TOPIC:

Edwin Rooke

Private, 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers

- Queens South Africa Medal (Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Orange Free State) to 2559 PTE E. ROOKE, R. WELSH. FUS:
- Kings South Africa Medal (South Africa 1901, 1902) to 2559 PTE E. ROOKE. RL: WELSH F:

Edwin Rooke was born in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire in January 1871 the son of George Rooke, a Stone Mason by trade and his wife Elizabeth. At the time of the 1871 census Edwin was only two months old and was at home at Broadmeadow in Ross-on-Wye, along with siblings Emily (3) and Henry (2).

Ten years on, at the time of the 1881 England census, Edwin was a 10 year old schoolboy in a growing family where money was in short supply. The family now resided at 43 Communication Row in Birmingham and Mr Rooke was out of work. His wife, a Dressmaker, was having to keep the family going – no easy task with having to care for six children and a husband. The number of Edwin’s siblings had grown with Henry (12); Louisa (6); Betty (4); Florence (2) and Eliza (1) all at home. Their woes were compounded by the death of George Rooke in December 1884 at the comparatively young age of 38.



Small wonder then that at the first opportunity, Edwin opted to join the Colours, completing Short Service Attestation forms for service with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Wrexham on 23 September 1889. Aged 18 he was a Polisher by trade and a volunteer with the 4th (Militia) Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Physically he was described as being 5 feet 6 inches in height, weighing 121 lbs and with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He had a scar on his right thigh by way of distinguishing marks about his person.

Having been found Fit by the Doctors Rooke was assigned no. 2559 and the rank of Private with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Initially posted to the Depot, he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion on 19 November 1890 and to the 1st Battalion on 18 September 1891. Three years later, on 1 June 1894, he was promoted to Lance Corporal and, on 3 March 1895, to the Army Reserve – his Short Service over for the time being. The bulk of his service had been spent with G Company in India – from 18 September 1891 (the date of his posting to the 1st Battalion) until 27 February 1895. His intended place of residence was 4 Russell Grove, Regent Park Road, Small Heath, Birmingham.

Back on Home soil, Rooke made good use of the opportunity to wed 21 year old Florence Hughes in Bordesley on 24 May 1896. He was described as being a 25 year old Polisher. Two children almost immediately followed the nuptials – Florence on 4 August 1897 and William Edwin on 13 August 1898.

As the curtain started to come down on the 19th century the threat of war between the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State in South Africa and Great Britain grew more pronounced. Eventually war between the belligerents was declared on 11 October 1899 and, the very next day, the Boer Commandos streamed over their borders into the Cape Colony and Natal. In preparation for this eventuality the British Army had placed many of her regiments on a war footing, with many Army Reservists being called up in the weeks prior to the commencement of hostilities.

The Royal Welsh Fusiliers was no exception and, on 9 October 1899, Rooke was recalled to Army Service. The 1st Battalion sailed on the Oriental on 22nd October 1899, and arrived at the Cape about 13th November. They were sent on to Durban, and along with the 2nd Royal Fusiliers, 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers, and 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers, formed the 6th Brigade under Major General Barton. Their baptism of fire, as it were, was at Colenso on 15 December 1899 where their losses were trifling – but dangerous days lurked ahead and they were to come into their own when General Buller made his second attempt against the Colenso position in early February 1900.



On this occasion the battalion went out with Lord Dundonald to Hussar Hill on 12th February, and again on the 14th when the hill was finally occupied. All through the fourteen days' fighting the battalion took its share. On the 24th the Royal Fusiliers and Royal Welsh Fusiliers were holding some kopjes near Langverwachte under very heavy shell-fire and rifle-fire. On that day they lost Colonel Thorold, another officer, and 6 men killed, and 2 officers and 29 men wounded. The battalion was not with General Barton in the assault on Pieter's Hill at the eastern end of the position. In the fourteen days of what became known as the Battle of Tugela Heights, the battalion's losses were approximately 2 officers and 8 men killed, 2 officers and 60 men wounded. Rooke, fortuitously, seems to have escaped the unwarranted attentions of a Boer Mauser bullet.

It should be mentioned that, on Christmas Eve 1899, Rooke’s was deprived of his Lance Corporal’s stripes for an undisclosed offence.

With Ladysmith finally relieved and the Boers in full flight from Natal, the brigade was brought round to Cape Colony in April 1900 and concentrated at Kimberley. On 5th May the battle of Rooidam was fought, this battalion and the Royal Fusiliers being in the first line. For their work in the very arduous pursuit of De Wet, in August 1900, the Welsh Fusiliers as well as the Scots Fusiliers were highly praised by Lord Methuen.

