Francis Shirley Russell 14th Hussars

For obvious reasons I have an interest in the 14th Hussars. Here are details of another who served in the AZW.

Francis Shirley Russell was born on the 13th December 1840. He was the third son of of Mr James Russell of Aden, Mintlaw, Aberdeen and Caroline Lambton.
He was educated at Radley and Balliol College, Oxford, where he took his B.A. degree with honours 1862.

Military Career
Like his elder brother Alexander (74th Highlanders.Lost when the  troop ship Birkenhead sank off the coat of Africa in 1852).
He entered the army as a cornet in the 18th Hussars but on the 14th February 1862 transferred to the 14th Hussars: 6th February 1863; became Lieutenant 23rd August 1864; Captain 13th June 1868;Brevet Major 1st April 1874; Major 14th Hussars, 15th June 1881; Lieutenant Colonel 1st July 1881; Colonel 1st July 1885; Major General 20th January 1897; retired 1898.
On the 5th August 1864 he was made Instructor of Musketry at the Cavalry Depot. in Maidstone.
He served in the Ashanti war from the 17th December 1873 , was attached to Wood's Regiment, and commanded the post of Accrofooma on the lines of communications, for which services he received the brevet rank of Major and the medal with clasp.
He served in the latter stage of the Zulu War of 1879 as Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, 2nd Division, and was present at the engagement at Ulundi on the 4th July 1879, for which he received the medal with clasp. He was present with the 14th (Kings) Hussars in the Boer campaign in South Africa in year 1881. Major Russell passed the final Staff College examination in 1873 and held the following staff appointments:-

A.D.C. to General Officer Commanding the Forces in Ireland 1st March 1869 to 30th June 1870.
Special services, Ashanti Expedition, 4th December 1873 to 28th March 1874
Professor of Military Administration, Tactics and Law. Instructor in tactics, Royal military College, 18th September 1875 to 27th December 1876.
Special services, South Africa, 16th May 1879 to the 20th October 1879
Military attache, Berlin, 1887-90. Whilst there he was attached to the Staff of the German Emperor and received several marks of His Imperial Majesty's favour including a fine bronze statue of the Emperor and likewise a portrait with the Imperial Autograph. He also had the occasion to visit the Court of the King of Wurtemburg, and received from his Majesty an interesting Souvenir embellished with the royal monogram in precious stones. The Kaiser even bestowed on him the Prussian Order of the Crown

In 1881 he exchanged from the 14th Hussars to the Royal Dragoons with Lieutenant Colonel C.F. Morton, and commanded the Royal Dragoons from 1885 to 1887.
In February 1892, Colonel Russell was appointed to command the Aberdeen Volunteer Brigade
He became Colonel of the 1st (Royal) Dragoons on the 9th June 1900.

Family Life
In 1888 he married Miss Philippa Baillie of Redcastle, lady in waiting to Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Albany and daughter of the late Rt. Hon. Henry Baillie of Redcastle. (at the tim eof her death she resided at 52 Elm Park Gardens. Her funeral was on the 12th April 1935 at St Lukes, Nutsford Place London, with internment at Kensall Green Cemetery

They had three sons and two daughters:-

Alexander Duncan Cumine (employed in the Foreign office
Drostan Arthur Cumine (in British Columbia. Born 1891. Volunteered for the Rhodesian Rifles and served on the Northern Rhodesian and German East African Frontier, near Abercorn. He was on his return journey to take commission in a Highland Regiment when he died at Matononi's village,Serenje of blackwater fever. 25th July 1915)
Sydney
Philippa Caroline Comine
Helan Winfred Cumine

In 1891 he was awarded the Companionship of the order of St Michael and St George and in 1895 he was returned in the Conservative interest as Member of Parliament for east Aberdeenshire. However he lost to Mr Esselmont. In 1895 he was made M.P. for Cheltenham.
1895 Election figures
Russell (C) 3409
Wilfred Blaydes (L) 2940
Hillen (I) 23

Frank Russell was an active and eloquent MP, speaking often with a predictably expert take on farming and military affairs and a devastating dry wit which he deployed mercilessly at dozy military bureaucrats in particular.  He wrote in 1900 about failings in military intelligence and the urgent need to strengthen and enlarge it, something “which recently I endeavoured to impress upon the House of Commons (I may add in a very empty and not very attentive House, as is nearly always the case when military matters are discussed)”.

He was a J.P. and Deputy Lieutenant of the county of Aberdeen wher he has a country residence 'Aden' Mintlaw. He was the author of 'Cavalry Field Duty, Russian Wars with Turkey, Memoir of the Earl of Peterborough and other works.

He was a great lover of literature with a fine library at Aden.

He died at 10.30am on the 21st March 1912 after a long illness and is buried at Old Deer Parish Church, Aberdeen.

Sonia Clarke
He is mentioned in Sonia Clarke's "Zululand at War" Brenthurst Series 1984 ISBN0909079234 but she has him listed as Francis (Frank) Shirley. The name he appears to have used on his correspondence
p31
"The third Russell correspondent, Frank Shirley, a Major in the 14th Hussars....was one of the last staff officers to arrive, F.S. Russell's presence was superfluous to requirements  -  as even he realised. Chelmsford eventually found him a position, as deputy assistant adjutant- general to the 2nd Division, on the eve of the battle of Ulundi"

Francis met Alan Gardner on the 15th June 1879  in Durban (p211)and wrote:-
"P.S. Alan Gardner is here on his way home with a bad hole in his leg poor fellow, the result of a wound at Kambula."
Before this P.S. he writes a long letter about his experiences in arriving in South Africa.

