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Post by minstrel on Mar 9, 2007 22:04:43 GMT 1
Thomas Price Jenkins (1871-1941) of Thomastown Brickworks was closely involved with the Glamorganshire Imperial Yeomanry. He served in the Boer War with the North Somerset Yeomanry, being selected for Lord Roberts' bodyguard. In South Africa he transferred to Kitchener's Scouts. On his return he rejoined the Glamorganshire Imperial Yeomanry. On his return to Merthyr he was awarded a gold medal by the town. Can anyone add to this with particular reference to the Glam Imperial Yeomanry & Kitchener's Scouts? Did lots of people from Merthyr fight in the Boer War?
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Post by Carolyn on Mar 12, 2007 2:34:08 GMT 1
I am not sure where you would get extra information, except by slowly manually looking through copies of the Merthyr Express for the award (unfortunately the paper has not been indexed or electronically scanned ). The Glamorgan Record Office may have
archives for the Yeomanry and the National Archives, Kew may hold the papers for Kitchener's Scouts.
Did lots of people from Merthyr fight in the Boer War?
I can give a positive answer here.......... a huge number of local men did go to fight in the Boer War ( the local author Jack Jones amongst them ). So many left that it created serious labour shortages in the Dowlais Steel Works ( they had to recruit in Ireland, Spain and even encouraged Jewish immigrants to travel here from London. Evidence of the importance of the Boer War is in the Boer War Memorial still standing in Thomastown Park
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Post by minstrel on Mar 14, 2007 20:22:56 GMT 1
Carolyn: thanks for your advice. I am told there is little information on the Yeomanry as I believe it was a volunteer force. The only info I've found on Kitchener's Scouts has been supplied by the Boer War Museum in South Africa. UK sources including Imperial War Museum were lacking. I asked the question re Merthyr numbers going to Boer War as I hoped other families might have records & I could find something via 'the long route'. I live in hope.
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Post by rachelb on Apr 5, 2007 9:33:16 GMT 1
Hello,
I can't give you any information about Merthyr and the Boer War, But a snippet about the 1901 census might help.
Any soldier in South Africa at the time of the 1901 census does not appear on the census, as there was no recording of who was in S.A. on that date.
My grandfather, Issac Jones from Ruthin was in S.A. in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and I was at first puzzled by the fact that I couldn't find him in the 1901, and then did find him in 1891. I knew that he existed before 1901 and that he had been in South Africa, as he had told me about it.
Sincerely,
Rachel Bowen
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Post by minstrel on Dec 9, 2007 19:52:29 GMT 1
Thomas P Jenkins sold the Thomas Town Brickworks in 1898. It was sold to a company called the Merthyr Brick & Tile Co Ltd. The shareholders were, in the main, family. I'm intrigued as to why Thomas P Jenkins sold up. Was it to finance himself, as a member of the Yeomanry, to go to Boer War as part of Lord Roberts bodyguard? I think I have read somewhere that members of the Yeomanry were responsible for providing their own horses & kit. If so, I suspect this would have been a tidy sum. Does anyone have an educated view on this??
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