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Alfred William Rowsell

Civilian employed by the Royal Engineers – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa medal with clasp Natal to A.W. Rowsell

Alfred Rowsell’s history can be traced to within 3 days of his birth thanks in large measure to the 1851 England census wherein he appears as a 3 day old baby. Born in Portsea Island (Portsmouth), Hampshire on 27 March 1851 he was the son of Henry James Rowsell and his wife Hannah Miller Rowsell. At the time of the census the family were resident at 1 Copenhagen Street and father Henry was a Store Labourer. Siblings in the house were Susannah (6), Henry (4) and Austin (2). So fresh was Alfred’s appearance that the midwife who delivered him, Ann Orchard, was still in residence.

Ten years later at the time of the 1861 England census the family were still at the same address and a 10 year old Alfred was still a school boy with siblings Henry Lee (14), Austin C (12) and new arrivals since the last census John Arthur (7), Charles Tavenor (4) an Ellen Rosina (1) making up the numbers.

By the time the 1871 England census rolled round Henry had changed jobs and was now a Railway Porter. The family had also moved to 77 Clarence Street in Portsea and 20 year old Alfred was now a Joiner by trade. Skilled in the art of wood work it was soon after this that he made the trip to South Africa to a new life settling in the Eastern Cape region of the country which is where he met and married his first wife in Port Elizabeth on 2 November 1876.

Men with his skill set were in short supply and he soon found himself at the helm of a building undertaking. Acquisition of property was one of the corner stone’s of the building trade and Rowsell purchased a number of property for which he raised mortgages, the first being on 19 May 1882 in Port Elizabeth, where “upon the Hill” was acquired from the estate of John Owen Smith for £700 at 7% interest.

At some point hereafter Rowsell must have tired of life in the Eastern Cape deciding to seek his fortune in the colony of Natal which is where we find him, again as a Building Contractor, in 1889. In fact it was in June of that year that he tendered for the construction of new buildings at the Lunatic Asylum in Pietermaritzburg. His tender was in an amount of £14 850 which compared favourably with those of Robert Bullen (£14 400); John Hardy (£16 350) and Thomas Drew (£17 640). Sadly Rowsell’s quote was for “the first work only” and Mr. Bullen’s tender was accepted. Rowsell’s tender, dated 3 June 1889 read as follows,

“To the Auditor, Pietermaritzburg

Sir

I hereby tender to execute the whole of the work and to supply all materials (except such as are specified to be supplied by the Government) required in the erection of new buildings at the Lunatic Asylum, Pietermaritzburg in accordance with the drawings and specifications prepared for the same to the entire satisfaction of the Colonial Engineer, for the sum of fourteen thousand eight hundred and fifty pounds sterling.

Yours obediently

A.W. Rowsell”

Having lost out on this opportunity Rowsell seems to have thrown his lot in with the successful party as his next tender, dated 29 June, read as follows,

“Sir,

I hereby agree to erect Lavatories and Attendant Rooms at the Pietermaritzburg Lunatic Asylum in accordance with the General Plans and Specifications now made especially for these buildings for the sum of eleven hundred and thirty one pounds.

I am yours respectfully

A.W. Rowsell for Robt. Bullen, Contractors.”

We next encounter Rowsell in 1893 when, painfully for him and his family, things were not going too well. On 19 September of that year, in the Supreme Court of Natal he appeared in the matter of an application by Alfred William Rowsell of Pietermaritzburg, Builder for the surrender of his Estate. A full bench, having heard the matter, decided to accept the surrender and Rowsell was placed under sequestration. His unsecured creditors included merchants, ironmongers, glaziers and a Chemist totalling debts of £1065. An inventory of his possessions which accompanied the matter showed that the Rowsell’s lived an affluent lifestyle with a pianoforte in the front room and plenty of paintings and ornaments to make life comfortable.

In an examination (questioning) of Rowsell which took place on 13 October 1893 he was quoted as saying, “I really cannot explain this (amounts of money owing). I was the first to discover it after Mr Bullen went away. It so perplexed me that I went through the paper again. I had no help. This was after my notice of insolvency on the same evening. The account is in Mr Bullen’s handwriting. The statements were rendered quarterly. I see balance in last statement is in pencil, also in Mr Bullen’s writing. I only got that statement two before Mr Bullen left. ..... there was no agreement as to the interest. There was a document, a bill of sale, I believe in 1891. I asked for but never got a copy.

