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Joseph Poole Morey

Trooper, Southern Rhodesia Volunteers – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasp Rhodesia to 304 Tpr. J.P. Morey, S. Rhod. Vols.

Joseph Morey was born in the parish of Portsea in Southsea, Hampshire in 1869 the son of Charles Morey and his wife Elizabeth. Charles Morey was a successful Builder employing 16 men and 6 boys at the time of the 1871 England census when Joseph was a mere boy of 2. With him in the house at 3 Buckingham Villas were siblings Charles (12), Elizabeth (9), James (7), Harry (5) and twin sisters (Mrs Morey had probably despaired of ever having a daughter until they came along) Rachel and Louisa (10 months old)

Ten years later that the time of the 1881 England census Joseph was a boy of 13, the family had moved to 13 High Street in Southsea and, domestically, the picture was little altered with all of the children still living at home with their parents. The only addition as Sarah Cooper (19) who was a visiting School Teacher. Mr Morey had been declared a bankrupt on 25 September 1874 and had lost his business as a result - he was thus now pursuing a living as a Carpenter.

Of Joseph in the 1891 census there is no sign but things had deteriorated to such a degree for his father that he and his wife had moved in with his son Harry (now married with children) in Portsea. In early 1893 the old man died and it was probably this that decided a 25 year old Joseph to venture away from England in search of a better life. On 29 July 1893 he boarded a Castle Liner at Southampton destined for the port of Algoa Bay (Port Elizabeth) in South Africa describing himself as a Miner by occupation.

He wasn’t destined to stay there long and, at some point in the dying years of the 19th century, he moved to the largely unexplored territory of Rhodesia where he most likely found employment as a Miner. Morey wasn’t to know that war clouds were looming and that, ere-long, he would have a part to play in the war that followed. The dawn of the 11th October saw the two Boer Republics to the south of Rhodesia at war with Great Britain. Despite the fact that the war was taking place some distance away from where Morey was there was an urgent need to place Rhodesians on a war footing and to this end Bade Powell had been sent a few months earlier to raise two regiments. The Southern Rhodesian Volunteers, the outfit Morey was to join, was a third leg which, according to an article entitled “Martial Law” which appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post of 30 January 1900, required “the whole of the Southern Rhodesian Volunteers to be called out for active service. This is by no means out of any fear of a native rising, but solely with a view to sending assistance southward to Mafeking, and of dealing with any questions which might arise out of the occupation of the southern portion of Matabeleland by Boers from the more northerly districts of the Transvaal.”

As mentioned Morey had joined the S.R.V. attached to “G” Troop and assigned no. 304 and the rank of Trooper. In order to gain insight into their movements we turn to a “G” Troop comrade of his, Trooper R. N. Hall. Hall’s article appeared in the Western Post – Tuesday, 30 January 1900 edition and, under the title “Bulawayo Boys – Advancing to the Front” wrote that,

"On the afternoon of Monday, October 27 the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers were ordered to parade at the Bulawayo Railway Station, and to entrain for the south. We numbered some 300 rank and file. Altogether Bulawayo had raised 1700 men for the different regiments such as Baden-Powell’s at Mafeking, Colonel Plumer’s column at Tuli and the S.R.V., while an additional 400 names have been given in for the Bulawayo Town Guard. Though our Volunteers were at the front, yet our policy was not to engage the enemy but to defend our frontier, but the overwhelming forces of the Boers have driven in our troops, and the Boers have committed raids into Rhodesian territory, looted natives, played havoc with the railway and, in fact, have done just as they willed and taken fullest advantage of their chances, and valuable lives of many volunteer settlers have been wantonly lost for lack of a modicum of preparation on the part of the authorities at home. Words are altogether inadequate to express the strong feeling of disgust felt by all ranks here.

But at present the “Bulawayo Boys” are engaged in making good to the utmost of their power the desertion of these territories by the home War Office. But to return to our regiment. All Bulawayo was at the station to bid us farewell. Though other troops of the S.R.V. had left town previously, it was our particular troops that seemed most to concentrate public attention and enthusiasm, for our rank and file were mainly composed of well –known and substantial citizens of Bulawayo. These men love saddle and gun, are of rugged strength, possessing the glow of earnestness and the yeast of good nature, and experienced in veldt-craft and life, Boer methods of fighting, and admittedly good shots, especially “G” Troop, which is considered the crack troop of the regiment, as it is composed of mainly members of the Rifle Club, and rifle practise holds the same ground, as a popular sport, in the public interest as football does at home.

