There is a gap in WILLIAM’S Journal from 7th October 1900 to the beginning of 1904. He either didn’t record any information or there are pages missing. We have snippets of information from three different sources to provide a more continuous record of his whereabouts and activities for this period:
individual pieces of information from different sections in the Journal
a series of poems WILLIAM wrote between March and September 1902
other material not directly related toWILLIAMwhich provides background to his whereabouts and activities
The Kaffrarian Rifles October 1900 – May 1901
William left The Kaffrarian Rifles on 5th November 1900 and then re-enlisted on 21st November 1900. After 1st January 1901, the regiment was sent north from East London again and joined a column under the command of Colonel Crewe of the Border Horse. The Kaffrarian Rifles were part of action with De Wet’s rear-guard at the Tabaksberg on the 29th January. The Rifles bore the bulk of the casualties, their losses being 5 killed and about 20 wounded. There then followed a series of pursuits and skirmishes which were to go on for another fifteen months. The Kaffrarian Rifles continued to operate in the east of Cape Colony until peace was declared. During this period WILLIAM left The Kaffrarian Rifles and enlisted with the Burgersdorp District Mounted Troops on 10th June 1901. No information has been found that explains his departure from The Kaffrarian Rifles, when the regiment was still involved in action against the Boers. The Kaffrarian Rifles Museum has some discharge certificates which state on termination, by soldiers own request. WILLIAM’Sdischarge papers are not in the archives, but it is probably safe to assume that he chose to leave. The Kaffrarian Rifles were operating in and near Burgersdorp at the time and it would be natural for him to join the local District Mounted Troop.
Burgersdorp District Mounted Troop June 1901 – September 1902
William joined
the Burgersdorp District Mounted Troops on 10th June 1901 and left on 25th September 1902. There were some 125 Town Guards and District Mounted Troop units during the Anglo-Boer War, used for local defence in areas where Boer Forces were active. No information has been found relating to WILLIAM’S activities during the second half of 1901 and the early months of 1902. The Anglo-Boer War was slowly moving to its end and peace negotiations commenced on 12th March 1902 and concluded 31st May 1902. Some information about WILLIAM at this time can be found from his poems. The Ride to Burgersdorp dated March 1902 describes a cycle ride from Venterstad in the Eastern Cape to Burgersdorp. In TheGallant DMT also dated March 1902, WILLIAM appears to be reflecting on his time with the Burgersdorp District Mounted Troop. He recorded that the poem was a sarcastic piece, which doesn’t suggest he was very positive about his fellow members of the DMT.
WILLIAM is next found at Maitland Camp just outside Cape Town in May 1902. Cape Town was the centre of British military organisation during the Anglo-Boer War. From a military point of view it became the main port for the landing and forwarding of troops. Maitland Camp was used to assemble and train troops.
The Rough Rider’s Camp at Maitland Cape Town. Source Anglo Boer War
WILLIAM wrote The Coronation Crowd on 5th May and The Volunteers on 18th May 1902 at Maitland Camp. In The Coronation Crowd he is writing about how some troops from South Africa were to attend the coronation of Edward VII as the King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, which took place at Westminster Abbey on 9th August 1902.
There is no evidence explaining WILLIAM’S presence at Maitland Camp. The Anglo-Boer War had ended on 31st May 1902, so it could be that he was there to be demobilised to either stay in South Africa or return to England; or ready to return to England with the Burgersdorp District Mounted Troop to be part of the coronation ceremony.
The National Archives file WO127/23 lists the colonial contingents at the 1902 Coronation. This was a small number of men from 49 different local armed forces. These records haven’t been consulted yet and they may throw some light on whether WILLIAM was part of the ceremony. Though not all the troops who returned to England actually took part in the Coronation. Those taking part were awarded the King Edward VII Coronation Medal.
