Personalities, Surname V

Valentia (11th Viscount), Arthur Annesley, MP Lieutenant Colonel Oxford Yeomanry Cavalry

Assistant Adjutant General Imperial Yeomanry.  Lord Valentia, born in 1843, succeeded his grandfather in 1863.  He retired from the 10th Hussars in 1872, and in 1878 married the widow of Sir Algernon Peyton.

Van Campen, Captain

He joined Bethune's Mounted Infantry as a trooper, and went all through the Boer War with that Regiment, having reached the rank of Captain on its disbandment. He was appointed Superintendent of the Repatriation Department at Middleburg in 1902.

Van Hulsteyn, Sir William

Born in 1865, and is strongly identified with mining interests on the Rand, his Directorates being many and influential. He received his accolade for services as Legal Adviser to the C in C during the Boer War.

Vaughan, Sir J C T

Sir John Charles Tudor Vaughan, KCMG, MVO (1870-1929); Attache Diplomatic Service, The Hague, 1894; appointed Third Secretary, Athens, 1896 and held the same position for Cairo, 1897; appointed Second Secretary, Pretoria, 1899; Assistant Private Secretary to Lord Milner, 1899; Political Secretary to Lord Roberts, 1900; Assistant Secretary to Administration of Transvaal, 1901; appointed Second Secretary, Peking, 1901 and the held the same position for Constantinople (1903) and Madrid (1905); Secretary to the British Delegation and Member of Drafting Committee at Algeciras Conference, 1906; appointed First Secretary, Copenhagen, 1906; Acting Charge d’Affaires, Santiago, 1911 and for Bucharest the following year; Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Chile, 1918-22 (CMG 1918); held the same position for Latvia and Estonia, 1922-27; Commissioner and Consul-General, Lithuania, 1922-24 and also Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, 1924-27 (KCMG 1925); went on to hold the latter position in Sweden, 1927 (Order of the Dannebrog, 2nd class); Vaughan died in his post (1929) and was carried home to the UK in the Swedish destroyer Ehrenskold, his memorial service was held in St. Margarets, Westminister.

MVO 4th Class reverse numbered ‘227’, QSA (3) CC OFS Tr these contemporary tailor copies (J.C.T. Vaughan. Esq.), Coronation 1902, Coronation 1911.
Entitled to QSA (0). However, Lord Milner was entitled to the three clasps represented on Vaughan’s medal.

Spink Nov 06.

Verner, Lieutenant Colonel W Willoughby Cole

Entered 1873; Lieutenant Colonel, 1896.  Staff service: ADC to Major General, Gibraltar, 1877-78; DAA and QMG, Egypt, 1885; DAAG for Instruction, SE District 1885-92; Professor R Military College, 1896-99; DAAG (Topography); South Africa, 1899.  War service: Sudan Expedition 1884-85 (Despatches; medal with 2 clasps; bronze star); Boer War, 1899-1900.

Villiers, Major Charles Hyde

Born in Essex, Sep 21, 1862, and is son of the Reverend Charles Villiers. He was educated at Marlborough, Oxford, and Sandhurst, taking honours in History at Oxford; entered the Army in 1887, and served in 1893 as ADC to Sir Gerald Portal on a mission to Uganda (mentioned in despatches); also served under General Macdonald during the Muhammedan Rebellion in Uganda, and in the Unyow Campaign, under General Colvilc (mentioned in despatches); served in Matabeleland in 1895-6, as second in command of the Rhodesia Horse; took part in the Jameson Raid under Dr Jameson; and in the Boer War in 1899-1900 (mentioned in despatches). He joined the IY, 3rd City of London (Rough Riders) after being fifteen years in the Army. Decorations: the Central African medal, QSA with three clasps, and the Star of Zanzibar. Major Villiers contested, unsuccessfully, S Wolverhampton in the Unionist interest in 1906; is Chairman of the Wassau West Amalgamated Mines, Ltd; Director of the Berehaven Copper Mines, Ltd; Brazilian Diamond and Exploration Company, Ltd; East Africa Syndicate, Ltd; Fanti Consolidated Mines, Ltd; Fanti Mines, Ltd; Rhodesia Broken Hill Development Company, Ltd; Rhodesia Copper Company, Ltd; and the Sebakwe and District Mines, Ltd, and is on the London Committee of the Bushveld Tin Mines, Ltd, East Rand Extension Gold Mining Company, Ltd, and the Lydenburg Land and Exploration Company, Ltd He married, Aug 17, 1901, Lady Victoria A Innes-Ker, daughter of the seventh Duke of Roxburghe.

