Gifford, Major, Lord, Elric Frederick, VC

Born July 5, 1849. Edric Frederick Gifford is son of the 2nd Baron Gifford, whom he succeeded in the title in 1872. He was educated at Harrow. In 1869 he entered the Army, and in 1873-4 Lieutenant Gifford saw his first active service in the Ashanti War, taking part in the repulse of the Ashantis at Abrakampa, Amoaful, and Becquah (where he was wounded). He was with the advance guard before the Prah, and, after crossing it, commanded the scouting party up to Coomassic, and was present at the capture of that town. As a result of this campaign he was mentioned in despatches, received the VC, medal and clasp, and was promoted Captain In the Zulu War Lord Gifford joined in the pursuit of Cetewayo, and at the end of the operations carried home the despatches (mentioned in despatches, QSA and clasp, and brevet of Major). He retired from the service in July, 1880, and from that year until 1883 acted as Colonial Secretary, for West Australia, and sat in the Legislative Council. From 1883 to 1888 he was Colonial Secretary of Gibraltar. He has been a director of the BSA Company since its inception, and is chairman of the Bechuanaland Exploration Company, Charterland Goldfields, Northern Copper (BSA) Company, Rhodesia Copper Company, and is a director of some other 5 African companies. Lord Gifford married, April 22, 1880, Sophie Catherine , daughter of General J A Street, CB.


From angloboerwar.com

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Edric Frederick Gifford was born in London on 5 July 1849. His father was Robert Francis Gifford, 2nd Baron
Gifford, and his mother was Hon. Swinburne Frederica Charlotte FitzHardinge Berkeley. He was educated at
Harrow, and in 1869 entered the 83rd Foot. On the death of his father in 1872, he became 3rd Baron Gifford.

In 1874, at the age of 23, Gifford was a Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot (later the South Wales Borderers),
British Army during the First Ashanti Expedition, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the
Victoria Cross:

During the 1873-74 Ashanti Campaign, Lieutenant Lord Gifford was in charge of Scouts after the army crossed the
Prah, and he daily took his life in his hands, performing his dangerous duties. He ferreted out the enemy's
intentions, discovered their positions and took numerous prisoners. His courage was particularly conspicuous at the
taking of Becquah, Ashanti into which he penetrated with his scouts before the troops carried it.

In 1876, Gifford left the 24th Foot, moving to the 57th Foot. In 1878 he was in Cyprus, and in 1879 he was
aide-de-camp to Sir Garnet Wolesley in the Zulu War. Shortly afterwards he retired from the Army as a brevet major.

Gifford married Sophia Catherine Street in April 1880, then went to Western Australia in October 1880 and
immediately took up an appointment to the position of Colonial Secretary, and a nomination to the Western
Australian Legislative Council. After leaving Western Australia in January 1883, Gifford was Colonial Secretary of
Gibraltar from 1883 to 1887. In 1889 he became a director of the British South Africa Company.

Edric Gifford died on 5 June 1911 in Chichester, England. He had no children.

His nephew John Fitzhardinge Paul Butler also won a Victoria Cross.

Gifford is pictured here as a Lieutenant of the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot in the uniform worn during the
1874-75 Ashanti Expedition.

Soldiers of the Queen.

Lord Gifford arrived too late to see any fighting at Ulundi. Many Zulus opposed Cetshwayo and his uSutu faction, but political opposition was one thing, and betraying the Zulu King to the red soldiers was another.
Finally, Gifford found a homestead where Cetshwayo was thought to have slept the night before. Gifford’s interpreter, W H Longcast, described what happened: “Two lads were found there, and, as they denied all knowledge of Cetshwayo’s whereabouts, they were blindfolded, and a volley fired into the air. The ruse succeeded, and one, exclaiming ‘My brother is Shot!’ promised to lead Lord Gifford to the King’s retreat.” Various writer have referred approvingly to Gifford’s success in ‘tricking’ a Zulu boy. That same trick was used against white children would be more likely to be considered a war crime than a ‘clever ruse,’ as it was then called. The newspaper reporter Norris-Newman wrote that Gifford ‘had a wonderful way with the Zulus.’ It is unlikely that the Zulus would have put it exactly that way.

GIFFORD The Lord Edric Frederick
Lieutenant (later Major) 2nd Battn. 24th Regiment.(later South Wales Borderers)
Date of Gazette 28th March 1874.
Born on 5th July at Ropley, Hampshire..
Died on 5th June 1911 at Chichester, Sussex.
Memorials at Bosham Church and Bosham Burial Ground, Sussex; Harrow School and Salisbury Cathedral, Rhodesia.
.Additional Informaton: Uncle of Captain J.F.P. Butler; Colonial Secretary for Western Australia and Senior Member Legislative Council 1880-83; Colonial Secretary for Gibralter 1883-88.