Coronation of Edward VII (1902) British Pathé
William in EnglandAugust – September 1902
It appears that WILLIAM was in England by 25th August 1902 as he wrote in a friend’s birthday book at what WILLIAM describes as Alex Palace. This would seem to be Alexandra Palace, London. Interestingly, two thousand five hundred
colonial troops
gathered in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in the summer of 1902 for a rally for Edward VII’s coronation. Was WILLIAM part of that celebration?
His previous poem, Written while visiting relatives, is dated the latter part of July 1902. He wrote about new relations and being less than keen to meet them. The tone doesn’t suggest he visited his relatives in North East England. He may be referring to relatives of Mary (Marie) Sarah Bevington his future wife. This may mean he arrived in England either late May, June or early July 1902. Research of the passenger lists currently available hasn’t provided any date to confirm the date of his travel to England.
WILLIAM’S poem A Fair Maiden dated 2nd September 1902 is dedicated to Marie and Sweethearts of Old dated 3rd of September 1902 is written to her from Las Palmas in Grand Canaria. This clearly shows that he has met Mary Sarah Bevington and a relationship has developed. It also suggests that at this point he is travelling back to South Africa.
How did William and Marie meet?
This poses the question about how and where WILLIAM and Marie first met. There is no information that indicates that Marie travelled to South Africa before her marriage. WILLIAM’S visit to England in the summer of 1902 could be the occasion of their first meeting. The poem Two Lives written on 5th September 1902 clearly demonstrates William’s feelings:
Fate; that great controller of things to be, Around two souls has worked his wondrous net, Has bought one from lands across the sea, Has made two lives one, where; had they never met, They’d have lived their lives in a half hearted kind of way. Never known of love, strong, fierce; that hold the heart in sway.
Arthur Bevington
An oral tradition with WILLIAM’S descendants is that he met Marie’s brother Arthur during the Anglo-Boer War and that provided the link. Research on Arthur Bevington confirms that he signed on for four years with the Merchant Navy on 17th October 1893. Records of the service of men in the Merchant Navy is sketchy in the late 19th and early 20th century. Investigation of the Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Agreements and Crew Lists, Series III has him on the SS Galician to Cape Colony in 1906. Between 7th August and 14th August he was working between Cape Town and East London. Unfortunately, he is not identified in any crew lists before 1906. However, it is just possible that Arthur visited South Africa in the period 1902 to 1904. Equally it is possible that Arthur did serve in a unit during the Anglo Boer War. An A Bevington served in Kaffrarian Rifles (regimental no. 1479) and was entitled to the South African Medal and clasps under the Army Order granting the Medal. (Public Record Office WO 100/254). The Nominal Roll of the Kaffrarian Rifles show Trooper Arthur Bevington served from 25th November 1900 till 8th May 1901.This seems to suggest that Marie’s brother Arthur and WILLIAM were in the same regiment and would probably have known each other. They could have both travelled back to England in 1902 and Arthur invited WILLIAM to visit his family in Leytonstone, Essex. At this time Arthur’s home address is still the family home at 77 Fillebrook Avenue, where his sister Marie also lived. And this could be the new relations WILLIAM refers to.
South Africa October 1902 – January 1904
WILLIAM’S submission to the Phthisis Board in 1914 on Page 59 of the Journal confirmed he worked at a gold mine from 1st October 1902 to February 1903. His writing is illegible so it’s difficult to identify the name of the mine. From 1st March to 15th November he is working at the Schuller Diamond Mine near Van der Merwe Station, Pretoria. Then in January 1904 he is at the Cornelia Coal Mine, Viljoens Drift.
In conclusion there is enough information from the the three sources to provide a little more detail on his whereabouts between the final months of 1900 and the beginning of 1904, but the answer to the question how did two people living nearly 9000 miles apart first meet and develop a relationship which leads to marriage is a mystery for the moment.
William English Attestation Papers for the Burgersdorp District Mounted Troops. Source: National Archives WO126 War Office: Local Armed Forces, Enrolment Forms, South African War.
