Arthur Antcliffe

Name:Arthur ANTCLIFFE
Year of birth:1859
Place of birth:Gringley on the Hill, Gainsborough.

"Private 50th Brigade/1754 Antcliffe, A. served in 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot entitled to the Bar '1879'.

The 57th were stationed in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) when in February 1879 it received orders to proceed with all to Natal, South Africa in the wake of the disaster at Isandlwana, 22nd January 1879. The battalion embarked from Ceylon on 22nd February 1879 onboard H.M.S. Tamar, and land at Port Natal (Durban) 10th-11th March 1879, arriving to city of Durban on 12th March 1879. The battalion marched up the coast and arrived at Fort Pearson on the Tugela River on 26th March, where it was detailed to 1st Brigade of the Eshowe Relief Column. The fortified mission station at Eshowe had been under siege by Zulu forces since 23rd January 1879.

The 57th crossed the Tugela River into kwaZulu (Zululand) on 29th March and began their advance. On the morning of 2nd April 1879 whilst the column was encamped in laager was attacked by a Zulu force of some 10,000 - 12,000 warriors near to a place called Gingindlovu. The 57th held the right flank of the laager and assisted in repelling the first desperate onslaught of the Zulu. It was specially mentioned by Lord Chelmsford, the General Officer commanding British Forces in southern Africa, for its steadiness under fire. On the following day the column relieved the besieged mission station at Eshowe.

After the relief of Eshowe the 57th were assigned to 2nd Brigade of 1st Division under the command of Major-General Henry Hope Crealock. Crealock was to have assisted in the 2nd invasion of kwaZulu in June 1879, however, he was something of a ditherer, and his division earned the nickname of 'Crealock's Crawlers' and rather than arriving at Ulundi (Ondine), the Zulu seat of power and taking part on the Battle of Ulundi on 4th July 1879, the 57th arrived about three weeks later and took part in the disarming of the Zulu army. The 57th were also deployed in the search for the Zulu king, Cetshwayo kaMpande, who had eluded the British forces, until his eventual capture on 28th August 1879.

Following the King's capture the 57th took part in the subjugation of border tribes on the Tugela River before returning to Durban in October of 1879, from where they embarked on 1st November 1879 onboard the hired transport City of Venice bound for England"

Arthur Antcliffe 1754 enlisted at Doncaster on the 12th August 1878...on enlistment he was a porter by trade.
He was age 19,,5ft 5,,,fresh complexion,,,brown eyes,,,light brown hair.
He was a Weslyan by religion.

he served for 12 years,,,including serving in South Africa from 5/5/1897 to the 14/12/1879,,,he also served in the East Indies {India} from 1880 to 1885. he was awarded the Zulu medal with clasp.

Source: Rootschat

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Littlehand,

I just love reading my words without proper attribution, however, I did notice I had missed a word or two, so here it is in its corrected form with some other minor amendments:

Private 50th Brigade/1754 Antcliffe, A. served in 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot entitled to the Bar '1879'.

The 57th were stationed in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) when in February 1879 it received orders to proceed with all speed to Natal, South Africa in the wake of the disaster at iSandlwana, 22nd January 1879. The battalion embarked from Ceylon on 22nd February 1879 aboard H.M.S. Tamar, and landed at Port Natal (Durban) 10th-11th March 1879, arriving in the city of Durban on 12th March 1879. The battalion marched up the coast and arrived at Fort Pearson on the Tugela River on 26th March, where it was detailed to 1st Brigade of the Eshowe Relief Column. The fortified mission station at Eshowe had been under siege by Zulu forces since 23rd January 1879.

The 57th crossed the Tugela River into kwaZulu (Zululand) on 29th March and began their advance. On the morning of 2nd April 1879 whilst the column was encamped in laager was attacked by a Zulu force of some 10,000 - 12,000 warriors near to a place called Gingindlovu. The 57th held the right flank of the laager and assisted in repelling the first desperate onslaught of the Zulu. It was specially mentioned by Lord Chelmsford, the General Officer commanding British Forces in southern Africa, for its steadiness under fire. On the following day the column relieved the besieged mission station at Eshowe.

