Ladies / Gents
Help Needed !
I hope the members of this fine forum are able to help resolve a dilemma I have with a medal being researched.
Specifically I'm looking to see if anyone knows of the location /or can provide a photo of the attestation form for:
643 Tpr J H Mcelroy SAC
And especially on the Date of Birth and Religion fields.
I'm aware of electronic transcripts of SAC at ancestors.co.za but this doesn’t help - in fact if anything details on there increase the mystery. The mystery is that there are 2 potential candidates that fit the bill in several regards - though one was Presbyterian and the other Roman Catholic. Whilst the birthyear on ancestors.co.za points one way, several other key facts point the other way.
Whichever is the correct one provides a very different story.
Facts / Primary sources
§ QSA medal inscribed to 643 3rd cl Tpr JH Mcelroy
§ Qsa medal role confirmed (WO-100-272_02 p.87)
§ Original SAC discharge certificate to 643 Joseph Hugh Mcelroy dated March 1904 which states :
○ Age 29y 11months (calculated birthdate of April 1874) - unless the discharge certificate was also filled in at point of attestation (in 1901) and just filed for signature several years later at end of service (?)
○ Intended residence on leaving : Eskermore, Augher (County Tyrone, Northern Ireland)
Other considerations
Ancestors.co.za records (ie may be transcribed incorrectly?) of 643 Joseph Hugh Mcelroy state :
○ Birthdate of 13 Nov 1874
○ Next of Kin listed on attestion in Apr 1901 is 'father'
○ Trade : farmer
An Obituary in Belfast Telegraph 1962 for 'Joseph Mcelroy' 'Boer war veteran', Of Glenhoy (Eskermore) aged 92 (so calculated birth year 1870).
Candidate 1 (source Ancestry. Co. uk)
§ Joseph Mcelroy (No evidence of middle name Hugh - though not unusual for middle names not to be used even on census )
§ Date of Baptism 13 Oct 1874 (though no documentation provided on ancestry)
§ Father, James, listed died in 1885 (though no documentation provided on ancestry)
§ So would NOT have been alive to be listed as NoK in 1901 - though Joseph may have mentioned his 'dead' father for many reasons.
§ 1911 census : resident in Ballyscally (approx 1.4m south of Clogher), recorded as Roman Catholic, Farmer
Candidate 2
§ Joseph Hugh Mcelroy (from 1911 census)
§ Birthdate given as 13 Nov 1870 Source Find a grave (though no documentation provided)
§ 1911 census resident in Eskermore (approx 2.6m North of Clogher)
○ Same Town given on discharge form 7 years earlier
○ 1911 census gives age as 39 (calculated Birth year = 1872), Presbyterian, Farmer
§ Father dies 1925
○ So would have been alive to be listed as NoK in 1901
Interim conclusion
I more inclined to candidate 2 because of :
§ Only evidence of middle name
§ Father alive in 1901 to be listed as NoK
§ Resident in Township listed on discharge certificate
The doubt is that :
§ the electronic attestation date of birth on ancestors.co,za is one month out BUT IN THE SAME YEAR for candidate 1 not several years as would be needed for candidate 2
§ Discharge certificate in 1904 with the age of 29 indicates 1874 birth year - consistent with candidate 1 UNLESS discharge forms were known to be filled in with age at attestion and stored for signing on expiry of service.
§ Though there are cases of individuals bending their age (both up and down) for attestation purposes, Joseph would have no reason to do so - he was comfortably within the recruitment range for SAC at point of recruitment.
I'm deliberately refraining from any assumptions on religion and have chosen not to share other circumstances of their respective family backgrounds - members of both religions are known to have served.
If anyone can help resolve this dilemma, Id be very grateful.
Please help me bring this persons service out of the shadows of history...
Thanks as ever
Jo
