it amended, and, if necessary, an amended notice of his appointment can be inserted in the Gazette.”

The next event of import in Eccles life was his attestation with “B” Squadron of the Natal Carbineers as Trooper, no. 402 on 19 February 1897. Now 31 years of age he was described as being 5 feet 10 ½ inches in height with a “36” chest. Most small towns had their own militia-type units and Pietermaritzburg was no different. The Natal Carbineers is arguably the oldest and most established of regiments and has a fine history.

Proving that he was not immune to illness Eccles wrote to his superior, the Collector of Customs, on 21 January 1898 to say that he had been absent from work for four days “owing to an attack of dysentery”

October 1899 saw the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War and Eccles, already part of the Carbineers, had been mustered for full time service on 29 September of that year when the local military units were placed on a war footing. The mere fact that he earned the Relief of Ladysmith clasp to his Queens medal is proof that he was one of the Squadron who were not incarcerated in that town for the three months the Siege lasted but was part of Buller’s relieving force. This was no. 5 Squadron or the Estcourt squadron as it was known. After the siege was lifted he went on to fight at Laing’s Nek and in the Transvaal earning those clasps as well as the Tugela Heights and Relief clasps. It is not known whether or not Eccles was at the earlier Battle of Willow Grange but it can be assumed that he was there as well as at the Battle for Colenso on 15 December 1899 which claimed the life of a David Moreland Gray, a chap he would have known.

On 9 October 1900 he was promoted to Corporal returning, as did most Natal based units, to civilian life in 1901. Eccles remained with the Carbineers until his final discharge on 15 October 1904.

The 1901 Natal Directory records that he was a civil servant whose residence was “Quantock Lodge, Town Lands” this was on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg. On 9 January of that year he wrote to his superiors applying for “my annual increment due from the 1st instant. Trusting that you will sanction this. I have the honour to be....” His manager in turn addressed himself to the Treasurer thus:

“Mr Eccles is entitled to this increment and I submit that it be allowed. A similar application for increment from 1 January last year was dealt with. The delay in this case arising from Mr Eccles absence at the Front as a Member of the Natal Carbineers.”

It will be remembered that I made mention of his father’s high connections and, on 2 January 1901, one of these was brought into play on Eccles behalf. Whether or not he had complained to his father about his lot in life or not we will never know but, on the aforementioned date a Mr George Frederick Barwick, Assistant-Keeper of Printed Books and Superintendent of the Reading-room, British Museum wrote to his friend Alexander Harris who was, in turn, a confidante of the newly appointed Governor of Natal, Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, as follows,

“My dear Harris

I’m writing to wish you all good success and happiness and a large slice out of the new country! I avail myself of the opportunity to bring before you the name of the son of my most valued colleague, Gregory Eccles, now retired (whom you must remember in the Large Room, where he occupied the front end of my recess). His son William Gregory Eccles, of Blagdon, Alexander Road, Pietermaritzburg, after studying at St. Thomas’s Hospital, entered the Customs and Excise Service (Cape), served in the Natal Carbineers, accompanied Buller to Newcastle, where he was sent back to Dundee and attended to the sick; he was in the battle of Tugela and, as he is a valuable man of the highest character, married and settled in South Africa, I thought that it would be a service to him and also His Majesty’s Government to ask you to bear him in mind for any post that a man of his education and varied experience could fill.

Believe me, always faithfully yours...”

Harris wrote to his friend the Governor as follows, “My dear Sir Walter, many congratulations on your new appointment. I am afraid that it enables me to make it an excuse for inflicting the enclosed letter upon you. I think it speaks for itself. Yours very truly, C. Alexander Harris.”

The upshot of this was that questions were asked as to how and in what capacity Eccles was currently employed to which the reply came that he was in charge of the Bonded Warehouse in Pietermaritzburg on a salary of £237 pounds and that he was not likely to be receive any advancement beyond the annual increment of £10.”

On 4 March 1902 Eccles wrote to the Colonial Treasurer from his office in the Customs House as follows,

“Sir

With the exception of myself all Excise Surveyors are paid an addition to their salary house allowance at the rate of £36 per annum except in Durban where I understand the rate is higher. I was under the impression that this only affected those living in the country but since such is not the case I beg to apply for payment of this allowance from 1 July 1896 to date.

I may state that on the instructions of the Controller of Excise in 1898 I had to live much nearer town than previously which more than doubled my rent. At present I have to pay over 1/3rd of my salary in rent.

I have the honour to be.....”

