TOPIC:

I can't find a birth registration for this name in England and Wales, and nothing shows up in an online search either. Could Coventry had been the man's theatrical name?

Mr. Henry C. Arnold, the lessee of the Lyric Theatre, Liverpool, has received the following letter from Mr. Coventry Davies, an actor well known in Bradford, who was for many years associated with Mr. Arnold's travelling theatrical company. It is dated from Chieveley Camp on December the 22nd, and the writer says: -
You will see by the above where I am while writing this. I arrived at Cape Town on November 12, and was appointed a lieutenant with the South African Light Horse on November 13. My troop was nearly ready for me, and after drilling for ten days I started for the front, and have been marching and fighting ever since. I have had some stiff times with the Boers, but the battle of Colenso last Friday (the 15th December) was the hottest affair I have ever been in. I went into action with my squadron - 52 strong only - but came out with only 26 men and two officers prisoners. We were seven hours under fire and in the burning sun. The bullets dropped round us like hail, and why we were not all shot was a mystery to me. Of course, we were dismounted, and most of our horses being shot we had to get back to camp on foot. I am fit and well and jolly, notwithstanding the hard work. The officers are a nice lot, and we have a jolly mess. My kind regards to old friends.

The Keighley News, Saturday 3rd February 1900

There is a Cpt & QM CC Davies SALH who served in the Relief of Ladysmith.

FamilySearch and National Archives of SA show a Charles Coventry Davies born 1855 (in Ireland I think) who married twice in Pietermaritzburg - appears to have been an accountant.

Intriguingly similar.

Thanks. Interesting. Coventry Davies seems to have been his surname.
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3255...try-davies,-charles/

Captain
COVENTRY-DAVIES, CHARLES

Died 07/08/1919

General List and 11th Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Buried at NICE (CAUCADE) BRITISH CIVIL CEMETERY
Location:Alpes-Maritimes, France
www.gravestonephotos.com/public/gravedetails.php?grave=330509

I did a search for him at the Great War Forum, but nothing showed up.


The Cardiff Evening Express (26.9.1893) reviewed a performance of 'A Million Of Money,' performed at the Theatre Royal, Cardiff. The manager of the theatrical company was Mr. H. C. Arnold, and "Mr. Coventry Davies was clever enough to make himself very hateful as the treacherous Major Belgrave."
newspapers.library.wales/view/3238561/3238565/82/

The previous year Henry Arnold had brought his company to the Grand Theatre, Cardiff, to perform the drama 'Lights 'o London,' the part of Clifford Armytage being played by Mr. Coventry Davies. (Evening Express, 10.5.1892)
newspapers.library.wales/view/3230983/3230987/98/

The County Observer and Monmouthshire Advertiser (26.1.1901) reported that the late Mr. Sam Lewis, among other bequests in his will, left £10,000 to one of his brothers-in-law, Mr Coventry Davies, "at present serving with our army in South Africa." One of the other brothers-in-law was a Harry Davies.
newspapers.library.wales/view/4236108/4236114/61/

The dreaded double barrelled surname and the floating hyphen.

FmP provides a date of birth of 1862, he was admitted to 2 General Hospital (presumably France & Flanders) for five days in October 1916 suffering from debility. He had been in theatre for 2 weeks and was an "RTO (Railway Transport Officer?) Staff". If he was overseas then I would expect an MIC, which I can't find.

Gazetted to temporary captain on 15th September 1914.
www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28984/page/9693/data.pdf
(A Great War Forum member came up with that, I've posted about him there too)