Perhaps it was negligence on my part – I may have overlooked it. It must be a clerical error. I know of no other way of accounting for it. I was under the idea that this contract with Mr Bullen would carry me out. I knew that I owed him money because the contract was not fully complied with.”

It is easy to jump to conclusions but it would appear from the above that Rowsell might have been a good builder but a lousy bookkeeper, his lack of record keeping costing him dearly.

Quite what the circumstances of his first wife’s death were we don’t know but, on 22 January 1894 at 306 Berg Street, Pietermaritzburg Rowsell tied the knot for the second time. He was now 43 and a Widower and he married a 33 year old Widow, Martha Matilda Adamson nee Thomson in the presence of his son Austin Tavner Rowsell.

Having spent the better part of three years out in the wilderness it was time, as far as Rowsell was concerned, to come in from the cold. On 18 June 1896 he approached the Supreme Court for rehabilitation and a Discharge from his Insolvency appearing before Mr Justice Broome. The matter was successful and Rowsell had this particular cloud removed from his head.

October 1899 saw the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War and the garrison at Fort Napier and other places in Natal were placed on a war footing. Colonial outfits too rallied to the flag and the small European populations of the towns and cities dotted around the Colony were aflutter with rumours of impending Boer invasions and the like. Rowsell too was stirred into action and appears to have offered his services to the military being place on the payroll as a Civilian employed by the Royal Engineers. No doubt his considerable building skills would have been put to good use by the authorities. He was awarded the Queens medal with Natal clasp for his efforts and off the roll signed by Colonel Rawson at Pietermaritzburg on 20 September 1901.

Of course by this time although the war still raged on elsewhere it was over in the Natal theatre.

Tragedy struck Rowsell on the domestic front for the second time when he lost his wife of ten years on 7 January 1904. The Rowsell’s were resident at 42 Havelock Road, Pietermaritzburg at the time she died and she was survived by Rowsell and a son of minor years, Frank Bernard Rowsell.

Widowed, Rowsell soldiered on but the strain must have been starting to tell. At the age of 58 when most gentlemen of his age were looking towards retirement and a life of leisure, he was staring poverty in the face. On 14 October 1909 from his house at 24 Victoria Road, Pietermaritzburg, Rowsell addressed himself to the Colonial Treasurer, A. Cliff Esq. as follows,

“Sir

I venture to approach you to ask whether you will be good enough to assist me in procuring a situation , I am as you are aware a Builder by profession, but owing to bad times and slackening of trade – I applied for and obtained the position of Foreman of Works with the Royal Engineers at Fort Napier – which I held until the end of 07 when I was replaced by a military man from home, I was then appointed Storekeeper at Harrismith which office I held until February 09 when I had to leave owing to a military man being sent from home to take up the position, since which I have had very little to do, I shall feel very grateful to you if you will recommend me to anyone requiring – a Clerk of Works, Foreman of Works, Storekeeper, Storeman or any other situation that may offer, I hold Testimonials for previous services.

I am Sir, your obedient servant

A.W. Rowsell”

The Assistant Treasurer forwarded this request to the Chief Engineer, Public Works Department stating that,

“In view of the fact that your Department will have many buildings in the course of erection shortly, the Treasurer asks if you are likely to have a vacancy for a Clerk or Foreman of Works. He can recommend Mr Rowsell as a suitable man.”

The reply was not a positive one,

“The only two post of the nature of that referred to in your minute which are required in connection with our buildings have already been offered and accepted by retrenched PWD men”

Rowsell was accordingly made aware that he was unsuccessful.

Rowsell must have crafted an income for himself as he survived for a further until 31 March 1921 before passing away at his home 112 Havelock Road at the age of 70. He was survived by his children Austin Tavner Rowsell, Florence May Pound, Mildred Emma Friday and Agnes Rosina Brooks. Of his other son Frank there was no mention. As many as six years later, in 1927, his son Austin was writing to the Master of the Court in respect of his father’s estate stating that,

“My father resided in Pietermaritzburg for many years prior to his death with Mrs J.S. Friday (my sister). As far as I am aware he was entirely dependent on his children and on his death the Masonic fraternity bore the expense of his burial.”