This letter proved to be the opening salvo proved in what was to become protracted correspondence on the matter. The Controller of Excise forwarded Eccles letter to the Colonial Treasurer with these comments,

“The other Surveyors all commenced at the minimum salary of £120 (increased recently to £150) and free lodgings was stipulated in their letters of appointment whereas Mr Eccles commenced with a salary of £180 without any stipulation as to lodgings.

The manner in which Mr Eccles has recently performed his duties appertaining to this department does not, I regret, warrant me recommending his application.

So far as I remember the only instructions, if any given Mr Eccles, as to residence, emanated from an application by him for these allowances owing to the distance he was living from town which was not entertained as his duties did not require the use of a horse, and a distillery being mooted is in the course of erection. About that time it is likely I might have told him that a residence in or nearer to town was advisable for his own convenience.”

In the light of this information the Treasurer informed Eccles superior to inform him that “his application cannot be entertained”

Eccles wasn’t taking this one lying down; if nothing else, past history had shown that he would push the envelope in instances where he believed he was being wronged. This was such an instance; his lengthy reply was dated 13 March 1902,

“Sir

I am today in receipt of a memorandum from the Controller of Excise informing me that my application for house allowance has been disallowed.

I now have the honour to bring the following facts to your notice and while waiving the matter of house allowance crave that you will be able to give me some assistance. When I was appointed to my present office the salary was reduced from £300 made up I believe as follows, Customs £180; Excise £120- £180.

In 1899 on my return from sick leave in England I was ordered by the Controller to proceed to Durban for special instruction with regard to Distillery work, a Distillery having been started in Maritzburg during my absence. I accordingly reported to the Controller in Durban and at the same time asked how long I should have to remain as if it would be for over a month I should have gone to a boarding house. He however could not tell me as it all depended on how long it took me to learn the work so I had to go to an hotel, I was kept there about 12 ½ days and on my return to Maritzburg sent in my account for expenses as authorised by the Tariff, these came to £9. 17 shillings of which 10 shillings was for railway fares between Durban and Avoca.

In due course the voucher was returned with the intimation that if the £9. 17 shillings were deleted the account would be paid, and the reason for this action was stated to be that I went for my own advantage and acquiring knowledge. I maintain that this view is incorrect as the knowledge was for the benefit of the Government alone as there was to be no increase of my salary.

At about the same time the Controller told me I must live nearer town as 4 miles from time and 5 miles from the Distillery was too far to be away from it. I pointed out that this would involve a considerable increase in rent above the £36 I had been paying and that I could not afford it. The Controller said that I would get a house allowance of £36 which would equalise matters. On this understanding I accordingly leased a house at £72 which was the cheapest I could get within the limit of 2 ½ miles, this lease was from 1 May 1899.

At the end of September I was called out on active service and the war caused a great influx of refugees, so that when the lease was up my wife could get no other house at a more reasonable rent or to buy in September 1900. While still at the front the rent was raised to £84 which I am still paying owing to the scarcity of houses. From the above facts you will see that for the last 2 years and 11 months over 1/3 of my salary has gone in rent alone, and I have not received a penny of the allowance I expected to be paid when I took a house at double the rent previously paid.

The result of this is that I have got over £100 into debt and that notwithstanding living as cheaply as possible and not being able to spend anything on amusements.

In conclusion I would point out that when I resumed duty at the office the total revenue collected, Customs & Excise, was about £7 500 a year and that my predecessor was able to undertake in addition to his ordinary work the completion of the Blue Book and Dutch interpreting by which means he was able to increase his income of £300 to about £475. Now the revenue has increased to about £29 000 last year and judging from the past three months will be £31 000 for the present year with a corresponding increase of work so that it would now be impossible to undertake any outside work.

This petition, I wish it to be clearly understood, deals with the past and the Excise Department only.

I have the honour...”

Required to forward this letter implicating him in the affair, The Controller did so with these additional comments,

“A further minute from Mr Eccles is enclosed in reply to my memo telling him that his application for house allowance will not be entertained. I find that Mr. ..., Mr Eccles predecessor, was paid a salary of £120 and who was a willing officer and discharged his duties satisfactorily.

When a Distillery was erected in Pietermaritzburg it was necessary to have in charge thereof an officer who understands distillery work and Mr Eccles was given the opportunity to qualify. The instructions he refers to were solely for his own benefit and to allow of him retaining the post. Having paid for his own instructions followed the rule in place for several years and his outlay was much less than what some Surveyors had to pay for like instructions.

