TOPIC:

He was a gamekeeper on the Sandringham Estate, Norfolk, and both he and the murdered woman, Mrs Grace Ives, lived at the village of West Newton; both were married, but not to each other, and the deaths took place on Saturday 13th August 1913.



Lots of further information here - www.kingslynn-forums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9757 - but in which unit did Arthur Elder serve during the war? He doesn't show up in the 1901 census, so was presumably in South Africa then.

Someone on the King's Lynn Forums has very kindly shared his research. "Arthur Elder served with the Grenadier Guards in South Africa and I know that he suffered an injury whilst on active service. I suspect that he may also be suffering from what would now be referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]."

Berenice
My handy Guards CD shows "4781 Pte. A.Elder" of 3GG who earned the following clasps on his QSA: Belmont, Modder River, Dreifontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill and Belfast. There is no marginal note on the QSA roll to indicate an injury. Palmer shows no entry for a person of that name and unit. Maybe personal papers if any still exist, may tell more.
Regards
IL.

Thanks, IL. Maybe it was reported in a local paper that he was injured or wounded, but not seriously. Not serious enough to be invalided home anyway.

BereniceUK wrote: Thanks, IL. Maybe it was reported in a local paper that he was injured or wounded, but not seriously. Not serious enough to be invalided home anyway.

Notes on his KSA medal roll states:- To England 27th June 1902.
He married in 1907 and the 1911 census has him living alone at Pheasantry cottage near the Sandringham estate.
Another soldier who returned from SA with flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety and stresses from combat? On top of a broken marriage and possibly a Crime of Passion relating to the murder/suicide?

Seems more likely to have been a suicide pact. She may have taken something before her death, but he made sure by shooting her. "There was also a note. This was in Grace’s hand writing apart from the last word, which was in Elder’s. The note read “In death not divided, please bury us together. Grace and Arthur.” "