LONGHURST, SEAWARD 1st Dragoon Guards.

LONGHURST, SEAWARD - 2 8 / 1 0 / 1 9 2 5 )
"He qualified MRCVS (London) on 31/3/1873 and with his regiment, the 1st Dragoon Guards, saw service in Natal from 1879 to 1880. In his book entitled Lord Chelmsford and the Zulu war (John Lane The Bodley Head 1939), Major General French D.S.O. records the following sequence of incidents involving veterinarian S Longhurst of the K.D.G's (kings Dragoon Guards).
On 21 May 1879 when the British columns revisited the battle ground of Isandhlawana for the first time after the massacre on the 22nd of January, a report was made to Miss Francis Colenso (daughter of Bishop Colenso) by Longhurst that he had seen Mr Theophilus Shepstone (son of Sir Theophilus) remove objects as well as correspondence from the dead body of Colonel Durnford. This action on the part of Shepstone smacked of concealment. At the time it was common knowledge that Miss Colenso was in love with Colonel Durnford and as he could be blamed for the unnecessary loss of life at Isandhlawana . she felt _that the correspondence removed from his body by Shepstone may have contained written orders which rendered Durnford blameless, ~nd Lord Chelmsford blameworthy. Subsequent enquiries proved that Shepstone had found no papers on Durnford's body (as it was coatless), but that his portmanteau had been handed to Miss Coleriso:unopened. Amongst the papers in this portmanteau was a despatch from Lord Chelmsford placing Durnford in sole command of the troops-and-therefore it could be assumed that he had been responsible for the massacre. It is possible therefore that Longhurst was guilty of make a false statement and that Miss Colenso in her turn was guilty-of concealment.
In 1880 Longhurst succeeded T P Gudgin as P.V.S. of the Army veterinary Department for a few months and in turn was succeeded by J D Lambert. He died on 28/10/1925 at Ash."

He accompanied Captain Becher to the Transvaal to purchase horses, and served subsequently at Conference Hill.


Married: - Annie Maude.
Service: - He entered the Veterinary Corps 1873 and served for 25 years, including overseas postings in South Africa, before his retirement in November 1898.
Zulu War: - He was attached to the 17th Lancers but was sent to Transvaal to inspect mounts prior to purchase. On his return he was stationed at Conference Hill.
Died: - 28th October 1927.
Buried: - Aldershot Military Cemetery.
Memorial: - Close to the entrance, it is a kerbed grave marked by a flat, inscribed scroll.

Date of Birth: - 23rd March 1849
Veterinary Surgeon 14th June 1873
Veterinary Surgeon (1st Class) 14th June 1883
South African War - 1879 - Zulu Campaign. Mentioned in Despatches. Medal with Clasp.
Source ‘The Army List ‘ July 1884 (p 1005 & 1317)

"Lieutenant Colonel Seaward Longhurst was Regimental Veterinary Officer, Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery from the 14th June 1873 until gazetted into the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards at Manchester 1877. He served at Aldershot and then in the Zulu War when the regiment served two years in South Africa, during which period he purchased “remount” horses throughout the Transvaal for Cavalry. He also served with the regiment in India for six years, when he judged at the large periodical Horse Fairs.

He received the Gold Medal for the best practical essay on “South African Horses”, awarded by Colonel P.Reddy V.C. Indian Staff Corps. He was appointed Staff Veterinary Officer at Shorncliffe, 1886, including veterinary charge of Dover, held appointment 1887-1890. He was posted to the 10th Hussars at York, 1890, also served with Regiment at the Curragh, Dublin, and Cahir. Appointed Professor of the Army Veterinary School, and Director of the Army and Navy Vaccine Institute, Aldershot, 1893-1898, when he officiated as Principal Veterinary Officer there.

Employed on “Remount Duty” in England, Scotland and Wales during the South African War when he passed about 12,000 horses for Cavalry and R.H.A. He was appointed Principal Veterinary Officer in Ireland for two years 1900-02. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel for special services rendered during the last South African War. On the 1st March 1911 appointed Inspector of the Board of Agriculture for the purposes of the Diseases of Animals Act 1910 and Order thereunder: appointment ceased on “mobilisation”; then employed on Remount Duty in Aldershot Town and District North of it. Inspected at Hull for exportation, about 14,000 horses per annum, for 4 years. Appointed as Assistant Director Veterinary Services 4th September,1914. Responsible for the inspection, at Liverpool, of over 93,000horses and mules from N.America, and Argentina. Served in Liverpool 3rd February 1915 to 30th April 1916."

Source:Bonhams