TOPIC:

Arthur Richardson Meurant

Sergeant, 6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and South Africa 1901 to 4131 Sgt. A.R. Meurant, Lanc. Fus.

Arthur Meurant was born in Ireland in 1871 the son of a man who bore the same name but that is where the similarity ended. At some point before 1880 the family moved over the Irish Sea to settle in England where Meurant senior became the perpetual Curate of Stanley in Derbyshire. In that same year Rev. Meurant took for his wife Sarah Hulley the presumption being that he was a Widower although this is not mentioned in the newspaper reports covering the event.

Life for the younger Meurant must have been hard without his mother and nowhere is he to be found in any census returns indicating that he had been sent off to Boarding School at a young age. The 1881 census merely confirms that the Meurant’s lived alone other than with the company of their many servants.

The 1891 census was no different, again the young Meurant was absent with only his 70 year old retired father and his wife surrounded by their servants living in the village of Seisdon. Later that same year, on 6 October 1891, Meurant, now aged 18 years and 4 months and a Clerk by profession, completed the Attestation Papers for Short Service (7 years with the Colours and 5 years in the Reserve) at Warrington. This was to join the South Lancashire Regiment. Having been passed as Fit by the Doctor he was assigned no. 3540 and the rank of Private.

Physically he was 5 feet 10 inches in height weighed 130 pounds and had a sallow complexion, Brown eyes and brown hair. Having served only 92 days with this outfit he purchased his discharge. Although having been in uniform for a mere 3 months it was long enough for his superiors to form the opinion that he was of regular habits, good conduct and temperate by nature. Having been stationed on the island of Jersey for most of this time he was in good health and had no hospital admittances against his name.

Meurant must have been undecided if not confused as to where his future lay as, on 7 July 1892 he donned a uniform once more – on this occasion attesting for the Lancashire Fusiliers at Belfast in Ireland. Claiming to be 18 years and 9 months old he confirmed his short stint with the South Lancashire Regiment and was assigned no. 4131 and the rank of Private. Not surprisingly he was little changed physically although he had shrunk a bit coming in at a height of 5 feet 9 ¾ inches and weighing 115 pounds. On this occasion his sallow complexion was now a fresh one.

Passed as Fit by the Doctor at Bury he was posted to the 1st Battalion. Showing signs of leadership a promotion to Lance Corporal came on 18 November 1892 followed by promotion to Corporal on 29 November 1893, a year later. All good things they say come to an end and Meurant was reduced to the ranks after being convicted by a Regional Court Martial of Drunkenness on 7 April 1894. Once more a Private it wasn’t until 14 February 1898 that he was again promoted to Lance Corporal. All the while he had seen nothing but home service which must have been a monotonous exercise. On 7 November 1898 he reverted to the rank of Private and was transferred to the A Reserve with effect from 14 January 1899.

Meurant wasn’t to know that in a matter of months England would be at war and he would be back in uniform. The war referred to was that with the two Boer Republics in far-away South Africa and the authorities, taking no chances, were readying themselves for what was to come. On 9 September 1899 Meurant was recalled to the Colours and posted to the 6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers on 17 February 1900 (war had broken out on 11 October 1899). He had already been promoted to Corporal on 13 December 1900 shortly after being recalled. A day later, on 17 February all 650 men of the 6th Battalion sailed for South Africa where Meurant was to spend 1 year and 238 days. This was a Militia Battalion but still saw quite a bit of fighting especially in the Orange Free State having been sent out to counter the Boer “Bitter Einders” – the 2nd Battalion having been sent home after the disaster at Spioenkop.

On 5 November 1900 Meurant was promoted to Sergeant and on 1 September 1901 appointed as Orderly Room Sergeant. Health became an issue and, on 13 October 1901 he was sent home from where, after a further 3 years and 111 days he was discharged from the regiment as Medically Unfit for further service on 31 May 1905 having served a total of 12 years and 209 days. Meurant’s discharge papers rated his conduct as Very Good and under “Special Qualifications for employment in civil life” the comment was made that “he has been employed as a clerk in the Orderly Room for many years (the last three years as Orderly Room Sergeant to the 6th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers.”

For his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal something he didn’t live long to enjoy wearing. In 1906 in Tamworth, Staffordshire he breathed his last at the age of 36 with no direct family to mourn his departure.

Now then Rory, tell me, just between you and me, what made you buy that?
(I'd have bought it just for the recipients wonderful name and I think, perhaps, the way the rank is impressed on the medal itself!)

The name certainly played a part in my decision to purchase Frank although it almost defeated me as there was a Belgian boxer with the same moniker which had potential to confuse. Add to that my frustration at losing out to another "non essential" in the last DNW auction and we have the incentive to buy.

Actually I have yet to buy a QSA, no matter how random the purchase, that has caused me regret.

Regards

Rory

I like the "cut" of your suit, I'd certainly have bought that, if I had seen it, for similar reasons, they were almost a local regiment too!
A really very pleasing medal.