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I have no idea how many medals were issued to the rank of Warder but Cook's was one of them. He served in the Frontier Wars in 1878/1879 and then stayed on in South Africa earning a Long Service Medal and, of course, a QSA, Natal clasp, to the Natal Police.

Henry Cook

Private, 1/13th Foot
Warder, Natal Police

- S.A.G.S. with 1878/9 clasp to 710 Pte. H. Cook of the 1/13th Foot (Somerset Light Infantry)
- Q.S.A. with clasp Natal to Warder H. Cook, Natal Police.
- L.S.G.C. to 710 Pte H. Cook, 1/13th Foot.

Henry Cook was born in the town of Frome, Somerset in 1842 the son of Samuel Cook and his wife Lucy. Cook senior was a Journeyman Edge Toolmaker by trade.

According to the 1851 England census the Cook family were resident in Saw- Pit Lane, in Mells, Somerset. Henry was recorded as being 8 years old with a sister, Hester, aged 10 making up the family.

A Miner by trade, Cook met and married Elizabeth Mary Verena Hunt at Frome in Somerset on 20 January 1860.

At Bath at 12 noon on the 8th July 1860 Cook completed the Attestation Papers for ten years service with the Colours in the employ of the 13th Light Infantry (Somerset Light Infantry). He claimed to be 20 years of age (three years older than his actual age) and was 5 feet 9 ¾ inches in height. He had a fresh complexion with grey eyes and brown hair to match and had scars on his chin, neck, breast and right forearm, unadherant and allowing free motion, by way of distinctive marks about his person.

Having attested at Bath on 30 June 1860 his long military career commenced from that day on with a medical examination at Bristol on 5 July confirming that he was Fit for service. Initially engaged as a Private with no. 710 Cook was to serve in this capacity for his entire career being re-engaged on 6 February 1868 for further service of 13 years.

After an initial stint at Home in England from 5 July 1860 until 12 November 1861 (a period of 1 year 133 days) Cook was posted with his Regiment to India where he served for a period of 2 years 169 days until returning to England on 30 April 1864. (The 1861 England census has him stationed at the Cavalry Barracks Hospital in Windsor.)

Before leaving England, however, Cook was stationed for a short while in Fermoy, Cork in Ireland where he, despite having entered the marital estate a mere year beforehand, contrived to contract Gonorrhoea for which he spent 28 days in hospital.

Whilst in India he was hospitalised on a number of occasions the first being at Dum Dum where he had arrived with his Regiment on 27 January 1863. On 9 February he was admitted for Conjunctivitis and discharged on 28 February after 19 days treatment.

Based at Darjeeling with the Regiment from 18 May 1863 Cook was out of action for a further 47 days with the same condition. This was followed by three bouts of Hepatitis, an ailment which seemed to plague him whilst at Darjeeling, with the last bout on 26 March 1863. All of these were ascribed to the climate which was patently unsuitable.

Cook’s Regiment then moved on to Calcutta arriving there on 6 December 1863 before moving on again. He was next to be found aboard the ship “Newcastle” on 13 January 1864 where he contracted Hepatitis yet again. This was on the homeward bound leg. By the time he arrived and disembarked at Dover on 30 April 1864 he was cured.

His Regiment was now at home for a spell and moved on to Aldershot where they were based from 21 June 1865. It was whilst stationed here that he had a bout of Tonsillitis of seven days duration. From there they moved on to Devonport on 3 May 1866 followed by a spell in Cork, Ireland from 3 September 1866. The Regiment then moved on to Thorncliffe, a small village in Staffordshire, on 15 June 1867 where Cook was re-engaged for further service with effect from February 4th 1868.

Having exhausted their stay in England Cook and his Regiment were posted to the Mediterranean station at Gibraltar arriving there on 4 May 1868.

They were to stay there for a period of seven years 171 days – until 2 December 1874. This included a stint in Malta where they arrived on 22 July 1872. Whilst at Malta the unfortunate Cook contracted Conjunctivitis again and had to endure the pain of a boil as well.

Cook was about to embark on, almost, the last leg of his military journey, this being to South Africa. He arrived in Cape Town on 7 January 1875 making his way, with the Regiment to the Eastern Cape soon after. On 9 February 1875 they were stationed at King William’s Town. This was the time of the Kaffir Wars as they were known where English Settlers, who had trekked into the Eastern Cape interior and acquired farming land, were under constant attack from marauding bands of black Xhosa’s intent on stealing their livestock and property. Troops, among them the Somerset Light Infantry, had been despatched to these far flung and isolated border regions to act as a buffer against them and to safeguard the lives of the settlers there.

