It's all Sir Garnet....except for the Doctor

Subject: It's all Sir Garnet....except for the Doctor Wed Nov 22, 2023 6:27 am

Sir Garnet Wolseley's disdain for Bromhead and Chard is well known (VC envy perhaps?) but something he also wrote in his journal was about 'the Doctor'

"The only one who behaved badly was the Doctor and reports say he was a coward"

Has anyone heard of any rumours or reports that this attack may be based on.

Presumably the Doctor is Surgeon Reynolds who was awarded the VC for his medical work under fire and for running ammo to the hospital.

Was this just more VC envy - he does say something along the lines of "I hear in their the camp"

On recording the award of The Victoria Cross to Major Chard, at Inkwenken Camp, St.Paul's Mission Station, Zululand, he wrote - "A more uninteresting or more stupid looking fellow I never saw. Wood tells me he is a most useless officer, fit for nothing. I hear in their camp also that, the man who worked hardest in defence of Rorke's Drift Post was a Commissiariat officer,who has not been rewarded at all. The only one who behaved badly was the Doctor and reports say he was a coward.

Cheers

Simon

Hello Simon, the question is did he mean a medical doctor or was there another defender present who had a degree?

Hi Stefaan

I suppose he could have been referring to someone with degree but I can't think of a defender who might have had a 'doctorate' and I assumed it was a medical doctor he was referring to.

Cheers

Simon

He couldn't have meant Reynolds, could he?

No sure what he was on about - it was something that was 'reported" - which doesn't make it true of course but I believe it was referring to Reynolds......

Simon,

Wolseley’s Victoria Cross envy is of course well known.

There could be another reason why Wolseley made such a disparaging comment about Reynolds his religion. Wolseley was an ardent Church of Ireland Protestant, and Reynolds a Roman Catholic. Just my thoughts, but I think it could be a reason for Wolseley’s statement.

JY

Vindictive old goat.....

For many years I always thought that Sir G lived in my home town. We had Wolseley Hall nearby (well we used to have until it was demolished, partly by my Gt Uncle Billy), I was in 'Wolseley' House at school and I used to go to the same church as the current Lord W (he's dead now but this was 20 years ago)

It was only on later life that I learnt they were the poor branch of the Wolseley's and that 'The' Lord W title had become extant (if that's the phrase)

Simon,

There is a plaque to Garnet in Colwich, as he was a distant relative of your local Wolseleys.

JY

Hi

Colwich Church was the ancsetoral church of the Wolseley's and Ansons from Shugborough but the previous Lord W (or his family ancestors) had at some point converted to Catholism.

Rugeley and Cannock Chase (the latter, which had largely been denuded, so where more heath like) were the location of a number of army maneuvers in the Victorian period (before the more famous WW1 camp) and we have Shooting Butt's Road, West Butt's Road and East Butt's Road on the outskirts of town - supposedly made or improved by the army.

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The hill in the background is Etchinghill - one of my old stalking grounds....(albeit 100 years later)

Thanks

Simon

Simon,

Interesting photograph. I posted it recently and asked if anyone thought it was Fort Pearson? It was thought that it was. How odd.

JY

It might not be Etchinghill, then - I lifted the photo from Staffordshire Past Track - there's 2 or 3 photos of the Autumn Maneuvers.

TBH it does look like Rugeley but there are some 'buildings' on top of the hill - I will do some more snooping on the Internet.

Can't find a decent modern image of the hill, there has been a lot of tree growth concealing it from the road but I'm certain it is Etchinghill.

Found a couple of photos, which show shape of the hill

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This is the graphic version of the hill.

The flag pole is still there - or it was during my lifetime (there is sandstone out crop at the top of the hill)

The road heading off passed the hill would become Bower Lane.

I'm sorry to overdo it but it's the first time I can post anything with authority on his forum......

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As a final point about this area.

My family came from a small village very near to Etchinghill, called Slitting Mill - the Marquis of Anglesey had iron smelting works along the stream - hence the name.

In a desperate attempt to find hero amongst the Brown's, I have been for many years 'doing' my family tree....

You do have to take some transcriptions of documents with 'Julianesque' caution.

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Thanks for the eponym!

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