2nd Lieutenant Thomas Leigh Hare, 24th

Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Sir Thomas Leigh Hare, 1st Bt. was born illegitimately on 4 April 1859. He was the son of Sir Thomas Hare, 2nd Bt. and Grace Norman. He married Lady Ida Cathcart, daughter of Alan Frederick Cathcart, 3rd Earl Cathcart and Elizabeth Mary Crompton, on 24 July 1886. He died on 22 February 1941 at age 81.
Sir Thomas Leigh Hare, 1st Bt. gained the rank of Lieutenant in the service of the Scots Guards. He gained the rank of Lieutenant in the service of the 24th Regiment. He fought in the Zulu War in 1879. He fought in the Egyptian Expedition in 1882. He fought in the Suakim Expedition in 1885. From 24 July 1886, his married name became Cathcart. He held the office of High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1889. He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for South-West Norfolk between 1892 and 1906. He gained the rank of Major and Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel in the service of the P.W.O. Norfolk, Royal Field Artillery. He fought in the Boer War in 1901. In 1905 Member, Royal Victorian Order (M.V.O.). He was created 1st Baronet Hare, of Stow Hall, Stow Bardolf, Norfolk [U.K.] on 21 December 1905. He held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for Norfolk. He held the office of Vice-Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk.
Child of Sir Thomas Leigh Hare, 1st Bt. and Lady Ida Cathcart
Dorothy Ida Leigh Hare+ b. c 1887, d. 5 Dec 1968

Please see British / Colonial Uniforms. Weapons. for photos of this sword

Subject: Re: 2nd Lieutenant Thomas Leigh Hare, 24th Sat Sep 25, 2010 9:58 pm

Thomas Leigh Hare, born 4 Apr 1859, died 22 Feb 1941. Created Baronet 21 Dec 1905 by EdwardVII. He may have been an illegitimate son who was legitimized by his father. In 1864 he was given a grant of arms when he changed his name from Norman to Hare. He was commisioned into the militia in 1879 and 1893 and in 1884 he was made Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk. He was MP for Norfolk SW in 1892.

Source: Peerage.

Posts : 15 Join date : 2010-10-17 Location : Kingston

Great to see interest in Thomas Leigh Hare. I can take better pics of the sword if you like. I had thought of selling it, then the officers history changed my decision and I'll keep care of it for now.

I read from Harts list that Lt. T.L. Hare was employed in Natal during the Zulu War and received medal.
With 1st bn. Scots Guard in Egyptian War of 1882, present at the battle of Tel-El-Kebir.
Any history not already written here is greatly appreciated.
Photo or picture of him would be great.
I would like to have one or more of his medals to accompany his sword, to put some of his history together.
Looks like a great forum to be with as my interest grows for this Zulu War!

Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi Will

Welcome to the Forum.

A great piece of History you have there. Hold onto it.

More photos of the sword would be great.

I am still looking for a photo of him, hopefully we will find one soon.

Posts : 15 Join date : 2010-10-17 Location : Kingston

Thanks, great to hear. i'll post more pics, unfortunately the sword did not come with scabbard. It is a Wilkinson p1854 Scots Guard, made in 1879 and has a medium blade. The last 1/3 of the blade has some small nicks/dents presumably from battle but more likely from play, but who knows! not enough to detract from the looks of it. The blade is etched with initials TLH and June 1880. He was previously with the 24th Foot explaining the date, so close but so far for the Zulu War!
The Wilkinson blade proof page shows it was proved on 10 Oct 1879, a 33x1" blade. As with most entries, other details are not entered.
Photos below, copy if you want them, occasionally by accident I move pics to a folder, forgetting I posted them some time ago and they disappear off the post.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Unfortunately, the images are unavailable because they were posted on photo bucket. And we all know how that ended up.

Subject: Re: 2nd Lieutenant Thomas Leigh Hare, 24th Sun Oct 17, 2010 5:59 pm

Will M. Welcome to the forum. Great first post. Idea

I would love to own that. Now that’s craftsmanship,

Quote :: I had thought of selling it, then the officer’s history changed my decision and I'll keep care of it for now.

Best decision you ever made. And what the history of the owner (Priceless)

As anyone got a photo of Thomas Leigh Hare.

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

http://www.prentis.org.uk/church.htm

Littlehand. I assuming this site am referring to the same person.

Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi Dave

Yes it is Idea

Subject: thomas Leigh Hare Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:16 am

hi Will M.
Great post , glad you are becoming interested in the zulu war .
cheers 90th.

Posts : 15 Join date : 2010-10-17 Location : Kingston

Thanks Dave for the link, I emailed the site in hopes they may have a photo and or detailed history of Hare. Amazing what others can find on the web, I've looked alot but had not found this site that looks so promising. This is what collecting is about, wether sword or any article of history that can be traced bringing together bits of information that may otherwise never be connected. It brings as they say today "added value" to the person, place or thing in a historical view.