After the relief of Eshowe the 57th were assigned to 2nd Brigade of 1st Division under the command of Major-General Henry Hope Crealock. Crealock was to have assisted in the 2nd invasion of kwaZulu in June 1879, however, he was something of a ditherer, and his division earned the nickname of 'Crealock's Crawlers' and rather than arriving at Ulundi (Ondine), the Zulu seat of power and taking part on the Battle of Ulundi on 4th July 1879, the 57th arrived about three weeks later and took part in the disarming of the Zulu army. The 57th were also deployed in the search for the Zulu king, Cetshwayo kaMpande, who had eluded the British forces, until his eventual capture on 28th August 1879.

Following the King's capture the 57th took part in the subjugation of border tribes on the Tugela River before returning to Durban in October of 1879, from where they embarked on 1st November 1879 aboard the hired transport City of Venice bound for England.

©John Young 2011, amended with minor corrections 2013.



Dave,

The photographs are of Infantry Militiamen, if you look at the Rootschat piece you will discover the relative accepted my findings that it was unlikely either of the men in the photograph served in the Anglo-Zulu War.

John Y.

There you go, Rootschat source: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=551183.0
And yes, it does say John Young.  

John Young wrote:

Littlehand,

I just love reading my words without proper attribution, however, I did notice I had missed a word or two, so here it is in its corrected form with some other minor amendments:

Private 50th Brigade/1754 Antcliffe, A. served in 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot entitled to the Bar '1879'.

The 57th were stationed in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) when in February 1879 it received orders to proceed with all speed to Natal, South Africa in the wake of the disaster at iSandlwana, 22nd January 1879. The battalion embarked from Ceylon on 22nd February 1879 aboard H.M.S. Tamar, and landed at Port Natal (Durban) 10th-11th March 1879, arriving to city of Durban on 12th March 1879. The battalion marched up the coast and arrived at Fort Pearson on the Tugela River on 26th March, where it was detailed to 1st Brigade of the Eshowe Relief Column. The fortified mission station at Eshowe had been under siege by Zulu forces since 23rd January 1879.

The 57th crossed the Tugela River into kwaZulu (Zululand) on 29th March and began their advance. On the morning of 2nd April 1879 whilst the column was encamped in laager was attacked by a Zulu force of some 10,000 - 12,000 warriors near to a place called Gingindlovu. The 57th held the right flank of the laager and assisted in repelling the first desperate onslaught of the Zulu. It was specially mentioned by Lord Chelmsford, the General Officer commanding British Forces in southern Africa, for its steadiness under fire. On the following day the column relieved the besieged mission station at Eshowe.

After the relief of Eshowe the 57th were assigned to 2nd Brigade of 1st Division under the command of Major-General Henry Hope Crealock. Crealock was to have assisted in the 2nd invasion of kwaZulu in June 1879, however, he was something of a ditherer, and his division earned the nickname of 'Crealock's Crawlers' and rather than arriving at Ulundi (Ondine), the Zulu seat of power and taking part on the Battle of Ulundi on 4th July 1879, the 57th arrived about three weeks later and took part in the disarming of the Zulu army. The 57th were also deployed in the search for the Zulu king, Cetshwayo kaMpande, who had eluded the British forces, until his eventual capture on 28th August 1879.

Following the King's capture the 57th took part in the subjugation of border tribes on the Tugela River before returning to Durban in October of 1879, from where they embarked on 1st November 1879 aboard the hired transport City of Venice bound for England.

John Young 2011, amended with minor corrections 2013.



Dave,

The photographs are of Infantry Militiamen, if you look at the Rootschat piece you will discover the relative accepted my findings that it was unlikely either of the men in the photograph served in the Anglo-Zulu War.

John Y.

Thanks John, at least it gave you the opertunity to make your minor corrections. Might be worth letting rootschat know.   

LH,

I'll see if I can make the edits on there as well.

John Y.