TOPIC:

William John Hodgson

Trooper, 2nd Brabant’s Horse
Lance Corporal, 2nd Scottish Horse – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Belfast, Wittebergen & Cape Colony to Brabant’s Horse
- Kings South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902 to Scottish Horse

William Hodgson was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England in about 1865 the son of William Hodgson and his Irish wife Bridget.

The first exposure we have to him came with the 1871 England census where, as a young boy of 6, he was living with his parents at 44 Smithfield Street in Sheffield. The family was rather a large one with William senior, a 29 year old Gasmaker by profession, being joined in the home by his wife (32), and offspring Hannah (9), Christopher (8 ) and baby Thomas (1)

Ten years later, at the time of the 1881 census the family had moved to 28 Edith Road in Brightside Bierlow and, in the tradition of the times and doubtless through economic necessity, a now 16 year old William was employed as a Labourer in an Iron Works. Of his father there was no sign and it is suspected that he had already passed away. Both William’s older brothers were also employed at the Iron Works, obliged to contribute to the family’s coffers. A brother, James Hodgson, who had been excluded from the previous census now made his appearance at the age of 13 and was joined by Thomas, now 11, and new additions (William’s parents had not been idle in the intervening years) Mary Jane(8 ) and Martha (4). Older sister Hannah was now 19 and, as events would show, was already making plans to try her luck in America.

The 1891 census was significant only in so far as William, who would have been 26 years old, was absent from it. His kith and kin had moved to 196 Don Road, in Brightside Bierlow and only Christopher, Thomas and the younger girls were still at home. As has been mentioned Hannah had “flown the coop” and was now married to a Jerome Wood of Raquette Lake, Hamilton County, New York State.

At some point, and it can imagined that this is why William is not in the census, he emigrated to South Africa, most likely in search of his fortune. Unbeknown to him the two Boer Republics who had long been at loggerheads with Great Britain, declared war in October 1899 and many a man, stirred on by patriotism, enlisted with one or more of the locally raised regiments to fight the Boers. Hodgson, a Miner in the Transvaal, would have been dubbed an “Uitlander” by the Boers and, chaps of his ilk moved away from Johannesburg and enlisted in their droves.

Hodsgon was no exception and, at the age of 35, joined “R” Squadron of the 2nd Regiment of Brabant’s Horse on 23 February 1900. His attestation papers declared his next of kin to be his mother who still resided at 196 Don Road, Brightside in Sheffield.

The second regiment of Brabant’s Horse had been raised in December 1900, Lieutenant Colonel H M Grenfell, 1st Life Guards, was appointed to command it, and when Colonel Dalgety was besieged in Wepener, the first and a portion of the second regiment were with him, their strength being respectively 345 and 459. One squadron of Brabant's Horse took part in the relief of Wepener. There is every chance that Hodgson was among this number – the relievers unfortunately did not seem to have qualified for the Wepener clasp to their medal.

In the advance northwards, and in the operations preparatory to the surrounding of Prinsloo, the corps was very frequently engaged. In the Hammonia district they had an immense amount of difficult scouting, and several times, in the latter half of May and in June, they had encounters with superior forces and incurred rather heavy losses. On the 6th to 8th July 1900 at the capture of Bethlehem, on the 16th near Witnek, and on the 23rd, 24th at Slabbert's Nek, Brabant's Horse were in the forefront and gained distinction, but, as a matter of course, had to pay the price. 'The Times' historian pointed out that it was some "adventurous scouts" of Brabant's Horse who, by discovering on the night of the 23rd a commanding summit to be unoccupied, enabled Clements to seize the ridge at daybreak—the corps being entrusted with this task. Hodgson earned his Wittebergen clasp over this period.

The 2nd Regiment was ordered to the eastern Transvaal in August 1900, to take part under General Button in the movement from Belfast to the Portuguese border, crossing some of the most difficult country in South Africa. It was here that he earned the Belfast clasp to his medal. In November they were operating about Frederickstad in the Central Transvaal with General Barton. They had skirmishing very frequently, and on 11th December had 1 man killed and 3 wounded. About 18th to 24th December the 2nd Brabant's had much fighting about Steynsburg, Cape Colony—the object being to prevent the Boers working south.

Hodgson, for reasons known only to himself decided it was time to leave Brabant’s Horse. This he did on 11 February 1901, after 354 days of service. His time had “expired” which was probably enough of an incentive to look elsewhere. He took his discharge at Cape Town on 15 February 1901 and provided his sister Hannah, Mrs. Jerome Woods, of New York as his next of Kin. His Proceedings on Discharge form confirmed that he was “settled up” - paid an amount of £38. 5 shillings.

Hodgson wasn’t quite done with the war though. On 22 February 1901 he enlisted with the 2nd Scottish Horse at Cape Town and was assigned the rank of Trooper and no. 30743. All told he was to enlist with this outfit no fewer than three times, being assigned a different number on each occasion.

The second regiment of Scottish Horse started in Colonel Benson's column in the Eastern Transvaal, under Major Murray, Black Watch, and, thanks to Colonel Benson's good guidance, speedily became one of the best corps in the country. Their first serious skirmish was at Roodekrantz, on April 30th, 1901, when one man was killed, 4 officers and one man wounded. Their next on 3rd July 1901 at Eland's Hoek Kloof .

