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A career policeman - James Blake 9 years 4 months ago #23913

  • Rory
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Blake was never going to shoot the lights out. He was a Policeman in the Boer War and carried on in that tradition untiol his retirement in the late 1920's.

James Blake

3rd Class Trooper, South African Constabulary, Anglo Boer War
1st Class Constable, South African Police


- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 & 1902 to 903 3RD CL. TPR. J. BLAKE. S.A.C.
- South African Police Medal for Faithful Service to NO. 2695 (F) 1/C CONSTABLE J. BLAKE

James Blake was born in the small market town of Romsey Infra in Hampshire on 21 April 1878 the son of James Blake, an Agricultural Labourer and his wife, Fanny.

At the time of the 1881 England census a 2 year old James was resident at Dandy Ford in the small village with his parents. Brother William was 7 months old.

Ten years later during the 1891 England census the family had moved to 13 Church Road in Romsey Infra – James (12) was joined by siblings Lewis (6) and Stephen (2); of William there is no sign and he might well have died in the interim.

One can only imagine that the idyllic rural setting in which he found himself must have proved boring to young Blake and, with the bravado and propaganda surrounding the advent of the Anglo Boer War enjoying prominence in England at the turn of the 20th century, it might well have proved to be the catalyst for him enlisting with the South African Constabulary for service.

On 10 January 1901 he completed the Form of Application to join the South African Constabulary. He was 22 years old, single and a Whitesmith by trade (apprenticed to his father who must have given up the land). Physically he was 5 feet 6 inches in height and weighed 148 pounds with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and red hair. He had a vaccination mark on his left arm and his physical development was regarded as “Very Good”. His Riding and Shooting Certificate showed that he was considered “Fair” at both.

On 14 February, Valentine’s Day, 1901 he signed the Articles of Agreement at the SAC recruiting office in Chichester. On 11 April he signed the Attestation Paper with service to start from 1 March 1901 and claiming that he had been with the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment.

Assigned no. 906 and the entry rank of 3rd Class Trooper he sailed for South Africa and was soon deployed in an active capacity with “C” Division. On 22 September 1901 at Tweefontein he was found guilty of “Neglect of Duty” and fined £1 for his trouble.

Blake seems to have kept his nose clean whilst with the SAC and, for his efforts during the war, was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps, having seen service in all three “States” i.e. Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal.

On 5 January 1903 with the war having ended some seven months previously, Blake, stationed at Komati Poort on the border with the then Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique) applied to be transferred to the Reserves of the SAC by writing to the Officer Commanding no. 6 Troop at Barberton in the Eastern Transvaal. The statement of Character that was attached described him as “Good”. His Record of Conduct and Service form credited him with service of 1 year 307 days.

The reason for his transfer request became apparent when he was employed by the Transvaal Police on 3 March 1903. He remained with them, through their various name changes until retirement from the South African Police on 28 February 1929. His Police Good Service Medal for 18 years and more service was recorded in Force Order 26 of 1924.

At some point Blake tied the knot but this union was to end acrimoniously on 21 January 1943, the date it was ordered by Mr Justice Malan that the Decree of Divorce be granted. Thus ended the marriage between Elizabeth May Blake (born Gilbert), Plaintiff and James Blake, Defendant on the grounds of malicious desertion. Blake was 65 years old and, doubtless, not interested in re-entering the marriage stakes.

Blake’s journey on earth came to an end in is eightieth year when he passed away on 5 August 1958 from a carcinoma of the stomach. He was a SAP pensioner and was survived by his children Clarence Ivan Blake; James Robertson Blake; Raymond Sidney Blake, Ethel Ida Short and Claribel Mavis Davis. He was living at the Irene Hotel, Jacob Maree Street, Pretoria at the time of his death.














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