Webber, Ernest Osar

Bandsman Private 4614

2nd Cheshire Regiment

Survived                 

Ernest Oscar Webber was born on the 17^th of June 1880 and baptized on July 4^th at St Luke Chelsea. He was the youngest of nine boys born to George Webber and Sarah nee Watts.

On the 1881 census the family were living in 11, Manor Buildings. His father was employed as a painter. Ernest was ten months old. There were twenty years difference between the oldest son Richard, and Ernest.

Manor Buildings is described thus by Charles Booth “On south of street front yards, on north side a dirty and rowdy lot.” Inspector Seabright who escorted him stated “ There is not one here  who would not open his door to one who wanted to escape from the police.” Charles Booth commented also that it needed to be lit and he would return once the lighting was in place. In other words it was a dangerous place to be.

Ernest’s mother died in 1886 followed by his father the following year. Ernest was admitted to the Britten Street workhouse in December 1887 and was discharged into the care of an older brother. The Poor Law records show that Ernest was admitted to Beechholme on the 2nd of September 1890 and was still in residence when the 1891 census was taken.

Ernest was discharged from the school to the 2nd Cheshire regiment on the 2nd of October 1894. His army service records give his occupation as musician. He was aged 14 years and 3 months, weighed 85 pounds and was 4 feet 10 ½ inches in height. He was of fair complexion with brown eyes and black hair and his one distinguishing feature was a mole by his right nipple.

The 2^nd Cheshire battalion sailed on the Brittanic about the 7^th of January 1900 arriving in South Africa on the 27^th. Along with the 2nd South Wales Borderers, 1^st East Lancashire and 2^nd North Staffordshire regiments they formed the 15^th Brigade under Major General A.G.Wavell. The Cheshires had no serious fighting on the way from Modder River to Bloemfontein.

In the action at Karee Siding on the 29^th of March the infantry employed was said to have done well. They had about twenty-two men wounded.

At the Zand River the battalion was sent forward on the evening of the 9^th of May to seize and hold a drift which was carried out successfully.

                                          Map of Zand River and surrounding area.

The Brigade crossed early on the 10^th, clearing the enemy from strong positions north of the river. After the occupation of Johannesburg the 15^th Brigade was detailed to garrison the town, and the Cheshire regiment remained long in the vicinity.

Eight Officers, twelve Non-Commissioned Officers and men were mentioned in Lord Roberts’ final despatch.

On the 5^th of December 1900 the battalion relieved the 2^nd Royal Scots Fusiliers as garrison of Friederickstad. In January 1901 part of the battalion was holding a post on the line south of Johannesburg when the enemy attacked fiercely. The attack was gallantly driven off. In 1901 the infantry columns under Sir H. Rawlinson, Colonel E.C.Williams, Colonel Hickie and others did much arduous but most useful work in the south west Transvaal. Three Officers, and one private were mentioned by Lord Kitchener for good work during later phases of the war.

Ernest Webber was awarded the South African medal with Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal clasps. Ernest was discharged from his first period of engagement on the 29^th of October 1906.

He  married his first cousin Amelia Webber in 1907 at St Jude, World’s End.

On the 1911 census the couple are living at 9, Bullen Street, Battersea and Ernest’s occupation is given as theatre musician .

Ernest re-enlisted in December 1916 to serve in the Great War. His regiment was the 3/24^th London . It is unlikely that he served overseas as there is no medal index card for him and his pension records show no medal entitlement.

His army pension records show that he was of very good character. He was discharged from the army for sickness at the end of the war. Sadly his wife Amelia had died on the 12^th of November 1918 and her death certificate is found within Ernest’s pension records showing that she died of pneumonia following influenza. She was one of the millions worldwide who died of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 -1919 which killed more people than the great war. It appears that the couple didn’t have any children.

In 1920 Ernest married for the second time to Mary Salthouse at Hammersmith. She was twelve years younger than Ernest. There is no evidence of children from this marriage either. The 1939 register shows Ernest and his wife living at 30, Lille Road Fulham. His occupation is listed as an insurance clerk.

Ernest died on the 3rd of May 1946 at his home at the above address.

His will states that he left £154 to his widow.

Wetherall, Sydney Percy

Trumpeter 4029

8th (Kings Royal Irish) Hussars

Survived

Sydney Percy Wetherall was born on the 9^th of September 1882 in Knightsbridge.

He was the youngest of at least nine children born to Alfred and Mary Ann nee Williams. The oldest of these children Alfred being some twenty years older than Sydney. His father had been employed as a coachman but he died two years after Sydney was born.