Canadian Light Battery out for drill, practising for the procession.
Contents
The Missing Years and Mary Sarah Bevington
READ MOREBefore William’s Birth
READ MOREWilliam’s Early Life
READ MOREWilliam’s cycle trip to North East England
READ MORELater Years
READ MOREAfter William’s Death
READ MOREWilliam’s move to South Africa
READ MOREBackground to William’s ‘Poems’
READ MOREThe Missing Years and Mary Sarah Bevington
There is a gap in WILLIAM’S Journal from 7th October 1900 to the beginning of 1904. He either didn’t record any information or there are pages missing. We have snippets of information from three different sources to provide a more continuous record of his whereabouts and activities for this period:
The Kaffrarian Rifles October 1900 – May 1901
William left The Kaffrarian Rifles on 5th November 1900 and then re-enlisted on 21st November 1900. After 1st January 1901, the regiment was sent north from East London again and joined a column under the command of Colonel Crewe of the Border Horse. The Kaffrarian Rifles were part of action with De Wet’s rear-guard at the Tabaksberg on the 29th January. The Rifles bore the bulk of the casualties, their losses being 5 killed and about 20 wounded. There then followed a series of pursuits and skirmishes which were to go on for another fifteen months. The Kaffrarian Rifles continued to operate in the east of Cape Colony until peace was declared. During this period WILLIAM left The Kaffrarian Rifles and enlisted with the Burgersdorp District Mounted Troops on 10th June 1901. No information has been found that explains his departure from The Kaffrarian Rifles, when the regiment was still involved in action against the Boers. The Kaffrarian Rifles Museum has some discharge certificates which state on termination, by soldiers own request. WILLIAM’S discharge papers are not in the archives, but it is probably safe to assume that he chose to leave. The Kaffrarian Rifles were operating in and near Burgersdorp at the time and it would be natural for him to join the local District Mounted Troop.
Burgersdorp District Mounted Troop June 1901 – September 1902
William joined the Burgersdorp District Mounted Troops on 10th June 1901 and left on 25th September 1902. There were some 125 Town Guards and District Mounted Troop units during the Anglo-Boer War, used for local defence in areas where Boer Forces were active. No information has been found relating to WILLIAM’S activities during the second half of 1901 and the early months of 1902. The Anglo-Boer War was slowly moving to its end and peace negotiations commenced on 12th March 1902 and concluded 31st May 1902. Some information about WILLIAM at this time can be found from his poems. The Ride to Burgersdorp dated March 1902 describes a cycle ride from Venterstad in the Eastern Cape to Burgersdorp. In The Gallant DMT also dated March 1902, WILLIAM appears to be reflecting on his time with the Burgersdorp District Mounted Troop. He recorded that the poem was a sarcastic piece, which doesn’t suggest he was very positive about his fellow members of the DMT.
WILLIAM is next found at Maitland Camp just outside Cape Town in May 1902. Cape Town was the centre of British military organisation during the Anglo-Boer War. From a military point of view it became the main port for the landing and forwarding of troops. Maitland Camp was used to assemble and train troops.
WILLIAM wrote The Coronation Crowd on 5th May and The Volunteers on 18th May 1902 at Maitland Camp. In The Coronation Crowd he is writing about how some troops from South Africa were to attend the coronation of Edward VII as the King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, which took place at Westminster Abbey on 9th August 1902.
There is no evidence explaining WILLIAM’S presence at Maitland Camp. The Anglo-Boer War had ended on 31st May 1902, so it could be that he was there to be demobilised to either stay in South Africa or return to England; or ready to return to England with the Burgersdorp District Mounted Troop to be part of the coronation ceremony.
The National Archives file WO127/23 lists the colonial contingents at the 1902 Coronation. This was a small number of men from 49 different local armed forces. These records haven’t been consulted yet and they may throw some light on whether WILLIAM was part of the ceremony. Though not all the troops who returned to England actually took part in the Coronation. Those taking part were awarded the King Edward VII Coronation Medal.