The 9th Kaffir War and the one Cook was engaged in started after the harassing of the Mfengu tribe by Sarhili’s Gcalekas. When summoned to meet Sir Bartle Frere at King William’s Town the Gcaleka chief refused leading to hostilities. This last war was a feeble attempt by the Xhosa returning from the diamond fields to regain control of their land.

Whilst in King William’s Town, a division of British Kaffraria as it was then known, Cook’s wife gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth Roberta on 10 November 1875. This child was duly baptised on 25 December 1875 by the Military Chaplain with Private Robert Jarvis, a comrade of Cook’s being the witness. Other children of the couple were Henry John; Charles and Minnie.

The Regiment and Cook moved into Natal and took up quarters at Fort Napier in Pietermaritzburg on 10 January 1876. It must have been hard moving around the countryside in what were very primitive conditions with a young baby. Here Cook contracted a Fever which incapacitated him for 6 days before returning to duty. Never idle the Regiment moved inland to Newcastle on 21 March 1877. Although they weren’t to know it, nearby Rorke’s Drift and Isandhlwana were going to feature prominently in the annals of British history a mere two years later.

From there they were stationed in Middelburg in the Transvaal from 23 April 1878. It is important to mention that on the 17th April, 1878, 300 men of the 13th Light Infantry (1st Battalion) -- Prince Albert's Light Infantry (later known as the Somerset Light Infantry) -- under the command of Major E. L. England, marched on Middelburg and Lydenburg. Cook was among that number.

For his efforts Cook was awarded the South African General Service Medal with clasp 1878/1879 this was issued to him on 14 November 1881. The medal roll has him engaged against the Sekukuni in 1878 and the Zulus in 1879. After 4 years and 290 days in South Africa the Regiment returned home on 19 September 1879.

Cook was discharged from the army at Devonport on 19 July 1881 having served for 21 years with the Colours. His Conduct was rated as Very Good and he was awarded a pension for life of 1/1d. Whilst at Devonport he was admitted to hospital with Pneumonia in the Right Lung on 1 January 1881 being discharged 43 days later.

It was not known when Cook and his family took the decision to return to South Africa but return they did taking up residence in Pietermaritzburg, Natal where Henry joined the ranks of the Natal Police as a Warder.

The outbreak of the Anglo Boer War in October 1899 saw him stationed at the Jail in Pietermaritzburg where he served. For his efforts he was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with Natal clasp to add to his “Zulu” War Medal and Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The Queens medal was issued off the roll at Pietermaritzburg on 8 September 1901. Cook would have been almost 59 years of age at the time.

The 1901 Natal Directory list H. Cook as being a Warder at the Gaol, domiciled at 230 West Street, Pietermaritzburg.

Henry Cook passed away at Grey's Hospital in Pietermaritzburg on 2 November 1916 at the age of 77 years and 8 months. A widower he was survived by his three children - Henry John Cook, Minnie Anne (Mabel) Cook and Elizabeth Roberts Jolliffe. His residence at the time of his death was 58 Longmarket Street, Pietermaritzburg.

A very good group, Rory. Thank you for showing it.
Regards
Brett

Very nice to see three silver medals in a row like that. What unit was he when he was at the jail? Would he have been part of the NFF then? Ryan

He was a Warder during the ABW Ryan.

I don't recall seeing another QSA to a Warder in recent times.

Regards

Rory

On the Natal Police QSA medal roll I once counted the following:
21 Gaolers
12 Warders
12 Convict Guards
The 1906 Rebellion medal roll has:
77 Warders
50 Gaolers

I never did discover the reasons for these distinctive ranks, but I have assumed that Gaolers manned the prisons where the convicted were held, Warders were at police stations looking after awaiting trial and recently arrested people, while Convict Guards were escorts to the working parties that were performing their hard labour in public places.

When I was a young child in a small Natal town, convicts worked in the gardens of the Magistrate's Office and Post Office. There was probably a better class of convict in those days. I would not fancy having to rub shoulders in public places with any of the current class of offenders.

Regards
Brett

Thanks Brett

I have 2 of the Gaolers (Lightening & Darlow) and one of the Warders (Cook) for the ABW which means I have about 20% of all those ever issued to the NP for these ranks!

Maybe I should start a sub theme...

Regards

Rory