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David,
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I am quite blown away by the information you have added here, I have only just scratched the surface and finding it all fascinating! I had no idea of the history of the Pembroke Yeomanry or the Pembroke Imperial Yeomanry and embarrassed to say I didn’t know the difference, but will certainly be doing some further research. The family on my paternal grandfathers side were from Carmarthenshire , so I am feeling a bit of a connection! I found the article on Norman Biggs fascinating, I know Cardiff well, being born in Wales and brought up with rugby! What a tragedy he doesn’t appear to have any recognition…
I got totally sidetracked reading your information on Joseph John Mann and have been trying to find out why he applied to the Glamorgan Imperial Yeomanry coming from Norfolk. I was hoping to maybe find a relation in Swansea! Did I have the right Jospeh Mann, who lived with his grandparents? I couldn’t find him on a census living with his parents.
I hadn’t seen the article from the Montgomery County Times, thanks for sharing that, yes, it doesn’t sound like Major J C Harford was keen to get directly involved. Sounds like he did his bit in the Great War, what an age!
I currently live in Lincolnshire, so imagine my surprise to read Cpl Slocombe’s story!
Thank you for reviewing the picture, it’s much appreciated. I hope I find that crucial evidence, Isn’t the Welsh Newspapers online a terrific find? I have the worldwide ancestry subscription, so if I can be of any help to you, please feel free to ask!

Best wishes
Sian

Morning Sian,

I was a little early going to press on Joseph John Mann of Norfolk. I subsequently came across this in the South West Daily News of 14th March 1900 when they did an overview of the men who had enlisted in the Pembrokeshire Imperial Yeomanry:

"H. M. Leary, F. P. Cook, J. T. Clarke, and J. J. Mann have all been recently in the employ of Messrs Ben Evans and Co., of Swansea."

Ben Evans & Co was a massive department store which had been opened in 1894 and outdid any of the similar establishments in Cardiff - it was known as "The Harrod's of Wales". Sadly it was destroyed in a WW2 air raid on Swansea. It attracted employees from across the UK wishing to pursue a career in the retail trade as shown by the above names - for H M Leary please read H McLeavy (another reporter who could not read his own notes) who came from Hull, F P Cook came from Suffolk but J T Clarke was a Swansea man. The article actually missed a fifth - H J Tipling from Huddersfield.

Yes on the day of the 1881 Census Joseph John Mann was residing with his maternal grandparents.

Below is an illustration of Ben Evans & Co just after it was opened.



Best regards, David.

PS I note with interest you now live in Lincolnshire. I spent some time earlier this week back virtually in the villages to the east of Gainsborough helping a cousin sort out our family history - based on my great-grandparents I am three quarters Lincolnshire Agriculture and one quarter Durham Miner. Bizarrely the info my cousin supplied led to me working out the life & times of James William Bowness of Upton who served in the Imperial Yeomanry and died in South Africa but making little progress on my family history.

Thanks for the update David, that makes sense. I did wonder if was work related but seeing he was a shop assistant didn’t make sense, but now it does! What an impressive store, it does put the likes of David Morgans to shame doesn’t it! My grandparents knew the Morgans, I think it may have been due to my grandmothers family having Falconers Department store in Aberdeen…it’s a shame a lot of the private department stores were bought out by the likes of House of Fraser and a tragedy that Ben Evans and Co perished.
I have a free afternoon tomorrow and look forward to having another look at the men you have researched. Are you intending on publishing your findings?
It’s a small world isn’t it, with you having family connections up here. Researching my family ancestry has been a hobby of mine for many years and I don’t profess to being an expert, but if I can help at all with your tree, please don’t hesitate to ask. It sounds like I live quite closely to where your ancestors lived!
Best wishes
Sian

Above I have reposted Neville’s wonderful photos of Troop 1 of the Pembrokeshire Imperial Yeomanry “defending” Fort Pembroke, Fauresmith. Obviously posed photos but still wonderful.

The man I have marked with a yellow star is I believe their commanding officer, Lieutenant Ernald Edward Richardson. Here are two photos and a sketch of him I have found.



I have also recently discovered several letters he wrote home that were reproduced in Welsh newspapers. Here is the one covering the defence of Fort Pembroke.


Carmarthen Weekly Reporter, 30th November 1900


The following is an extract from a letter received by Colonel Richardson, Glanbrydan Park, Carmarthenshire, from his son Lieutenant Ernald Richardson: - “Yesterday, at 4.30, the Boers attacked this town (Fauresmith) and for about five hours we remained under a perfect hail of bullets. My men behaved splendidly, no one shirking, and everyone sticking to his post to the end. We shall all remember October 19 and the defence of Fort Pembroke, which we built. We finally drove the Boers right away, about four hours before the relief column arrived. Bloemfontein sent a wire congratulating the garrison on the defence of the town. We had, all told, about 150 men, whilst the Boers were about 600 strong. The commanding officer complimented my troop on the work they had done. Our list of casualties was, considering the small number of our men (twenty), heavy. Poor S. T. Thomas was killed early in the day, Greatorex is seriously wounded, while during our scouting operations R. Goss and Clay were slightly hurt. The day before yesterday I had a narrow shave. They spotted me as being an officer whilst out on patrol, and rained bullets all round me. One went through my hat, and carried it off my head, and another went between my two arms. But I got through safely without a scratch. The Boers for the present have cleared from the district, and as there are two flying columns after them, and reinforcements have come here, we shall, possibly, not see them again. I am glad No. 1 Troop have seen fighting. We have had about as hard a three days as anybody would wish for, especially in the trying experience of having to ride up to kopjes to draw the enemy’s fire. But there was no hesitation on their part, and on several occasions some of us were within 50 yards of their position before they fired. It seemed a miracle that they escaped. Francis did a very plucky thing when communication was cut. He rode right through the Boer lines to Jagersfontein with a message. He had a very lucky escape.

Ernald was to die of enteric fever but not until 1909 and following a visit to Mexico – I presume the visit was a business trip to Copper Canyon as his father was one of Swansea’s copper magnates.

Serving in the ABW and surviving and then dying of enteric fever 7 years after he left South Africa makes him unusual but not necessarily unique. However, I think he was possibly unique in two other ways but I will leave them for another post.

David,

Here are details from the two photographs showing Lieutenant Richardson. In the first image the man is holding up a revolver, a good indicator that he is an officer (though some rank and file Imperial Yeomen are known to have taken revolvers to the front - these were often presented to men by comrades and friends before departure).
Unfortunately, the resolution of the original prints is not brilliant. Formerly the property of 4191 Trooper Richard GORDON-ROBERTS.




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