Welcome, Guest
Username: Password: Remember me
  • Page:
  • 1

TOPIC:

Foxcroft of Gorringe's F.C. & Blue Cliff & Glen Connor T.G. 4 years 10 months ago #63738

  • Rory
  • Rory's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Senior Member
  • Senior Member
  • Posts: 3323
  • Thank you received: 2121
Eric Bertram Foxcroft

Trooper, Gorringe’s Flying Column and
Private, Bluecliff and Glenconnor Town Guard – Anglo Boer War


- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony and South Africa 1901 to Tpr. E.B. Foxcroft, Gorringe’s F.C.

Eric Bertram Foxcroft was born on the farm “Stockdale” in the Oatlands area near Adelaide in the Eastern Cape of South Africa on 22 September 1885. His father, Jeremiah Foxcroft was a first generation descendant of an 1820 Settler to the region who met and married his mother, Elizabeth Kelbrick on 25 August 1864.

The Foxcroft’s were prolific with Elizabeth giving birth to new fewer than eleven children of whom Eric was the youngest. With him on the farm were sisters Alice Maud and Hilda Florence, along with brothers William Wallace, Albert Edwin, Arthur Henry, Percy Edward, Walter Edward, Charles Eustace, Reginald Vivian and Cecil Voiles.

With the advent of the Anglo Boer War in October 1899 a 15 year old Eric enrolled, on 28 January 1901 with “B” Squadron of Gorringe’s Flying Column for service in the war. Gorringe’s column was raised by Lt. Colonel G.F. Gorringe and saw much service against various Boer Commandos in the Cape.

On 19 February 1901 the G.F.C.’s, or Gorringe’s Light Oxen as they were sometimes called because of the rapidity of their movements, were in the Bethesda Road area of the Eastern Cape hot on the heels of the Boer Commandant Gideon Scheepers who had split off from Kritzinger in an attempt to evade capture. Kritzinger himself was in an engagement with Col Gorringe north of Cradock at the Fish River Station on 23 and 24 February but gave the British the slip and on 3 March 1901 surrounded the village of Pearston.

Foxcroft was joined in this unit by no fewer than two of his many brothers, making it almost a family concern. On 17 June 1901 he took his discharge and returned home.

Not one to remain idle for long he next joined up with the Bluecliff and Glenconnor Town Guard, No. 4 Area, where he saw service from 27 January 1902 until 30 April 1902 when the Town Guard was disbanded. Despite having seen service with the Town Guard subsequent to the Flying Column it was off the Gorringe’s Flying Column roll that his Queens South Africa Medal, with clasps Cape Colony and South Africa 1901, was issued. The term “Town Guard” is applied loosely in this case as there was (and still is) no town to speak of – rather all that is there is a railway siding and a smattering of farms – typically a District Mounted Troop would serve this very agricultural scene far better than a Town Guard who were dismounted.

The war over Foxcroft returned to the area to continue farming. On 5 November 1907, at the age of 22, he tied the marital knot with 20 year old Ethel May Constance of Port Elizabeth, The nuptials took place in the Russell Road Wesleyan Church in that city. Foxcroft was described as a Farmer, resident at Blue Cliff at the time.

Over the course of many years, he became embroiled in several court cases. In one in particular he was the Applicant in an “extension of time to appeal” – what was the issues here? In papers before the Supreme Court, Cape Division in April 1914 it was stated that: -

“The Appellant was convicted on the 3rd day of March 1914 by the Resident Magistrate of Steytlerville, of the crime of contravening Section 6 of Act 13 of 1870 in that he did exercise the calling of a Commercial Traveller without having taken out the necessary licence, and fined £1.”

Foxcroft was now applying to the Court not for relief but for time to consider his appeal against sentence. This was agreed to but no record exists of whether he was successful or not.

Tiring of the Eastern Cape, he moved to the Witwatersrand where our next sighting of him emanates from - this courtesy of the South African Directory which showed that, according to the Johannesburg North Voters Roll of 1929, he was resident at 66 African Gardens, Highlands North and that he was still pursuing the occupation of Traveller – it was to be hoped that, this time round, he had a “licence to operate”.

As old age approached he retraced his footsteps back to the Eastern Cape, taking up residence at 7 Hardy Street, East London. It was from this address that a widowed Foxcroft married for the second time - on this occasion to 61 year old Florence Cecely Bowen (born Collins) - the couple married in the Methodist Church on 22 August 1957 when Foxcroft was 71 years old.

Six years later, on 1 December 1962, he was called to his eternal rest. A retired Commercial Traveller, he had succumbed to the ravages of Emphysema at the age of 77, whilst living at 9 Heath Road, Highgate, East London.








Attachments:
The following user(s) said Thank You: QSAMIKE, Moranthorse1

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Page:
  • 1
Moderators: djb
Time to create page: 0.596 seconds
Powered by Kunena Forum