Watford band boys killed at iSandlwana

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Uxbridge & W. Drayton Gazette - Saturday 06 October 1883

Article relating to the now missing plaque:

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Outstanding work Tim
Thank you

Tim
Can I ask you to double-check Daniel Gordon's date of attestation.    I have it as 6.12.1875, the link has it as 6.12.1877. I am sure there's been a slip of the finger when typing.

Evening Julian,

It looks like the 1877 date has come from Paul King (either that or it's a typo as you say). I'm away from home at present so can't check 'The Noble 24th' - I'm sure someone else on here has a copy which they wouldn't mind consulting?

Regards,

Tim

Holme's Silver Wreath has 1877 but his Noble 24th has 1875. I've seen the papers twice(in the 80s and in the noughties) and my notes say 1875 but I also have the notes from three other well-known researchers and they say 1875 too.
Of course we could all have made the same mistake but I think it's more likely that Paul King has made the error.

The Silver Wreath is referenced at the bottom of the article, so it appears that this is indeed where the 1877 date has come from.

Regards,

Tim

So it is. Will you let Paul know?

I've been looking at Gurneys.....

Two 2 James Gurney's were born in Watford of around the right age (Q3 63 and Q4 64)....I suspect from the same extended family, given the family name (James).

James and Caroline (Gurney) had 3 children (Charlotte, James and Charles)....

A Charlotte Gurney baptised her son (James) in Feb 1865.

In 1871, James Gurney (looks like aged 6) was living with his Grandparents (James and Caroline) - so at first glance it looks like James was illegitimate and something happened to Charlotte and James ended up with granny and grandad.

I can't find a death of Charlotte at the moment or record of her marrying after the birth of James but it would appear that she was working as a servant in Surrey in 1871, which could explain why James was living with Granny and Grandad. 

It's possible that she married in 1875 but being as this is outside the story, I haven't researched it in too much depth.

Granny Gurney died in 1872, Grandad Gurney appears to be still going in 1881 but he was a 'border/lodger' whereas before he was living in a house.

This is only a preliminary snoop but it could explain why James ended up in a workhouse and it puts his age in Jan 1879 as 15 or 16 (depending on which 'James' but I suspect the Q4 64 one - so the younger age). I have based this on the closest one to the baptism date (but it may not be correct)

This is slightly at odds with his age at enlistment but historically many people would not know their date of birth....year (yes), month (maybe/probably) but not always the actual day and he could have lied about his age.

Technically he should have had written consent (from a parent or guardian) for him to enlist but I'm not sure how the workhouse affected this or if 'Grandad' Gurney gave 

This gives an age of two potential Gurneys and a reason why one ended up in a workhouse.

25B/1494 Boy James Gurney: D coy 2/24th, attested 20th December 1877 'aged 15' (his actual age at attestation was 14; his birth was registered in the July quarter 1863 in Watford).  Thus he was 15 on 22nd January.  It was the much-missed Stephen Reinstadtler who found and identified him in the birth register.
This is all noted in Zulu Studies Vol. V p. 73.

SRB
It is interesting to look at the 1871 Census survey. It looks as though the enumerator was given the erroneous age of 66 (probably by the grandfather in referring to himself). It was then crossed out and overwritten with a 7, which rendered the entry unclear. The enumerator then emphasized the final 6 of the 66 as being close enough. The whole entry had by this time become messy and unclear.
7 would of course have been the boy's correct age at the time of the Census.

Hiya

Yes the 71 census is a right mess. Grandad Gurney was 76 in 1881.

I favoured the second Gurney based on the baptism date  and the mothers name at the baptism. Of course a Feb 65 baptism doesn't 'eliminate' a Q3 63 birth.....and based on the theory of why the Q4 64 JG could have been in a workhouse.

I suppose if it mattered much, I could follow the 'other' Gurney (who lived happily everafter - if that is possible in Watford) and see who his parents were - though I would suspect he was a cousin of Isandlwana Gurney

Studies V? It would have saved me an hour or so, if I'd looked in there.....I really must start to read things.....

Talking of which, do you have any news on the publication date of the next Studies edition - not that I'd read it or remember if I had.

Thanks

Simon

SRB
I'm tempted to say that I've forgotten but it's chugging along (I never hurry things) and will be out this year.

Thanks, I promise when I get a copy, I will read it from cover to cover.....and not just look at the maps and illustrations......

What? Not even the coloured ones?