Digest of Citation reads:

"During the 1873-74 Ashanti Campaign, Lieutenant Lord Gifford was in charge of Scouts after the Army had crossed the Prah, and he daily took his life in his hands, performing his dangerous duties. He ferreted out the enemy's intentions, discovered their positions and took numerous prisoners. His courage was particularly conspicuous at the taking of Becquah, into which he penetrated with his scouts before the troops carried it.

Born as Edric Frederick Gifford on the 5th July 1849, he was the eldest son of the 2nd Baron Gifford, Robert Francis and his wife the Honourable Frederica Charlotte Fitzhardinge, eldest daughter of the 1st Baron Fitzhardinge. After being educated at Harrow, he joined the Army in 1869.In 1872, the same year that he succeeded his father as the 3rd Baron Gifford, he became a lieutenant in the 63rd Regiment. The following year he transferred to the 24th Regiment, later to become the South Wales Borderers.
After the Army had crossed the Prah, in the Ashanti Wars, he was put in charge of Scouts, where he and his men showed great courage and devotion to duty. They made daily reconnaissances into enemy territory seeking intelligence on their positions and intentions.

With no other men with him he captured several prisoners. He was put forward by Sir Garnet Wolsely for his conspicuous gallantry on his penetration of Becqah, with his scouts, before the troops actually took it For these actions he was awarded the Victoria Cross and was personally presented with it by Her Majesty Queen Victoria, in April 1874, at a review in Windsor Park.

He was promoted to Captain, in 1876, in the 57th Regiment and three years later, in 1879, he was in Africa as the Zulu war was coming to an end. They had been searching for the Zulu King, Cetshwayo and had trailed him for fifteen days, ending in the Ngome forest. Here, in a small insignificant kraal, the chief had taken refuge.
Cetshwayo had led the attack on the British at Isandhlwana and massacred them. The Commander in Chief, Lord Chelmsford, was away on a reconnaissance expedition at the time. Whilst he surveyed the disastrous damage at the battle site another attack was taking place at a small Swedish mission known as Rorke's Drift against a small body of British troops under the command of Lieutenants Chard and Bromhead. Eleven Victoria Crosses were won that Day.

As Gifford's men were exhausted, he decided to wait for nightfall before entering the kraal to capture the warrior. As they rested more troops arrived under the command of Major Marter. He decided to march straight into the hideout and catch Cetshwayo, which he did. The proud Chief was dishevelled and weary, his thighs sore, from continuous travelling trying to avoid capture. He gave up without a struggle.

Lord Gifford was promoted to Brevet Major in the 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment in 1880. After this, he served as Colonial Secretary for Western Australia and Senior Member of the Legislative Council from 1880-83 and as Colonial Secretary for Gibralter from 1883-88.
Lord Gifford Died on the 5th of June 1911 in Chichester, Sussex. He was given full military honours for his funeral. The path to Bosham Church was lined with Boy Scouts and ‘The Last Post' was sounded by a bugler from the Royal Sussex Regiment. He was buried in the little graveyard a short way from the church.
He is remembered by his school, Harrow, where his name is on a memorial. A Plaque, to his memory, is on the wall inside the picturesque village church at Bosham and his grave has a stone laying above.

Footnote. The grave was damaged by the storm in 1987 when a tree fell nearby.. Workmen, burning the tree set the fire too close to Lord Gifford's grave causing the stone to split and crumble away at the edges."

See: Pictorial catalogue of AZW Graves & Memorials.

Doe's he count as one of the Devon Connection. Or his he already on there.

Hi old historian2

How would he qualify for the Devon Connection list

Click Here Photo of Gifford.

Just out of interest. Gifford's nephew John Fitzhardinge Paul Butler also won a Victoria Cross.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fitzhardinge_Paul_Butler

How long as the new headstone been in place.

Dedication Of New Headstone to Lord Gifford VC


A new headstone over the grave of Lord Gifford was dedicated at Fairfield Road Cemetery, Bosham, near Chichester in Sussex on Saturday, 02 June on the 90th anniversary of his death.


Lord Clifford was a member of the 24th regiment when he won the Victoria Cross for his gallant conduct during the Ashanti War of 1873-74. He gained further fame when serving with the 57th (later The Middlesex Regiment) as one of Lord Wolseley's staff officers during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, when he was involved in the extensive search for King Cetswayo after the Zulu army's defeat at Ulundi. The Zulu King was finally captured by Major Marter of 1st Dragoons.

During the great gale of October 1987, a number of trees in the cemetery were blown down and the headstone on Lord Gifford's grave was severely cracked. The cost of repair was estimated to be between £3,000-£4,000, a sum which has been raised by the Burial Ground Association. The restoration fund included a generous donation from Lord Gifford's former regiment, now The Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot).

Hi Chard1879

Since 23rd June 2001.

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Illustrated London News - Saturday 10 June 1911

An object of much interest yesterday at the Point was a first class and finely finished Martini Henry Rifle that belonged to Cetywayo and been his favourite weapon among the many he possessed in days past. The rifle is now in the possession of Captain Lord Gifford who takes it home with him in the Roman as a trophy of his "hunt of the Zulu King"
Natal Witness 11th September 1879