Somerset soldiers killed at Isandhlwana

Posts : 6 Join date : 2017-02-26

Hi I am probably asking the impossible but does anyone know if there is a way of finding out where the soldiers who were killed at Isandhlwana were from? I.e.Their home towns.
We are having a celebration day for Henry Martin a local who was at Rorkes Drift. There were a few other locals there as well. So it seems likely that there were more at Isandhlwana. I have a list of names but not where they were from.
Thanks for reading.
Andy

Posts : 178 Join date : 2017-02-05 Location : Texas, U.S.A.

andysandersuk,

There is a memorial window, located in the north transept of Wells Cathedral, to the Somerset men who fell in the Zulu War. (The above information taken from “The Shepton Mallet Journal,” page 5, Friday, November 13, 1903.)

I hope this helps.

Petty Officer Tom

Posts : 230 Join date : 2011-10-18

There is a family headstone in Haselbury Plucknett to Private Frank Gooding of the 3rd Regiment (Mounted Infantry) who possibly survived Isandlwana but later died in Helpmekaar.

Regards,

Tim

Subject: Someret Soldiers Killed at Isandlwana Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:43 pm

Hi Andysandersuk
Yes you can , there is a publication titled ' The Noble 24th ' by Norman Holme ...it does state where many of them were born or where they enlisted , not all of them , but quite a few . How many names do you have ? . The book can be picked up on ebay for about 30 GBP's if you are lucky .
90th

Posts : 6 Join date : 2017-02-26

Yes Tom it does thank you very much. I live 10 minutes away from Wells so I will go and take a look, all the best.

Posts : 6 Join date : 2017-02-26

Thank you Tim, I will check that out.

Posts : 6 Join date : 2017-02-26

Excellent advice, thank you. I have ordered the book from eBay, managed to get it a bit cheaper - second hand.
Thank you.

Posts : 23 Join date : 2013-04-30

Greetings. 1348 Private Cornelius Marney [Mahoney on some rolls.] in 1861 was living in Chilcompton with his parents, [ born in Cork], and his two brothers, both born in Chilcompton. Regards.

Posts : 6 Join date : 2017-02-26

wentworth wrote:: Greetings. 1348 Private Cornelius Marney [Mahoney on some rolls.] in 1861 was living in Chilcompton with his parents, [ born in Cork], and his two brothers, both born in Chilcompton. Regards.

Thank you Wentworth, Chilcompton is 5 mins from me, and Henry Martin, who was at Rorkes Drift.

Posts : 230 Join date : 2011-10-18

Andy,

You may already be aware of another Rorke's Drift defender at Paulton, Somerset - link below to some photos of his grave:

https://www.1879zuluwar.com/t672-972-pte-george-edwards-orchard?highlight=Orchard

With regards to Cornelius Marney, it may be worth having a look inside the church as there could be a memorial of some description. Or on a family headstone in the churchyard?

Regards,

Tim

Posts : 2450 Join date : 2011-09-12

Actually Gooding WAS a survivor of Isandhlwana. I now know this for certain (see latest edition of England's Sons).

Posts : 230 Join date : 2011-10-18

Just come across another Somerset connection with an Isandlwana casualty, the following comes from The Bridport News and Dorsetshire, Devonshire and Somersetshire Advertiser of Friday May 2, 1879:

HASELBURY

HONOUR TO THE BRAVE - Among the victims to the ferocity of the Zulus at the Isandula disaster, was Private Bryant, belonging to this village, who enlisted in the ill-fated 24th Regiment some years ago. Private Daw, another Haselbury man, was also in the same regiment, but he was not at Isandula at the time of the catastrophe.

The former appears to be 25B/1177 Private Wm Bryant of 'B' Coy 2/24th, while the latter is Rorke's Drift defender Private Thomas Daw, also of 'B' Coy who is known to have lived in Haselbury Plucknett.

By coincidence, this is also the location of the gravestone which commemorates Isandlwana survivor Frank Gooding, mentioned earlier in this thread.

Regards,

Tim

Posts : 2450 Join date : 2011-09-12

Tim
One of four B coy soldiers at Isandhlwana:
Ptes. (B coy) 25B/1177 Wm. Bryant, 25B/1491 Boy Daniel Gordon, 2-24/1576 David Pritchard, and 25B/1495 Robt. Smith
Apart from Boy Gordon I wonder why the others weren't with their company?

Posts : 230 Join date : 2011-10-18

Evening Julian,

Yes, I had noticed the other B Coy ranks killed at Isandlwana in your book and thought it strange that they were there....

Also, I wasn't aware that Band ranks were assigned to 'fighting' companies - I had always assumed that they came under the command and control of the Battalion HQ and used as and where needed on the battlefield (i.e. stretcher bearers, ammunition resupply etc.) - there is evidence to suggest that Boy Gordon was a member of the band, alongside of course 1/24th survivors James Bickley and Edmund Wilson (F & B Coys respectively).

Regards,

Tim

Posts : 2450 Join date : 2011-09-12

Tim
I believe bandsmen, etc. remained with their coys until instructed otherwise. I think the beginning of Pte. Wilson's statement demonstrates this point for bandsmen and cooks.

Posts : 230 Join date : 2011-10-18

Thanks Julian.

Posts : 441 Join date : 2013-05-07 Location : Brecon

A local historian - J C Kenworthy - from Combe St Nicholas in early 1990s wrote a series of articles on the locals involved in the AZW under the titles 'The Somerset Connection'.

Subject: Re: Somerset soldiers killed at Isandhlwana Thu Oct 15, 2020 10:28 am

Ref the B coy men at Isandlwana, as I understand it all the cooks and drivers, grooms, batmen etc, as well as the band, were on the company strengths rather than in battalion HQ for battalions on the lower South Africa establishment of 896 all ranks, compared to units on the normal war establishment of 1097 all ranks who presumably had proper HQ company establishments. Probably 4 or 5 men from each company detailed to these various HQ rolls then. Regards Phil

Posts : 2450 Join date : 2011-09-12

Herbie
Not necessarily so. If you look in England's Sons p. 4 at the numbers from other 2/24th coys at Isandhlwana you'll find there are more than just 4 or 5. A coy, for example, has 26, H coy 11, D coy 12, and so on.

Subject: Re: Somerset soldiers killed at Isandhlwana Thu Oct 15, 2020 10:19 pm

Hi Julian
I think those are additional men left behind from the companies present with Chelmsford. I think A coy had a duty Section left behind on guard duty and the other companies left a few men behind to mind their company baggage and/or men sick etc.
Phil.

Posts : 2450 Join date : 2011-09-12

Quite so. That's what I was trying (in my clumsy way) to say.