Taking the different troops of our Column as a whole, it might well be said that, though the men are not exactly of the strict willow-pattern order, yet there are less of those of meteoric or even variegated career than in any other troop sent out from Bulawayo. Perhaps what accentuated popular interest in our departure was the rumour that the Boers, having given the go-by to our troops which are distributed along the frontier, were trekking up in large numbers towards Bulawayo, and as the main road from the Transvaal to Bulawayo lies through the Mangwe Pass in the Matoppas, our object was to get there and hold the pass before the arrival of the Boers, and at the same time to form a relief camp for the various troops scattered along the frontier.

We arrived at Plum Tree siding (60 miles) at midnight and formed column to march to Mangwe (twenty-four miles) at 10 a.m. we had five wagons with sixteen oxen each for ammunition, kit, provisions (fourteen days) and our first days march negotiated only ten miles, but the country was rough, crossed by deep spruits or dry river beds, boulders, and rounding the bases of romantic looking granite kopjes. Our section acted as flanking parties to the rear-guard. Mangwe, being the portion of Rhodesia most largely inhabited by Dutchmen, it was necessary, though our own country, to treat as enemy’s country, for most of the Dutch farmers have strong Boer proclivities.

We marched and slept in messes, lying at night in rows in the open air. Each had to take his share in vidette, picket, Cossack posts, night sentry and fatigues for water, fuel etc. Cossack posts are the most interesting work as these are stationed at the most extreme distance from camp, and the duty of these posts is to see without being seen, and to examine cover likely to conceal an enemy. We arrived at Mangwe Fort on the afternoon of the following day, and ever since our arrival we have had nothing but fatigue work and musketry drill. Each day we expect to be moved onto the frontier, either at Tuli, Semokwe or Macloutsie.”

Morey and several others were awarded the single clasp Rhodesia which, according to the qualification criteria, was awarded to

"all troops under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir F. Carrington and Colonel Plumer in Rhodesia, between October 11th, 1899 and May 17th, 1900, both dates inclusive, who received no clasp for the Relief of Mafeking."

He clearly was not one of those troops involved in the Relief of Mafeking. His Queens medal was issued to him in Bulawayo on 6 March 1903. Sometime after the end of the war he moved south to South Africa staying in the Krugersdorp area of the Witwatersrand where he took up the trade of Carpenter, following, albeit belatedly, in his father’s footsteps. A trade unionist, he joined the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters, Cabinetmakers and Joiners and was on their books as a paid-up member with effect from 1 November 1917. It was claimed that he had been 30 years in the trade and was 45 years old when he joined.

Morey’s membership of the Krugersdorp branch was a short one – on 13 June 1918 he took a transfer to the Durban branch of the union, clearly intending to make Durban his home, very little is known of his movements after that – on 21 March 1944 he passed away in the Park Nursing Home in Springs, Transvaal at the age of 75 years and 10 months. His wife, he had married in Fordsburg, Johannesburg, at some point, had predeceased him in August 1930. Interestingly he resided at 5 Ganteaume Crescent in East London and left no issue. An affadavit by his housekeeper sheds some light on his final years. Sworn on 26 May 1944 it read as follows,

“I the undersigned, Thomasin Gallimore, widow, of East London, make oath and say,

1. That on the 1st day of September 1930, I was engaged by the late Joseph Poole Morey, in Brakpan as housekeeper for him on a salary of £4 per month plus my board.

2. That I continued to act as housekeeper for him after he came to East London up until the date of his death.

3. That on 1 June 1940 I did not receive my usual salary payment and when I enquired the reason I was told by Mr Morey that his earnings had been considerably reduced owing to his dividends decreasing through war conditions and he asked me to allow the payment of my salary to stand over until after the war, when he pay the same.

4. That in all there is an amount of salary due to me for 3 years 9 months and 21 days, which amounts to £182, for which amount I wish to file my claim against his estate.

5. For 15 months prior to his death Mr Morey was blind and I had to attend to him by myself without any assistance whatsoever.”

Very nice indeed Rory, I don't think I've seen one of those here, for quite some time now, they only seldom turn up and are scarce, a really lovely example that he appears to worn on occasion, I should be delighted with that if I were you.

Fantastic, Rory.

Another great piece of research.....

Thanks Rory.....

Mike