TOPIC:

Lieutenant - Thomas Edward Shakeshaft Davies
South African Mounted Irregular Forces

Thomas Edward Shakeshaft Davies was born in the market town of Wellington, Shropshire in 1856, the son of architect and surveyor John Davies, who for around 50 years was the Land Agent / Estate Manager for the Corbett family who resided at Acton Reynalds. Thomas was destined to follow in the family business and indeed became an architect / surveyor in his early twenties. He took over the role from his father and for many years he was employed by the Acton Reynald estate as a manager for Sir Walter Oswald Corbett.


Wellington Shropshire

Thomas moved from Wellington and set up house in Shawbury, Shropshire. He journeyed to Dublin in 1887 where he married Emilie Teresa Clavaquin. Emilie was born in Cheltenam and was the daughter of French national Edward Clavaquin a professor of languages. Thomas returned to Shropshire where his business was becoming very successful. In 1898 he set up his own property and estate management business, with offices in Castle Chambers, opposite the Raven Hotel in Castle street Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Castle Street Shrewsbury

During his time in Shropshire, Thomas was now well known and much esteemed throughout the county. He was elected chairman of parish council's, a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters. An active member of the Shropshire Rifle Association and a serving Second Lieutenant in the Wem Volunteer Corps. It was during his residency in Shawbury that his affiliations with the Volunteer Battalion began, he was promoted to Lieutenant in the 2nd Volunteer Battalion Shropshire Light Infantry as per the Volunteer Service Gazette 1st August 1896.

In January 1900 around 18 members of the Wem Volunteer Battalion offered themselves for active service in South Africa. Alas, Lieutenant T E S Davies was not accepted ( possibly due to his age). He was greatly disappointed, but he was determined to offer his services. During this time his wife Emilie, and his 2 daughters Eileen and Cecile were in the process of moving to Sparkhill Birmingham. Whilst Thomas was planning his adventure overseas, his family and his mother in law also called Emilie resided at Fredricks Road in what was then Sparkhill, Yardley,Birmingham.

Thomas made his way to Southampton where he boarded the ship Goorkha and sailed for Port Elizabeth, Algoa Bay, as Mr T Davies "Estate Agent " aged 42. On his arrival in South Africa Thomas was given a commission in the South African Mounted Irregular Force. However, due to his profession he found himself attached to the staff of the Royal Engineers. Based in Kimberley his architectural and surveying skills were soon put to the test as he was soon overseeing the erection of fences, block houses and numerous defensive positions. There is also a reference that Lieutenant Davies was admitted to hospital sometime during October 1901, but was deemed fit to return to duty in the same month.

The attached article is from the Wellington Journal dated 1st June 1901.




Map depicting the Block House system, marked where Lieutenant Davies mentions in the newspaper article.

I believe that Thomas's time in uniform was relatively short, possibly under a year in the field. I did find an article taken from the Wellington Journal dated October 1902, which reported that Lieutenant T E S Davies who was attached to the R E staff at Kimberley had retired from the service and was now the architect and surveyor at the new Town Hall, Mafeking.
If this information is correct, then Thomas was probably working for Mr Morris Harris. Harris opened his own practice in Kimberley in 1893. The outbreak of the Anglo Boer war led Harris to move to Mafeking where he was practising by 1901, holding the position of Municipal Surveyor of Mafeking 1901 until 1905. Morris Harris carried out surveying and architectural duties on the Siege Memorial Church, the Wesleyan church and the Town Hall.