From the London school’s admission records Sydney was admitted into Fox School, Silver Street, Kensington on the 28^th of May 1885; he was under three years of age.

By the time the 1891 census was taken Sydney’s mother had re-married and the family were living at 12, Campden Street in Kensington. Sydney’s stepfather Charles Bryant was employed as a mason’s marble polisher.

From the Poor Law records Sydney was transferred to Beechholme on the 15th of August 1893. His next of kin was given as a married sister, Emma Crawford of 8, Stanley Gardens Mews. Sydney’s mother died in 1895.

Sydney was discharged from the school to the 8th Hussars on the 2nd of December 1897; The regiment was based at Cahir, Tipperary, Ireland. This time the records show his next of kin as his brother Alfred of 8, Denbigh Street, Bayswater.

His army service records give his age as fifteen years and two months and list his occupation as a musician. He was 5 feet 3 inches in height and weighed 115 pounds. He had a dark complexion and had black hair and brown eyes. He had scars on his left thigh. His army records also state that he had attended Banstead school.

Sydney was appointed Bandsman on the 26^th of February 1899 and then Trumpeter on the 13^th of March 1901. His service in South Africa was from the 18^th of May 1901 until the 20^th of October 1901 so relatively short. He would have been part of a group of replacement soldiers as the regiment had sailed in February 1900 arriving in March of the same year.

In early 1901 the regiment  was in the column of Colonel E.C.Knox, on of those which starting near Springs swept to the Swazi border.

Swaziland was independent by early 1901 and important to both sides in the war. The British were particularly concerned about war material passing through Lourenco Marques, the capital of Portuguese East Africa, to Komatipoort and of Swaziland being used as a corridor to smuggle supplies. 

Sydney received the South African medal with Transvaal clasp.

He was discharged at the Curragh, Ireland on the 30^th of April 1902 as being medically unfit.

Sydney’s total army service was 4 years 150 days.

He married Annie May Elliott in 1905 in the Croydon registration district.

On the 1911 census both of them are working at Long Grove Asylum, in Epsom, Sydney as an attendent and Annie as a nurse.

It is unknown whether the couple had any children.

Sydney died in 1948" in the Hertford registration district. The 1939 register shows Sydney and his wife living at 27, Railway Place, Hertford. His occupation was given as Royal Army Service Corps supply department, civil staff.

Wheeler, Thomas Henry

Corporal

3rd Hussar s Lance Corporal 3406

Survived 

Thomas Henry Wheeler was born in July 1880, according to Poor Law records, in Kensington. He was the youngest of five children born to George Wheeler and Martha nee Coles.  A sister had died in infancy. George Wheeler was employed as a traction engine driver. On the 1881 census the family were living at 5, Adair Road, Kensington. Adair Road was described thus by Charles Booth “One end of road has great jagged panes of glass out of windows; stopped with sacking or not stopped at all. A deal of drunks in the road.” Adair Road was coloured purple on the poverty map indicating mixed social classes, some comfortable and some very poor.

George died in 1883 and Thomas’s mother died in the June quarter of 1887. Poor Law records reveal Thomas and his older brother Frederick being admitted to the Branch School on the 2^nd of September 1887. One sister was being cared for by an aunt and uncle in Wales and another sister was being cared for in London.

From Poor Law Records Thomas was admitted to Beechholme on the 2nd of September 1887

On the 1891 census Thomas aged ten was still resident in Beechholme. Thomas was discharged on the 10th of October 1893 to the 3rd Hussars Band in Dublin. A follow up visit carried out on the 12th of August 1896 stated both Adjutant and Bandmaster report favourably.

The 3^rd Hussars sailed from India and arrived at Durban in December of 1901. After being stationed in the Newcastle area of Natal for a short time they and the 20^th Hussars were brigaded under Colonel Nixon. They were employed in the last great drives of the Boer War, chiefly in the extreme north east of the Orange River Colony when many of the enemy were taken. This column was responsible for many of these captures and in Lord Kitchener’s despatch of the 8^th of April 1902 he mentioned that "Colonel Nixon reported the discovery of three Krupp field guns which were found hidden in the bed of a tributary of Liebensberg’s Vlei" Dealing with an earlier drive, Lord Kitchener stated that Colonel Nixon had on the night of the 26^th of February 1902 “ successfully repulsed an attack by a large number of the enemy upon the line of the Cornelius river.”

Map showing the Cornelius river.

Unfortunately there are no surviving army service records for Thomas but “Casualties of the Boer War” records held by Find My Past show that he was missing on the 4^th of April 1902 in Gelderland. In the remarks column it states “Rejoined”.