Vincent, Sir Charles Edward Howard, KT, KCMG, CB, MP, Lieutenant Colonel 13th Middlesex VRC

Born May 31,1849, at Slinfold, Sussex, and is the second surviving son of Reverend Sir Frederick Vincent, Bart. He was educated at Westminster, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and served in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers from 1868-73, and from then until 1875 as Captain in the Royal Berks Militia, afterwards commanding the Central London Rangers until 1878, when he became Director of Criminal Investigation in the Metropolitan Police; acted as Colonel commanding the Queen's Westminster Volunteers from 1884-1904, when he was appointed Honorary Colonel, which position he still holds. He suggested the employment of Volunteers in South Africa in 1899, and took a leading part in the formation of the City Imperial Volunteers. During the War in South Africa he served for a considerable part of the campaign, being present at the operations before Ladysmith and the surrender of Paardeberg, writing two treatises on the War. Sir Howard has sat in Parliament for Central Sheffield since 1885, and is a Director of Hadfield's Steel Foundry Company, Bucknall Steamship Lines, and the New Eastern Investment Company; is a Commander of the Legion of Honour of France, of the German Crown, and the Crown of Italy; Barrister at Law of the Inner Temple; Bachelier des Lettres et des Sciences, and Member of the Faculte de Droit of Paris. He is the author of numerous publications, including, The Police Code, Russia's Advance Eastward, Elementary Military Drawing and Reconnoitering, The Imperial Parliament, Procedure of Extradition, and numerous addresses on Foreign Armies and British Trade. In 1887 he initiated the Probation of First Offenders Act; the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances) Act, in 1888; Reformatory and Industrial Schools Act, in 1891; Judicial Trustees Act, in 1896; Aliens Act, in 1905; and the Public Trustee Act, in 1906; was also the Founder of the United Empire Trade League in 1891, and has acted as Chairman of the Publication Committee of the Unionist Party since 1895. He married, Oct 26, 1882, Ethel Gwendoline, daughter and co-heiress of George Moffatt, MP, of Goodrich Court, Herefordshire.

Vincent, Captain Louis Leon

He was originally intended for the Church. But he entered the French Navy as a Middy; served through the Crimea (medal), and since going to South Africa has seen considerable active service in Colonial warfare. Although advanced in years he joined Brabant's Horse in the Boer War, and was latterly Commandant for the District of Tarka, Cape Colony (medal).

Vivian, Lord

He was born in 1878, and is son of the 3rd Baron. He was educated at Eton, and formerly belonged to the 17th Lancers, serving in the Boer War, in which he was severely wounded. He married, in 1903, Barbara, daughter of William F Fanning.

Vlok, Reverend

Pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church at Picquetburg, Company He tried to keep his people loyal during the Boer War (1899-02) and took his turn in the trenches when his town was attacked. His loyalty brought upon him the displeasure of his congregation. He was boycotted by his brethren of the DRC, and was compelled to give up his ministry, after twenty-one years' service, on a pension (November, 1902).

Vyvyan, Colonel

The eldest son of the Reverend Sir Vyell Vyvyan, of Trelowarren, Cornwall, and served on the Staff in the Matabele Campaign of 1896. He was besieged in Mafeking in the Boer War, and was appointed to the 1st Battalion of the East Kent Regiment in 1902.

Vyvyan, Rt Reverend Wilmot Lushington

Born in England, Aug 12, 1861, and is third son of the Reverend Sir Vyell Vyvyan, Bart., of Cornwall. He was educated at Charterhouse, Trinity College, Cambs., and the Wells Theological College Ordained Deacon in 1888, and Priest in the diocese of Rochester in 1889. From 1888-92, he was Assistant Missioner to the Charterhouse Mission, Southwark, and Missioner from 1892-1900. He was appointed a Missionary in the diocese of Zululand in 1900, until 1902, when he became Bishop. He was consecrated in St Saviour's Cathedral, Maritzburg, in May, 1903, by the Bishop of Pretoria (Acting Metropolitan). The Bishop is not married. Following on the Zulu rising in 1906, Bishop Vyvyan wrote to the Natal Govt, alleging that Colonel Royston's column early in July took stock belonging to loyal natives, entered kraals, robbing loyal natives of clothes and money, and tearing clothes off women's backs. The Bishop characterised the conduct of the column as a deep disgrace to Englishmen. Further charges were that certain natives found hiding were brought to camp on July 5, five of them being shot the same afternoon, and the bodies thrown into a donga to rot; that the father of three of them who had not taken up arms was forcibly compelled to look on whilst his sons were shot. The Bishop said his object in writing was to endeavour to ensure that if the troops should enter the district again there would be no repetition of such treatment. Colonel Royston, on hearing the charges, appointed a Court of Inquiry, consisting of Major Smallie, Major Fraser, and Captain Dickson. The Court found the charges of robbery not proven. Five native prisoners were undoubtedly shot in attempting to escape near the camp at Rorke's Drift, but the Court considered the shooting justifiable. Judge Beaumont afterwards held a formal inquiry into the matter, with the result that the Judge's report acquitted Royston's Horse, and considered that the allegations of cruelty were not proved, although the Bishop was justified in bringing the information he received before the notice of the Government.