I have to contradict having promised Mr Eccles £36 towards house rent. At the same time I might have mentioned payment of house allowance in connection with necessary arrangements in the event of the Distillery proving a success, which I always doubted. It proved a failure and further action was not required.

The commencing salary of £180 paid to Mr Eccles, wholly inexperienced as regards the duties, would have been proficient for some Surveyors fully experienced as regards the duties. He has never seemed to realise what was an act of kindness and benefit to himself.

Mr Eccles, in conjunction with other officials in Pietermaritzburg, have my full sympathy in regard to increased house rent.”

The Treasurer now took the unusual step of asking whether “these papers” should be referred to the Civil Service Board. The reply was, “I think it unnecessary as Mr Eccles in all probability be transferred to Durban on an early date”

While this debate was raging there was a side bar between Eccles and the Controller – the Controller writing to Eccles on 15 March 1902 as follows:

“With reference to your minute of 13th instant addressed to the Treasurer on the subject of your salary, house rent and present financial position. Please say in what form, written or verbal, I told you that you must live nearer to town and that you must get house allowance of £36, also what necessitation led to my making such statements.”

Eccles replied,

“Verbal, in connection with the distillery, you said that 5 miles was too far off as in case of anything going wrong it would take too long for me to be notified and get in. At the same time I pointed out that I could not afford to pay more than I was in rent and you then said that I would get house allowance which would make the difference little or nothing.”

You, the reader, be the judge of who was in the right with this one........

Time had moved inexorably on in the life of the Eccles family since we first encountered them and it was about to come full circle with Eccles writing to the Colonial Administration asking if there was employment for his son. Writing from his home in Hilton Road, just outside Pietermaritzburg, on 17 March 1909 he said,

“Sir

I have the honour to submit the name of my son L.W.G. Eccles for a temporary appointment in Maritzburg in the Civil Service. His age is 18 and he is at present Head Boy at Michaelhouse. He has passed his Cape Intermediate and is now reading for his BSc. Degree.

Owing to financial difficulties it is impossible for me keep him at school longer, but he thinks that he will be able to read up with a coach in the evenings provided he can get a temporary appointment here. He leaves school at Easter.

I have the honour to be....”

Eccles received the usual reply – that his name had been noted, but that little prospect can be held out to him at present of his obtaining Government employment.

In February 1918 Eccles renewed his battle with officialdom, this time, as in the past, it had to do with his income. The only thing of any relevance here was that he was had been promoted, in 1916, to the office of Controller of Customs in Pietermaritzburg and that, at the age of 51, he had about three years to go before retirement.

In 1936 a 70 year old Eccles sailed to England for a visit aboard the “Balmoral Castle” arriving at Southampton on 17 August. He was described as a Pensioner and was accompanied by one of his children (his wife had passed away in 1922).

The world awoke on 10 February 1946 to the news that William Gregory Eccles of Silfield, Hilton Road, Natal had passed away the day before aged 78 years and 11 months. He was survived by a prodigious number of children all adults in the form of Doris Alured Catherine Eccles, Launcelot William Gregory Eccles, Bryan Rupert Dorset Eccles, Alison Marjoram Fanshawe Eccles, Hilda Natalie Emmeline McCauley and Horton Frederick de Laune Eccles who had predeceased him.


Eccles, wife and children

Some of his bequests probably speak best to the nature of the man – to his son Launcelot he left his gold presentation watch along with “my set of “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” consisting of eight volumes”. To Bryan he left his silver ink stand “Aunt Arab’s” and his gun (a 12 bore double-barrel shotgun made by Henry Tolley and Company). To Doris a pair of silver candlesticks “and my silver-wedding silver inkstand, together with all household effects and the contents of my workshop consisting of lathes, shaping machinery, tools etc.”[/size]

Hello Rory,
That is really lovely example, to, I suppose, the Natal Corps, I well remember not having even a single medal to this regiment and really wishing that I had, they were rather like a gentleman's country club here, in the nineteenth century, very nice indeed, notwithstanding the considerable amount of biographical information on this gentleman, just the medal itself is a superb example and I should be very pleased indeed with that if I were you.
Regards Frank

Rory,
I've just realised that I'd written the whole of my last post in italic, I meant to italicize only "The Natal Corps" bit, because, quite frankly, I believe that was exactly what it was back in those days.
A really super medal, again,
Regards Frank

Another great piece of research, greatly appreciated......

Mike

Many thanks gentlemen

You positive feedback spurs me on to continue my research into all these forgotten (for the most part) men of yesteryear.

Regards

Rory