I have another sword that I am working on as a display, but not from the Zulu wars but the Canadian 1885 Rebellions.

I will attempt to do the same with the Thomas Leigh Hare sword once complete information and a photo of him are attained. I will need a Scots Guard badge and a 24th badge with his photo, possibly some pics of the Zulu War and a mounting board to attach everything to.
The photo below is of the 1885 for a similar idea for Hares sword. It is incomplete and the write up and photo will be in the middle.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Unfortunately, the images are unavailable because they were posted on photo bucket.

Posts : 15 Join date : 2010-10-17 Location : Kingston

Hello, been a while, finished reading "How Can Man Die Better" I tried to slow down reading it as I was nearing the end, and did not want it to end too soon, but like the battle, it drew me to read the last few dozen pages without pause.

Great book.

I have been given a photo of sir Thomas Leigh Hare, who was then in 1879 a young lieutenant with the 24th in Natal when the battle of Islandlwana took place.
I have been unable to find any information of his military career in Natal.
Was he behind a desk, or after the battle was he called apon to recce the aftermath.
ANY INFORMATION about him during this time is appreciated. Below is a later photo, probably taken after the Boer War.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.][img][IMG]

Unfortunately, the images are unavailable because they were posted on photo bucket.

Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi Will

Great find on the photo Idea

Keep up the good work

Posts : 15 Join date : 2010-10-17 Location : Kingston

Thanks, many emails finally paid off once I found the right place to ask which was the Norfolk library. Very helpfull staff took a digital photo and sent it to me. They could not scan it for fear of damaging the spine of the book. The picture turned out great, a later in life photo probably when he was MP of Norfolk.
Would like to find his early career history when with the 24th in Natal in 1879. He was not destined to die like so many others of his regiment. In 1880 he transferred to the Scots Guard, why? who knows, maybe the 24th was then considered bad luck.

Posts : 1261 Join date : 2010-04-12

If has stated above, Thomas Leigh Hare was born Illegitimately. why was the Baronet title bestowed on him in 1905?

Sir Thomas Leigh Hare, 1st Baronet (1859-1941) scratch

Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

The Hare Baronetcy, of Stow Hall in the County of Norfolk, was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 21 December 1905 for Thomas Leigh Hare, who represented Norfolk South-West in the House of Commons between 1892 and 1906. The title became extinct on his death in 1941.

Posts : 1261 Join date : 2010-04-12

Hare Baronets, of Stow Hall (1818)
Sir Thomas Hare, 1st Baronet (d. 1834)
Sir Thomas Hare, 2nd Baronet (1807-1880)
Sir George Ralph Leigh Hare, 3rd Baronet (1866-1933)

Hare Baronets, of Stow Hall (1818)
Sir Thomas Hare, 1st Baronet (d. 1834)
Sir Thomas Hare, 2nd Baronet (1807-1880)
Sir George Ralph Leigh Hare, 3rd Baronet (1866-1933)

Hare Baronets, of Stow Hall (1905)
Sir Thomas Leigh Hare, 1st Baronet (1859-1941)

Subject: Re: 2nd Lieutenant Thomas Leigh Hare, 24th Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:02 am

Some more infoe:
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Posts : 15 Join date : 2010-10-17 Location : Kingston

From the Gazette for 25 March 1879:

"Lieutenant Thomas Leigh Hare, from the Prince
of Wales' Own Norfolk Artillery Militia, to be
Second Lieutenant, in succession to Sub-Lieutenant
Thomas Llewelyn George Griffith, killed
in action. Dated 26th March, 1879."

So T.L. Hare was Griffiths replacement.

I

Subject: Re: 2nd Lieutenant Thomas Leigh Hare, 24th Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:27 pm

The Bury and Norwich Post, and Suffolk Standard, Tuesday, May 19, 1891, has a biography as at the time he was entering politics.

MR. THOMAS LEIGH HARE, the now accepted Conservative candidate for South-West Norfolk, the seat which Mr. W. A. Tyssen-Amherst, M. P., will vacate at the General Election, is an ex-military man. Born in 1859, he joined the Prince of Wales's Own Norfolk Artillery Militia at the age of nineteen, and was sent out to serve in the Zulu war the following year. Transferred to the 1st Battalion of the Scots Guards in 1881, he was despatched to Ireland in the winter of that year, the mission of his regiment and the Coldstream Guards being to preserve order at Dublin. A year later Mr. Hare went with the Scots Guards to Egypt, and was in the thick of the fight at Tel-el-Kebir, and three years later, at Suakin. At the end of the campaign he left the service, and settled down in Norfolk to the life of a country gentleman. Mr. Hare last year served his county in the office of high sheriff, and is now both a magistrate and a deputy lieutenant.

Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

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Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

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Lynn Advertiser 28 February 1941

Subject: 2nd Lt Thomas Leigh Hare ; 24th Regt Thu Sep 16, 2021 6:16 am

Hi Andy
Certainly a massive turnout when you read the Mourners list !
90th Very Happy

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