At Frederickstad between 15th and 25th October 1900 General Barton had a lot of very severe fighting, in which the battalion again gained great praise from the general and Commander-in-Chief. In these actions the battalion had about 15 men killed and 3 officers and 30 men wounded.

During 1901 the battalion remained in the Western Transvaal and took part in the very successful operations of General Babington. In his despatch of 8th May 1901, Lord Kitchener refers to an attack which was made on 22nd April by 700 Boers under the personal command of General Delarey upon a convoy passing between General Babington's camp and Klerksdorp; "the escort, however, being well handled, repelled the attack, inflicting a loss upon the enemy of 12 killed and 6 wounded".

The escort was mainly from the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and Colonel Sir R Colleton and two other officers were commended in despatches for their excellent work.
On 23rd May 1901 another convoy going to Ventersdorp was very heavily attacked, but the enemy was driven off. A detachment of the battalion again formed part of the escort, and lost 1 man killed and 1 officer and 11 men wounded. Towards the close of 1901 the battalion occupied the northern portion of the line of blockhouses running from Potchefstroom to the Kroonstad district.



The war over on 31 May 1902, Rooke returned home on 18 August 1902 and was discharged, time served, after 12 years and 330 days service, on the same day. His Conduct and Character were described as Very Good.

Tragedy had, however, struck and struck hard when his young daughter, 2 year old Elsie May, passed away from Broncho Pneumonia and Convulsions on 7 February 1902, whilst he was away on active service. Rooke was described as a Corporal with the Welsh Fusiliers on the Certificate of Death.


Rooke, a bulky man, can be easily distinguished in this photo of The Vine in the 1910's

Now out of uniform Rooke decided that his future lay in commerce and he became a Publican, renting premises so that he could make a go of things. According to the 1911 England census he had also been very active on the children front with Doris Mabel (23 June 1903); Harry (24 January 1905); Gladys (21 December 1908); Edwin (18 February 1910) and Charlotte Evelyn (12 April 1911) joining the ranks. The entire menagerie were living at 43 Willis Street, Aston, Birmingham when the enumerator called round. This was the street address of The Vine, a licenced Beer House which, according to the Parish of Birmingham Poor Rate ledger for the 2nd April 1912, Rooke was renting from the Holt Brewing Company Limited for £50 per annum.

Ten years later, at the time of the 1921 England census Rooke was still a Publican at 43 Willis Street and surrounded by his wife and many children. The life of a Publican is never boring and, according to the “Black Country Bugle” in an article entitled “Fisticuffs At The Old Gipsy’s Tent” – “Ted Rooke, a Boer War veteran was at the Relief of Mafeking (sic) and Ladysmith but when he terminated his army service with the 23rd Welch Fusiliers his fighting days were by no means over. He went into licenced trade and was mine host at the Vine Inn, Willis Street, Birmingham where he found that his military service and fine physique stood him in good stead when troublesome customers needed a little discipline.”

Rooke had moved from The Vine (Inn) to The Gypsy’s Tent, which was then located in something of a rural retreat, in 1923. An advert placed in the Birmingham Daily Post of 16 June 1925 seems to indicate that Rooke was looking for a tenant for the Gypsy’s Tent. Described as a Country Inn at Hagley, near Clent, a 10 year lease was offered with applicants asked to apply to E. Rooke.



A mere two months later the same publication ran an article, dated 6 August 1925 under the heading “Customer’s Claim Dismissed at Stourbridge” which read:-

“At Stourbridge County Court, yesterday, William Cooper, a workman of Powke Lane, Blackheath, sued Edwin Rooke, of the Gipsy’s Tent Inn, Hagley, for £25 for personal injury alleged to have been caused by a fall down steps at the public house. He was one of a char-a-banc party who called at the house, and he said when he went down a passage to go into the yard he fell down the steps leading to the yard. They were not lighted and were unguarded.

Rooke, who is the licensee, alleged that the plaintiff fell in the yard when “jazzing” with a young woman. Plaintiff said he was totally incapacitated for eighteen weeks. The claim was dismissed.”

As the years went by Rooke seems to have prospered as a Publican. But all things come to an end and, on 6 September 1937 the Evening Despatch carried the news to its reading public that “Rooke – Edwin (Ted) dearly loved husband of Florece Rooke, of Gipsy’s Tent Inn, Hagley, passed away on September 4th.” His wife, the aforementioned Florence, “Late of The Vine, Willis Street and Gipsy’s Tent, Hagley, passed peacefully away at All Saint’s Hospital, 7th January 1955.

Acknowledgements:
- Evening Despatch
- Birmingham Daily Post
- Ancestry & FMP