TOPIC:

This is a real long shot! I'm hoping that some of the excellent experts on this forum maybe able to help. This is the Uncle of my Great Uncle Charles Gordon Shaw. Who was mortally wounded on the first day of the Somme. The picture is of the only brother of Charles's mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Brown Gordon. So the lad most probably had the surname of Gordon (but it could have been Brown).

We know that Elizabeth was Scottish and came from Glasgow. The inscription states that this lad died aboard ship on his way to the Boer War. Can anyone help identify anything about this picture or any history of Boy Soldiers dying aboard ship sailing to South Africa?

So far I have found out that he may have died about the RMS Aurania en route to the Cape around Oct/Nov 1899.

He looks to me around 14 to 15 years old.

Does anyone recognise the regiment from the dress, buckles etc?

I would be extremely grateful for any help or advice on this mystery.

Thanks in advance

Ian Shaw
ian.shaw1@btinternet.com

It would certainly be a good starting point if you could post a copy of the photograph you mention, do you have any idea of the boys full name, have you looked at census in RG12 to ascertain his identity?

Managed it this time, here he is.

I'd have said a member of the Royal Highlanders at just an initial first glance, a superb image!
Certainly, from memory, at least, the 1st Black Watch did arrive in the Cape in November 1899, quite frankly, what I'd do now, with the absence of a name, would be to consult the 1891 Scottish census (Sadly, it is in Scotland, will only a transcribed version available to me, I would really want to see the original folio!) and try to isolate his sister and any brother/brothers, that would give you your boy, beyond reasonable doubt, in particular, if she had only a single brother, as the inscription suggests.

Gommecourt Lions wrote:

Managed it this time, here he is.

Did a quick look through Palmer for the names Brown or Gordon and only found one name where the person is listed as died at sea from disease.......

1775 Private A. Brown, 2nd Scots Guards, DOD at Sea, 26-03-00

Here is his find my past listing

First name(s) A
Last name Brown
Age 0
Service number 1775
Rank Private
Regiment 2 Battalion Scots Guards
Memorials Holy Trinity. North & south gallery. Panels. Household Cavalry & Guards, Windsor, Berkshire, England
Event detail
Died Disease on 26/03/1900 at SS Britannia
Event unit 2 Battalion Scots Guards
Event source South African Field Force. JB Hayward & Sons
Event notes At sea
Gazetteer a P&O company Jubilee class passenger cargo ship of 6525 tons built by Caird & Co Greenock launched in 1887. Scrapped in 1909. www.clydesite.co.uk


Mike

There is absolutely no way that the boy in the photograph was in the Scots Guards wearing that particular uniform.