Gelderland was a Boer stronghold in Natal, named after the Dutch settlers, and the 3^rd Hussars had been involved in “mopping up” operations in and around Liebensberg Vlei (a vlei is a river).

Thomas was awarded the Queens South African medal with Orange Free State, Transvaal and 1901 and 1902 clasps.

On the 1911 census Thomas was at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, Whitton, Middlesex. He was described as being a Sergeant with the 3^rd Hussars and was a musician. He was aged thirty one and single.

The Royal Military School of Music was formed at Kneller Hall in 1857 by Field Marshall HRH the Duke of Cambridge then Commander in Chief of the British Army. 

Formerly it had been used as a training college for teachers of pauper and criminal children.

     Picture of Kneller Hall in 1908.

 Unfortunately nothing further is known of Thomas.

Woodward, Henry (brother of Charles)

Bandsman, Private 5232

2nd Cheshire Regiment

Survived

Henry Woodward was born in 1880, month and day unknown in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea. .

His parents are unknown.

On the 24^th of September 1889 he, along with his older brother Charles and younger sister Nellie were admitted into the Britten Street workhouse in Chelsea. In the margin is the sad notation that they had been abandoned by their mother.

Nellie was sent to a family in Eyke Suffolk. She was just four.

From Poor Law records Henry was admitted to Beechholme on the 29th of November 1889 with his brother, and by the time of the 1891 census both were still there.

Henry was discharged from the school to the band of the 2nd Cheshire regiment on the 31st of March 1896. His next of kin was given as an uncle - Joseph Willis of 23, Little Charles Street.

There appear to be no surviving army records for Henry but from the UK Army Campaign Medal records held by Ancestry it is revealed that he did indeed serve in the Boer War.

The 2^nd Cheshire regiment sailed on the Britannic on the 7^th of January 1900 arriving on the 27^th of the same month. They were part of the 15^th brigade under Major General A.G.Wavell  and formed part of the VII division under Lieutenant General Tucker.

The 2^nd Cheshire regiment had no serious fighting on the way from Modder River to Blomfontein.

In the action at Karee Siding on the 29^th of March the infantry employed was the VIIth division and this battalion was said to have done very well. They had about twenty two wounded.

At the Zand river the battalion was sent forward on the evening of the 9^th of May to seize and hold a drift. This they successfully accomplished and the brigade crossed early on the 10^th clearing the enemy from strong positions north of the river.

After the occupation of Johannesburg the 15^th brigade was detailed to garrison the town and the  Cheshire regiment long remained in that vicinity. Eight officers and 12 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned in Lord Robert’s final despatch.

On the 5^th of December 1900 the battalion relieved the 2^nd Royal Scots Fusiliers as garrison of Frederickstad. In January 1901 part of the battalion was holding a post on the line south of Johannesburg when the enemy attacked fiercely. The attack was very gallantly driven off.

In 1901 the battalion furnished the infantry of columns under Sir H. Rawlinson, Colonel E.C. Williams, Colonel Hickie and others, which did much arduous but useful work in the south west Transvaal.

Three officers, one non-commissioned officer and one private were mentioned by Lord Kitchener for good work during the later phases of the war.

Henry was entitled to the South African medal with Transvaal , 1901 and 1902 clasps.

Unfortunately nothing further is known about Henry after the Boer War.

Woodward, Charles

Private

2nd Royal Cheshire Regiment (on Chapel plaque)

2^nd ROYAL IRISH RIFLES (See below)

RANK AND NUMBER UNKNOWN (Almost certainly a Bandsman or Trumpeter - Shown as Private on Chapel plaquel)

Survived

Brother of Henry

Charles Woodward was born in 1883, month and day unknown, within the borough of Kensington and Chelsea. He was the younger brother of Henry and had a younger sister called Nelly. Information from Poor Law records show that the three children were abandoned by their mother who is not named, and the children were discharged to Beechholme on the 29th of November 1889. Nelly was then fostered out to a family in Suffolk. Charles was discharged on the 11th of March 1899 to the band of the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles. His next of kin was an uncle-Joseph Willis of 23, Little Charles Street.

There are no surviving army records for Charles and his name does not feature on anything relating to the Boer War .

Although there is plenty of evidence which shows the 2^nd Royal Irish Rifles were active in the fighting of the Boer War we could find no record of medal entitlement awarded to this man.

On the 1911 census Charles is found at the Citadel barracks Western Heights, Dover as a Lance Corporal with the 2^nd Royal Irish Rifles. His occupation is given as musician and he was a single man. He was twenty seven years old.

Sadly nothing further is known about this man.