rorkesdriftvc.com :: View topic

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 9:24 am

Hi there,
I am currently trying to research my family tree (such a daunting prospect), and I have recently discovered that my Great-Great Grandad was present at Rorke's Drift. The only info that I have managed to get from my Grand-mother is that he was awarded a medal as he was part of a recovery team who recovered "a Prince's body". However, I have been so far unable to establish who this "Prince" could have been, and what kind of medal he would have received. I was wondering if anyone out there would be able to shed some light on this as I am drawing a blank whichever way I turn.
I have visited many different web-sites, including links from other forum members, but as I am unsure exactly which Regiment he served in ("Some Welsh Regiment" - my Grand-mothers words), I am even having trouble locating his name on any of the lists I keep coming across.

I hope someone can help me.

Thank You

Jayne Page

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:23 am

Hi Jayne

It would have been Prince Louis Napoleon, good reading source (With his face to the foe by Ian Knight). The medal would have been a 1879 South African Campaign medal.

Would be very interested in your Great-Great Grandad name as I like to research Rorke's Drift defenders and might have something on him.

Andy Lee
Four for Valour

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:37 am

Jayne

It is likely - as is very common in family history research - that a mixture of vague facts or beliefs have become confused or garbled over the years but that there is a perfectly good and sound reason for the family story.

If he served at Rorke's Drift - by which it is generally meant that he was one of the 150-odd men who were caught up in the famous Defence of Rorke's Drift on the night of 22/23 January 1879 towards the beginning of the Anglo-Zulu war of that year - then he will be among the well known (and virtually 100% definitive) roll of names published widely in reliable books and on websites. See the appropriate section of this website, where the names are listed. You don't give your great-grandfather's name in your posting but if you don't find him on this list it is highly unlikely that the story has survived accurately as there are many vague (and perfectly understandable) beliefs about that an ancestor served at Rorke's Drift. Hopefully, he's on the roll!

He clearly served in the AZW of 1879 and if he is not on the above-mentioned roll, it will probably be because he was one of the thousands of men who passed through or spent some time at the supply post/base at Rorke's Drift at some stage of the campaign but who did not actually take part in the engagement there (there were several other battles in that war and "Rorke's Drift" is often confused with the war itself).

As for the recovery of a body of a Prince - well, that is easy to answer. It was Louis Napoleon, Prince Imperial of France, who was briefly attached to the British force campaigning in Zululand and who was killed in action. It caused a sensation at the time and it is not at all surprising that any involvement of your ancestor in the recovery of the body will have been passed down the family. Many different published accounts of the recovery of the body name the principal officers present and a number of these left their own versions of the episode. The names of any soldiers (as opposed to officers) would be a little harder to pin down. I'm open to correction here but I can't think of anyone offhand who was at both the Defence of Rorke's Drift and the recovery of the Prince's body over four months later, as many of the latter were still in England in January. The Prince's non-interment funeral (2nd June?) may be a different matter though.

If you produce a name here I'm sure there are many helpful contributors to this forum who could possibly suggest a regiment and provide further assistance.

Peter

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:38 pm

Perhaps one of the artillery men?

"...Apart from Rorke's Drift, ex-Gunner [Abraham] Evans has many tales to tell. He was one of the firing party at the burial of the Prince Imperial. No volleys were fired - ammunition was scarce, and all that was done was to snap the triggers..."
Extract from the Western Mail 20/05/1914

Gunner Arthur Howard and Bombardier Thomas Lewis might also have been present, although I believe John Cantwell was en route to St Helena by then...

Lee Stevenson

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:29 pm

Hi, Thank you all so much for your help in my search (it's made me very happy!)
I have since found quite a bit of info on my Great-Great Grandad, and his name is James Thomas Stevens. He was born in 1859, and I know for a fact that at the age of 40, he was no longer in the army (1901 Census). We know of a family member who does have a photograph of him and we are hoping this may give us some clues as to what Regiment he was in, as we believe it is a photograph of him with his medal! And possibly another picture of him wearing his Regimental Badge!

Thank you all again

Jayne Page

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:49 pm

Hello,

Is it possible he was in the 17th Lancers? Not sure how I would go about finding this out.

Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:57 pm

Dear Jayne ,
Please contact me at [email protected] . i might be able to narrow down your search margins. once contact has been made then i can give you a website to look into for possible progress , certain questions can be asked which will help, i look forward to hearing from you in due course , Graham .

Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 5:54 pm

Hi Graham,
Have tried to email you twice but both times it would not send due to some unknown error.
Is there any other way that I could email you the details?

Thanks

Jayne

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 5:33 pm

Jayne - he wasn't 25B/777 Thomas Stevens of the 2/24th was he? how sure are you of the 'James'? Stevens was present at Rorke's Drift and more can be found about him and his realtives in Norman Holme's The Noble 24th page 362. Stevens was born in Devonshire but lived in Glamorganshire.
P.S. You're not the Jayne Page that used to live next door to me in Basildon when I was a small boy are you?

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 3:15 pm

Dear Jayne ,
Have you managed to " crack " the contact problem with me yet ? , my address and contact details are well known now so if you want to still contact me have a look at the Archivist page on the website ( www.zuluwar-usuthu.com ) and there i am , remember to turn the sound on and hear some great sound bytes on each section , looking forward to assisting you , Graham . Cool

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 1:33 pm

Jaynepage
Can you tell me how you manage to get further than 1801 I am stll trying
Clive