William in England August – September 1902
It appears that WILLIAM was in England by 25th August 1902 as he wrote in a friend’s birthday book at what WILLIAM describes as Alex Palace. This would seem to be Alexandra Palace, London. Interestingly, two thousand five hundred colonial troops gathered in the grounds of Alexandra Palace in the summer of 1902 for a rally for Edward VII’s coronation. Was WILLIAM part of that celebration?
His previous poem, Written while visiting relatives, is dated the latter part of July 1902. He wrote about new relations and being less than keen to meet them. The tone doesn’t suggest he visited his relatives in North East England. He may be referring to relatives of Mary (Marie) Sarah Bevington his future wife. This may mean he arrived in England either late May, June or early July 1902. Research of the passenger lists currently available hasn’t provided any date to confirm the date of his travel to England.
WILLIAM’S poem A Fair Maiden dated 2nd September 1902 is dedicated to Marie and Sweethearts of Old dated 3rd of September 1902 is written to her from Las Palmas in Grand Canaria. This clearly shows that he has met Mary Sarah Bevington and a relationship has developed. It also suggests that at this point he is travelling back to South Africa.
How did William and Marie meet?
This poses the question about how and where WILLIAM and Marie first met. There is no information that indicates that Marie travelled to South Africa before her marriage. WILLIAM’S visit to England in the summer of 1902 could be the occasion of their first meeting. The poem Two Lives written on 5th September 1902 clearly demonstrates William’s feelings:
Fate; that great controller of things to be,
Around two souls has worked his wondrous net,
Has bought one from lands across the sea,
Has made two lives one, where; had they never met,
They’d have lived their lives in a half hearted kind of way.
Never known of love, strong, fierce; that hold the heart in sway.
An oral tradition with WILLIAM’S descendants is that he met Marie’s brother Arthur during the Anglo-Boer War and that provided the link. Research on Arthur Bevington confirms that he signed on for four years with the Merchant Navy on 17th October 1893. Records of the service of men in the Merchant Navy is sketchy in the late 19th and early 20th century. Investigation of the Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Agreements and Crew Lists, Series III has him on the SS Galician to Cape Colony in 1906. Between 7th August and 14th August he was working between Cape Town and East London. Unfortunately, he is not identified in any crew lists before 1906. However, it is just possible that Arthur visited South Africa in the period 1902 to 1904. Equally it is possible that Arthur did serve in a unit during the Anglo Boer War. An A Bevington served in Kaffrarian Rifles (regimental no. 1479) and was entitled to the South African Medal and clasps under the Army Order granting the Medal. (Public Record Office WO 100/254). The Nominal Roll of the Kaffrarian Rifles show Trooper Arthur Bevington served from 25th November 1900 till 8th May 1901.This seems to suggest that Marie’s brother Arthur and WILLIAM were in the same regiment and would probably have known each other. They could have both travelled back to England in 1902 and Arthur invited WILLIAM to visit his family in Leytonstone, Essex. At this time Arthur’s home address is still the family home at 77 Fillebrook Avenue, where his sister Marie also lived. And this could be the new relations WILLIAM refers to.
South Africa October 1902 – January 1904
WILLIAM’S submission to the Phthisis Board in 1914 on Page 59 of the Journal confirmed he worked at a gold mine from 1st October 1902 to February 1903. His writing is illegible so it’s difficult to identify the name of the mine. From 1st March to 15th November he is working at the Schuller Diamond Mine near Van der Merwe Station, Pretoria. Then in January 1904 he is at the Cornelia Coal Mine, Viljoens Drift.
In conclusion there is enough information from the the three sources to provide a little more detail on his whereabouts between the final months of 1900 and the beginning of 1904, but the answer to the question how did two people living nearly 9000 miles apart first meet and develop a relationship which leads to marriage is a mystery for the moment.