Although  he is listed as having been at Ulundi on p231 it seems he was made Staff officer to Colonel Bellairs and was left behind in the laager. From it he witnesses from a distance and describes the fight to Sir Archibald. (pages 231 -235). He then writes a long letter to Sir Archibald giving his opinions of the campaign. Opinions that must have partly been formed by speaking to his regimental friend Alan Gardner. (p266-268)

There is one other 14th Hussar on the Anglo Zulu War medal role. Private C. Simmonds 1606. (1879 clasp). I'm assuming this could be Francis's batman.

There is a picture of his memorial here but I don't know how to post it up on the forum. Can anyone help?
https://billiongraves.com/grave/Francis-Shirley-Russell/23525438

Does anyone have a photograph of him?
Thank you
Kate

Hi Kate

Here you go

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Kate,

Standing on the second step down from the door centre right, with the cane in his left hand.

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Junior Division, Staff College, 1872.
(John Young Collection.)

JY

Hi Kate

This has been published as Francis Shirley Russell, but need to confirm it.

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Great Photo JY

A few famous faces in this group.

Andy

Outstanding work both of you
Thats a superb photo John. (though I prefer the senior intake in 1872;) )
Thank you
Kate

Andy,

Just a few of our folk there.

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(John Young Collection.)

JY

John,

The 24th officer in the 1872 photo. First named 'Archer' - but Norman Holme wrongly gives 'Arthur'. Why the Hong Kong Plague Medal 1894? quite rare and valuable more than his SAGS medal.

At the time of his call up for the Cape he was working at the Intelligence Department at Horseguards
Those who were selected to go out to the Cape on 17th May 1879 on board Mssrs. Donald Currie and Co's mail steamer 'Conway Castle'  with Russell were:-

Captain and Lieut. Colonel R.T.Thynne 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
Brevet Major H.S.Stabb   32nd Light Infantry (adjutant 32nd Indian Mutiny. Stationed in SA for several years)
Brevet Major Hugh M'Calmont 7th Hussars (late aide-de-camp to Sir Garnet Wolseley in Cyprus and with Red River Expedition)
Captain E.L. Fraser 1st Battalion 60th Rifles
Capt. The Hon. W.E. Elliot 93rd Highlanders (aide-de-camp to Sir Patrick M'Dougall in Canada
Lieut. W.H.James Royal Engineers (Intelligence Department at Horseguards. See caricature on page 267 of Sonia Clarke's book)

It appears like those staff officers who went out in 1878, they were to be employed on transport duties

Major Cecil East was also to go out and act as Deputy Quartermaster General (Crimea, wounded at  Cawnpore during Mutiny and with the Lushai campaign of 1872.)

Francis left Zululand on the 27th of August arriving at Spithead on the 2nd October 1879 on board the transport 'Egypt' in the very esteemed company of Chard and Surgeon Major Reynolds as well as many invalids from various Regiments involved in the campaign. (2 people died on the return journey the wife of Morshead of the 24th and Serg, Ward of the 58th Foot.)

Mac and Shads has the following re Ulundi :-
'Was specially reommended as "having on that occassion displayed great qualifications as a staff officer in the field"
Subsequently served as Commendant of Ladysmith

Kate

Kenny,

I wonder if Archer Anderson Morshead’s presence in Hong Kong is in any way connected with Wilsone Black’s appointment in the territory? Do you know when Black arrived there?

Was Morshead’s Hong Kong Plague Medal issued to him as an officer or as a civilian, given he was on Half-Pay by then?

JY

John
Black left England on the 28th February 1895 for Hong Kong taking over from Lieut-General G. Digby Barker C.B.
Not sure of sailing times between the two countries though.
K

I assume you are referring to Wilsone Black arriving in Hong Kong and not Archer Anderson Morshead.

Kenny,

I believe Kate is indeed referring to Black.

I have just checked on Black and he was in Belfast during the period of the plague in Hong Kong.

I also note that Atkinson has named Morshead as ‘Arthur’, it might well account for Holmes’ error.

JY

Seems Morshead retired on the 10th January 1894 and the plague swept through through Hong Kong from May to September 1894 so if he did get the medal it is highly likely he would have got it as a civilian. Seems the medal was struck till October 1895.

His wife mentioned in the above post died off  St Vincent. Apparently the ship lost one of the  blades off her propeller and pitched around violently causing severe sea sickness for many of the passengers. She died of sheer exhaustion brought on by sea sickness.
K

Excellent post , Thanks for posting the pic JY , I'm sure I could see my reflection in Russell's boots . I'd never heard of the Hong Kong Plaque medal , found one that was sold for 5K GBP's . No idea how to post the pic , will send it to Andy , hopefully he will post a pic when he has time . Thanks in advance Andy .
90th

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Posted for 90th

Andy,

He’ll never learn if you keep doing it for him.

Smoko,

Get a grip of yourself and learn how to post images.

The example shown is the silver issue, I wonder if A. A. Morshead received the gold version?

I have been searching through the Hong Kong Government’s archives for any mention of Morshead, but to no avail as yet.  I wonder if he was a member of “The Whitewash Brigade”?

JY

Hi John

Have you tried to teach 90th to post pictures, it is like banging for head on a brick wall!


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Gold Version.

JY
Please Read Andy's reply to your good self , I'm afraid I'm a T- Rex in these enlightening days of technology ! .
Andy
You my friend know me to well ! hahahahahaha
90th

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Newcastle Daily Chronicle - Friday 22 March 1912

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Cheltenham Looker-On - Saturday 23 March 1912

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Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Saturday 23 March 1912

Some great research into Francis.  Here is his 'Zulu War' medal.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]