TOPIC:

A very nice medal and detailed write-up. Many thanks, Steve.

3368 TROOPER H.M.FRENCH: KITCHENER'S HORSE.

Henry Mowlam French had previously served in the rank of Trooper in the Duke of Edinburgh's Own Volunteer Rifles with the regimental number 4329.
On the 2nd February 1900, at Cape Town, he enlisted into Kitchener's Horse in Cape Town, the Nominal Roll recording the regimental number 3368 and rank of Lance Corporal.
His length of service in KH was tragically cut short when he died of the ghastly enteric fever at Kimberley on 31st March 1900. His remains were interred in Gladstone Cemetery, Kimberley where his name is commemorated on Monument 2 (Watt 2000).
Further studies of the other available casualty rolls (Palmer 1999 and Hayward 1982)both concur with his cause of his death and his rank of Lance Corporal.
He is further remembered on the imposing and impressive Boer War Memorial to be found on Grand Parade in Cape Town.



The Anglo Boer War Memorial, Grand Parade, Cape Town.


Close up of top sculpture (unfortunately photo bombed by a gull!).


H. M. FRENCH is to be found inscribed on this panel listing the fallen of the Dukes. He is along the seventh row from the top.



Queen's South Africa medal awarded to 3368 Trooper Henry Mowlam French. The clasps for Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg and Driefontein are confirmed on Medal Roll for KH (WO100/256. Medal Roll for DEOVR (WO100/246) has Cape Colony crossed through.


Officially impressed Number, rank and name to the rim of the QSA.


Regimental naming to the rim.

I think it would be reasonable to assume that Henry was a resident of Cape Town during the pre-war period in order for his name to be commemorated for posterity on the memorial in Cape Town.

I am hoping that David might be able to please provide an attestation document which may expand on what we now know about this unfortunate man.

Any help would be most gratefully received.

Steve,

I have been through the whole set of images for Kitchener's Horse in case his attestation paper was mis-filed but, I am sorry to report, no paper found.

There are few papers for DEOVR and again, not one for him.

Best wishes
David

His death certificate is filed under H W French

Thank you for taking the time to look through the attestation documents. We normally get lucky with Kitchener's Horse. I can now add his Death Certificate to his file of research.
Cheers Steve

3579 TROOPER WILLIAM HAYWOOD MORRIS: KITCHENER'S HORSE.
(AND A HIDDEN TIGER!).


William Haywood Morris was born on 25th April 1876 in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, and baptized at St. George's Anglican Church, Doncaster on 23rd May that year.
He came from a reasonably wealthy family as his father William Robinson Morris was a merchant by occupation. He is variously described as a Seed Merchant and also a Timber Merchant, so a degree of Victorian entrepreneurship would have been part of William's upbringing. His mother was Mary Ann Morris.
Their address at this time was "Bennetthorpe", a residence in Doncaster.

By 1881 the family were now living at Highfield Terrace, Thorne Road, Wheatley, Doncaster. Young William, now aged 4, and his parents were living with his siblings; Kate (13) and Harry (11).
The domestic needs of the family were attended to by General Domestic Servants by the names of Susan Perch (27) and Annie Wilcock (22).

The Census of 1891 records the family still at the same address, but joined by the further addition of another son Stanley (9).
William senior was now a Chemical Merchant. This business income continued to allow the family to employ a Cook by the name of Polly Hayne and Annie Hill who was Housemaid.

William had obviously received a good standard of education and would no doubt have had no problem in financing his emigration to South Africa to try his luck with all of the men of profession, miners, speculators and chancers that flooded into the country to seek their fortunes.

As an uitlander, he would have felt compelled to enlist into one of the regiments raised to combat the two Boer Republics when war between The Transvaal and Orange Free State with the British Empire broken out in October 1899.
This he did on 9th February 1900 by attesting to Kitchener's Horse at the age of 23 and an Engineer by trade. Interestingly, his record of service has handwritten that 'except saddlery " would remain the property of the State, while"Arms, Equipment " would be returned.
Did he supply his own saddlery?

However, his service with Kitchener's Horse proved to be short as he was transferred to Rimington's Guides (later renamed Damant's Horse) on 27th April 1900. He must have been in possession of the necessary skills required by his new corps, which can be considered one of the elites of the conflict. Riding, shooting, scouting and knowledge of the country were all the essential qualities sought by Rimington.

William does not appear in any of the casualty lists and as far as I am aware I do not know of any literature which refers to him by name. However, he does have six clasps to his QSA, so would have been in the thick of it!

David (djb) very kindly posted William's record of service and discharge documents on another thread, which revealed his discharge at Winburg on 9th August 1900. The document is most unusual in that it is all handwritten. One can surmise that no printed copies were to hand at the time perhaps!
He left Rimington's at his own request. His character was described as Good, and his length of service as 115 days.
His next of kin was father W. H. Morris of Avenue House, Doncaster.


Queen's South Africa medal awarded to 3579 Tpr. W. H. Morris, bearing the clasps Cape Colony, Paardeberg and Driefontein (WO100/256 Kitchener's Horse) and Johannesburg, Diamond Hill and Wittebergen (Rimington's/Damant's service).


Number, rank and naming to the rim of the medal.


Regimental naming to the rim. Please note how the impressed naming differs from the usual KITCHENER'S HORSE normally encountered on medals to the unit.
Here we have KITCH:HORSE.
Does it differ due to being a later issue than the main minting run because he was transferred out?
Has anyone else seen this on other medals to KH?

William's South African adventures were not to lead to his permanent residence in-country, as evidenced by the UK Census of 1911.
He was present at his brother Stanley's house on Census day at 6 Tickhill Road, Balby, Balby with Hexthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was still a 35 year old Engineer by occupation.
Stanley Morris (29) resided with wife Gwendoline Sarah (26) and sons Charles Richard Staby (4), Harry Robinson (2) and Colin Nicholson (1). Family finances were still good with the employment of servants Sophia Merrier (19) and Minnie Gallop (21).
William was accompanied by his wife Edith Mary (29 born in Retford, Nottinghamshire).
Were William and Mary visiting or did they live under his brother's roof? I do not know.

William Haywood Morris was to pass away at the young age of 48 on 25th January 1925. His name is inscribed on this panel found on the family monument at Hyde Park Cemetery, Doncaster, South Yorkshire.


Sadly, the needle/column from the top of the family memorial has fallen off and now lies on the ground. Whether caused by an act of vandalism or fallen over due to a weather/fallen tree event , it is most unlikely to be restored to its former glory. This is very sad as it commemorates a man who served his queen and country.

Acknowledgements

David for raising William's handwritten documents which confirmed the link with Doncaster. William's name variously misspelled in army records W.H.M.MORRISS, which introduced a little uncertainty.

Findagrave for images and location of the family memorial. (Reproduced here for research purposes).