Mafeking Town Hall

I have not ascertained how long Thomas remained in South Africa and I believe his aspirations and desire to live there with his family did not come to fruition. However, I am assuming he did stay on after the conflict and carried out his work with Harris Morris as a surveyor circa 1902 to 1904. His business in Shrewsbury is also a little sketchy, it is possible that it was still functioning during his absence, but more research is certainly required. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the family in June 1906. Thomas's eldest daughter Eileen passed away aged 18. The family were still in Birmingham at this time. The next information I was able to find was that Thomas, his wife Emilie and daughter Cecile decided to emigrate, leaving his mother in law in Birmingham where she taught music at a private school. The family did not move back to South Africa, in fact they chose Canada. It is believed that Thomas arrived in 1909 and his family joined him a year later. The Canadian 1911 census records the family living in the Wellington district of Ottawa. He was employed as a surveyor in the Canadian civil service.
His wife Emilie carried on her language tutoring throughout their time in Canada. Several visits are recorded reference Emilie returning to England to visit her mother. Thomas remained in Canada for the rest of his life. During WW1 it transpires that T E S Davies exhibited a number of maple sticks and leaves which he collected and prepared to be sent to the wounded Canadian soldiers. The sticks all carefully selected from the woods of the Gatineau and finished into handsome canes have been sent to the Duchess of Connaught Hospital at Cliveden England for the use of convalescent Canadian soldiers.

Thomas died in October 1925 due to heart problems ( Myocarditis)aged 68 and he is buried in Bellevue Cemetery Aylmer Road Gatineau Quebec.
Lieutenant Davies S A M I F - QSA




Additional information and observations.

QSA medal roll records clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State and 1901 clasp. I have been unable to verify his Transvaal clasp.

His son in law, Doctor George P Howlett was the physician who is recorded on the hospital death notice.

His remaining daughter Cecile died in Canada in 1975.

Thomas's wife Emilie returned to England to be with her mother, she carried on with her tuition of languages and singing. She passed away in October 1928. Also, as per the Ottawa Journal March 1913.
Mrs T.E.S Davies of Gilmour Street revealed some interesting facts on the private life of the late Field Marshal Wolseley.
She recorded that she was very intimate friend of the deceased Viscount. She remembers him from 1874 at Monkstown in County Dublin Ireland. The two families were very close friends and visited each other very often. Mrs Davies has a photo of Lord Wolseley when he was Sir Garnet. He was a small slight man, with straight, smooth, brown hair, a good nose and fine large brown eyes, she says, in manner he was quiet and undemonstrative, and his voice so unassuming that it was hard to realise the sternness with which he gave commands in time of battle. While at Dublin he invariably wore a light grey suit and grey soft felt hat. During the past five or six years he had been so delicate in health that he was compelled to completely retire to Private life and with his wife he lived quietly in France. Mrs Davies also knew Lord Wolseley's only child. Lady Frances and his niece Mrs Everleigh, with whom she still corresponds.

Although T E S Davies was an esteemed gentleman and well known in the county of Shropshire. I have yet to find any image of this man. I will of course update the post if I am successful in finding one.

If you have managed to get to the end of this post? then I commend you. I thought it only fitting to end this story with a few lines from A E Houseman.

So, from one Shropshire Lad to another.

" Far I hear the bugle blow
To call me where I would not go,
And the guns begin to song,
' Soldier, fly or stay for long.'

" Comrade, if to turn and fly
Made a soldier never die,
Fly I would, for who would not?
"Tis sure no pleasure to be shot.

Best wishes

Dave.....

Additional information.
I managed to find the Canadian reports in the newspaper archives




I have been unsuccessful in finding any photographs of Mr or Mrs Davies. I would be grateful if any forum members could check if I have missed any clues or Archive images of this chap. Cheers.


Best wishes

Dave....

Dave - a fascinating read and I have looked high & low for a photo of Mr and/or Mrs T E S Davies but without success.

Plugging "T E S Davies" into a newspaper search produced more hits (most not on target) than I could cope with but the following indicate Captain T E S Davies arrived in Canada in 1907 or earlier and his wife & daughter followed on in 1909. Checking out Column 12 (Year of Immigration) on the 1911 Canadian Census confirms this, as the date given for him is 1905 and for his wife and daughter is 1909.

From the Ottawa Free Press of 22 July 1907:



From the Ottawa Free Press of 22 June 1909:



I thought this advert from the Wellington Journal of 17 June 1899 might also be of interest:




Regards, David

David,
Many thanks for the additional news reports, much appreciated.
Also, for taking time to trawl the archives for that illusive photograph of Thomas and Emilie.

Best wishes

Dave.....