On 9th and 10th July 1901, near Dullstroom, north of the Delagoa Bay Railway, they are said to have pursued the enemy in a northerly direction, and to have captured some wagons. On the 11th the regiment was detached on a wide detour, during which they successfully located and captured 6 prisoners, 40 horses, and 24 vehicles belonging to Viljoen's commando, which were hidden in a kloof in the Tautesberg. In August, September, and October Benson operated south of the Delagoa Railway, and was most successful in rushing laagers after long night marches, taking a large number of armed Boers and immense quantities of cattle and transport. For their fine work Lord Kitchener bestowed on the column and its leader the highest praise.

On 4 September 1901 Hodgson’s first period of engagement ended. His discharge showed that he had been elevated to the rank of Lance Corporal and that, after 195 days service, his conduct had been Exemplary. He again provided Hannah’s America address as his address after discharge. He also claimed Corporal’s pay for the months of June, July and August. On this occasion he was paid £31. 10 shillings.

Thirsty for more of the same he re-enlisted with the Scottish Horse on 1 October 1901 with no. 38263 and stepped right back into the thick of things.

At the end of September 1901 a great concentration of Boers had been reported in the Vryheid district. After making determined but unsuccessful attacks on Forts Itala and Prospect, the enemy was driven from the south-east corner of the Transvaal. General Botha knew that Benson's column, which had become a standing cause of terror to his subordinates, was operating alone in the Bethel district. Into that district the Boer commandant moved, determined to concentrate and strike hard. On the 30th October, at 4.30 am, Colonel Benson moved from Quaggalaagte northwards towards Brugspruit. He was soon opposed on his front and flanks and rear, but the attacks on front and flanks were not so serious as those on his rear. At the crossing of a drift the enemy had a good opportunity of doing serious damage, but did not press home; the guns and wagons were got over, and the trek was continued in a torrent of rain. The soft ground caused serious trouble, and two wagons, which were bogged down, had to be left.

The Scottish Horse, occupying some hillocks another 1000 yards to the south of the ridge, where the guns were in position, formed a screen to the whole. As the front of the column was cleared, the numbers of the enemy hovering round the flanks and the rearguard increased. It was now past noon, the rain continued, and a strong wind was blowing from the south-west. The country was open, an expanse of vast rolling downs without any very marked features, giving a far-reaching command of view, while the deep hollows afforded cover for the approach of an enemy who knew the ground and avoided heights. As soon as the column and baggage had been brought into camp, and all arrangements made for the defence, Colonel Benson ordered the screen of Mounted Infantry and Scottish Horse to fall back on the remainder of the rear-guard at Gun Hill. When about to carry this out between 12 and 1 pm, Major Anley, who was in command, reported that the enemy was advancing in greatly increasing numbers, and was already close to his position, which he could no longer hold.

He at once retired on Gun Hill, sending a company of Mounted Infantry to some small kopjes well to the left. The movement had hardly commenced when a strong Boer force appeared over the rise, immediately to the left of the position just vacated by the screen, and, wheeling sharp to its left, pushed in the Scottish Horse and Mounted Infantry. The men passed over the ridge to the northern slope, while the Boers formed up in a large area of dead ground, which lay immediately under and in front of its western extremity: here they dismounted and rapidly worked their way into a good position within close range of the guns on the crest.

After October the 2nd Scottish Horse continued to operate in the Eastern Transvaal in the column of Colonel Mackenzie. There was often severe fighting, and on 20th December 1901 Major Jennings Bramley (19th Hussars), who had succeeded Major Murray in the command of the 2nd Scottish Horse, and Lieutenant John Dow were killed at Lake Banagher. In February the regiment made some smart captures of influential Boers about Carolina.

Hodgson remained with them until his second period of service was “Time Expired” on 24 April 1902. He was not to know when he enlisted for the third and final time on 23 May 1902 with no. 307431 that the war was all but over, the surrender coming on 31 May, eight days later.

Having been brought to Pretoria after the declaration of peace, Hodgson and the Scottish Horse, along with the Imperial Light Horse, Johannesburg Mounted Rifles, and Kitchener's Fighting Scouts, marched past Lord Kitchener on 17th June, and the Commander-in-Chief intimated that arrangements might be made under which these corps would be placed on a permanent basis.

Hodgson was discharged in Johannesburg on 4 July 1902 on disbandment of the unit. For his efforts he was awarded the Queen and Kings South Africa Medals. Thereafter he appears to have moved north to Rhodesia where, at Beatrice Mine in the Hartley District on 20 April 1911, he passed away (cause of death Accidentally Killed). He was a Mining Timberman by trade and it would appear that nobody knew much about him. The Coroner was unable to provide his age and he was described as single. A sad and lonely end at the age of 40.

Rory,

Your biographies make me think of all those QSA and KSA pairs that could be brought to life by research of the depth and breadth that you undertake.

Many thanks
David

Thank you David

You are too kind

On another matter - when one uses the number "8" it appears as an emoticon in the write-up (example above)

Possibly this needs rectifying?

Regards

Rory

As a quick fix, I have added a space after the 8.