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Charles Robert Brent (Senior)

Sergeant, Nesbitt’s Horse – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasp Cape Colony
- Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902

Charles Brent was born on 12 April 1852 in the district of Albany in the Eastern Cape to Thomas and Mary Brent. Originally from Gloucestershire Thomas Brent was part of the 1820 Settlers who came to South Africa aboard the Kennersley Castle which departed from Bristol on 10 January 1820 and arrived in Algoa Bay (modern day Port Elizabeth) on 29 April 1820.

The area of land allocated to this party of hardy settlers was called Lemon Valley and it was here on a farm appropriately named New Gloucester that Charles was born. Life must have been tough for these immigrants and it must be remembered that it was slap bang in the middle of the numerous Kaffir Frontier Wars that Charles was born. Having been baptised in the Bathurst Circuit of the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel on 20 June 1852 he was ready to start out on life’s journey.

Career opportunities for young men in this isolated outpost far from most civilised things were few and far between and it came as no surprise that the majority of family’s eked out an existence as subsistence farmers. The Brent family was no different and Charles took to farming the land his father had been allocated. It was in this capacity that we find him some 45 years later when the Anglo Boer War broke out.

Initially the Cape Colony was far removed from any potential danger with the conflict being waged between the two Boer Republics to the North on one hand and Britain on the other. Things changed however when Boer Commandoes started to thrust deep into the Eastern Cape part of the Colony in their intended march to the sea. Charles and his son both decided to enlist with Nesbitt’s Horse, Charles Senior completing the Attestation Paper at Grahamstown on 7 September 1900. He claimed to be 45 years of age (we know him to have been 48) and confirmed that he was a Farmer. He also claimed to have been in the employ of the Civil Service at one time but didn’t state when or in what capacity. His address was provided as Hodges St. Grahamstown.

But who was this Nesbitt’s Horse whose ranks Brent had joined? About 300 strong they were raised in the eastern portion of the Cape Colony in December 1899 by Colonel Nesbitt. At one stage they numbered 5 squadrons but the numbers fluctuated.

The squadron to which Brent belonged was probably that which worked in the central district of the colony. They remained in the field until the very end. This would account for the award of the Cape Colony clasp to the Queens Medal as well as the Kings Medal for more than 18 months service both of which were awarded to 1509 Sergeant C.R. Brent Senior (QSA) and Sergeant C.R. Brent Senior (KSA)

Somewhere along the line Brent had found the time (and the woman) to marry. He wed Cecilia Jacoba Greef, a lady of Dutch descent and fathered two children, Margaret born on 17 January 1879, and Charles, born on 13 July 1881 (the same Charles Robert Brent Junior who served with his father in Nesbitt’s Horse)

After the Boer War was over the family farmed in the Jansenville area of the Eastern Cape. What became of Brent is unknown.

Hi Rory

Good to see Brent again!!

I bought the pair in April 1985 from P&G Coin Co and sold it in Nov 2006 via City Coins.

However, you have again done justice to the "Man behind the Medals". All I added to the pair in the years I had it were copies of the QSA and KSA roll pages.

Henk