The Man Who Missed Isandlwana

British Mounted Infantry and Zulus at the Battle of Gingindlovu

Newspaper accounts of the local soldiers involved in the battle of Isandlwana that trickled back to the Potteries in early 1879 occasionally mentioned a Private Frederick Butler of the 2/24th Foot who had been seconded to the Imperial Mounted Infantry. Initial reports in early March indicated that he was a casualty, but these were wrong. In a subsequent report in the Sentinel on 5th April 1879, his father William, the publican of the Bell and Bear Inn, Snow Hill, Shelton, noted that his son had survived and that the family had received a letter from Frederick detailing the fighting he had seen, but this potentially interesting letter was never published in the paper, leaving the readers to wonder at what his story may have been. Frederick was alive, that much is true, but he lived largely because he was nowhere near to Isandlwana when the battle occurred. 

1199 Private Frederick Butler, 2/24th and 2nd Squadron Imperial Mounted Infantry

Frederick Butler was born in 1858 in Alsager, Cheshire, the second of five children born to William Butler and Ann nee Melbourne. By 1861, the family had moved to the Potteries where William became the landlord of the Bell and Bear Inn, Snow Hill, Shelton. Fred's mother died in 1869 and later that same year his father remarried to Sarah Lloyd, by whom he had two daughters. Fred joined the army in 1877, being assigned to the 2nd battalion 24th Regiment of Foot as 1199 Private Frederick Butler. Later that year he and his battalion were posted to South Africa.

Whilst in South Africa, on 1st September 1878 Private Butler was detached to the Imperial Mounted Infantry. This as the name implies was a mounted force that recruited soldiers from the infantry regiments who had some experience with horses, just as the son of an innkeeper might. Butler was posted to the 2nd Squadron Mounted Infantry under Captain William Sugden (1/24th) being employed as a saddler until 12th September1879, according to the pay and muster rolls of the 2/24th. This squadron was sent to serve with No.1 Column ('the Coastal Column') under Colonel Charles Knight Pearson and was commanded by Captain Percy Barrows of the 19th Hussars. This force was to enter the Zulu kingdom some 50 miles to the east of Lord Chelmsford’s Central Column that would soon fall victim to the Zulu counterattack.

With his unit Butler crossed into Zululand on 11th January and over the next week they made steady progress into the interior. The Coastal Column claimed the honour of first blood as early on 22nd January, the same day that the Centre Column was being cut to pieces at Isandlwana, Pearson's men successfully fought off the first Zulu attack of the war at the battle of Nyezane or Inyezane, and Private Butler as a member of the 2nd Squadron Mounted Infantry doubtless played his part in the fighting there. It seems very likely that when he wrote home it was that battle he was describing and misunderstandings by his family and local reporters perhaps gave rise to the story of him having survived Isandlwana. Without seeing the actual letter he wrote it is hard to say if this was the case, but if Pvt Butler had merely noted in his letter home that he had been in a battle with the Zulus on the 22nd this could have easily led to the confusion. The news of Isandlwana, or 'Isandula' as early reports called it, dominated the news, obscuring Pearson's success 50 miles away. Equally, ‘Inyezane’ (as the battle was originally known) could have been confused with ‘Isandula’

Whatever the case, Private Butler was very much alive and served throughout the rest of the war, probably seeing action again with his unit at the Battle of Gingindlovu (2nd April 1879). Though they were not involved in the climactic battle at Ulundi, the 2nd IMI did take part in the search for the fugitive Zulu King Cetewayo after the battle. Butler also got his name in the local press one more time before returning home when a few brief accounts of local men in Zululand were noted in the Sentinel. In it Butler sang the praises of their much-criticised commander-in-chief.

‘Frederick Butler, son of Mr. Butler, of the Bell and Bear lnn, Shelton, writing on July 13th to his parents, makes special reference to the esteem in which Lord Chelmsford is held by the general body of soldiers at the seat of war, observing that they look upon him as “a brave and reliable man.”  He also, speaks the hardships the soldiers have to encounter, but gives also the bright as well the dark side of warfare in Africa.'

Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial & General Advertiser, Saturday 23rd August 1879. p.4

Butler returned to the 2/24th regiment on 12th September 1879. For his service he was later awarded the South Africa Medal with 1877-78-79 clasp.

After the war Fred Butler remained in the army until the 1880s. After that he returned home to the Potteries and on 23rd August 1888 at Holy Trinity Church, he married Mary Jane Smith. At the time he was residing at 12 Brook Street. The couple would have two children. By 1891 Fred seems to have taken over the running of the Bell and Bear Inn from his father. He may also have joined the local rifle volunteers whose drill hall still stands at the top of College Road, Shelton. In this capacity he got his name in papers yet again in 1889, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

'A DANGEROUS PRACTICE. 

RIFLE SHOOTING AT SHELTON.

 DAMAGES £20. 

At the Hanley County Court on Wednesday, before his Honour Judge Jordan, an action was tried and decided, in which Frank Guildford, an engraver, living in Queen Anne-street, Shelton, sued to recover £50 damages from Fred Butler, William Butler, of the Bell and Bear Inn, Shelton; Sidney Smith, cabinet maker, Piccadilly; and J. W. Ault, sign writer, Snow Hill, for personal injuries. 

Mr. Boddam. instructed by Mr G. H. Hunt, appeared on behalf of the plaintiff; and Mr. Ashmall defended. £10 had been paid into Court, with a denial of liability. 

Mr. Boddam stated that the action was for damages done to the plaintiff being shot by the defendants. - The plaintiff was engraver, and was in the employ of Mr. Fennell, of Mollart-street, Hanley. the 2nd of Mav the defendants were practising shooting in a garden connected with Cleveland House, which was in the possession of Mr. Butler, of the Bell and Bear Inn. They were shooting with a Morris tube, a species of invention with which persons were in the habit of practising shooting at targets. The tube carried a small bullet to a tremendous distance. The plaintiff at the time was walking down the public road at the rear of Cleveland Gardens, and as he was so walking was shot in the head by a bullet, which he thought he (the learned counsel) could clearly demonstrate was projected by one the defendants. Two operations were found to be necessary to get out the bullet, and plaintiff had to remain away from his work for a fortnight. He had sustained a considerable shock to his system. 

The plaintiff stated that about a quarter past one o’clock on the 2nd May he was walking along Lime Kiln Walk with two other persons, when he was hit on the left temple with something. He began to bleed, and found that he had got a hole in his head. Directly afterwards the sound of bullet was heard. It struck some boards near where he was standing, and was afterwards taken out the wood. 

His Honour: The bullet hit plaintiff’s head and grazed it ? 

Mr. Boddam: No; it went in and stayed there. Luckily for the plaintiff his skull was so thick. (Laughter.) 

The plaintiff continued that after seeing the police he went to Mr. Charlesworth who attended him until the end of the month. Mr. Charlesworth took out a portion of the bullet on the 4th May, and the remaining portion on the 20th May. 

Mr. Boddam stated that they had any number of admissions of liability. 

Mr. Ashmall said his clients were anxious to act generously with the plaintiff. 

Mr. J. Charlesworth deposed to extracting the bullet, most of which he took out the 4th May.

His Honour; Let me look at it. 

Mr. Boddam: You will see how admirably it was flattened by the gentleman's skull. (Laughter)

His Honour : A good job for him that he had got so thick a one. 

Mr. Charlesworth proceeded to say that the bullet was very bright and slightly grooved, from which circumstances he concluded that it had hit something else before striking the plaintiff; that in fact it was a richochet shot. The bullet lay one inch from the point of entrance.

His Honour: Was it in a dangerous position ?

Mr. Charlesworth: Not in very dangerous position. The wound was too high to be very dangerous: it struck on the thick part the skull. There would be no permanent injury. 

His Honour observed that the wrong being admitted, the only point for him to consider was the amount damages. 

Mr. Ashmall explained that two of the defendants were volunteers. The garden in which they were practising was ninety-five yards in length. There were palings at the bottom of it. On the other side of these palings was plantation twelve yards deep. This was bordered by another fence and beyond it, before the road was reached, was a field 300 yards in length, also bordered by a railing. The guns were sighted for 100 yards, he suggested that this bullet struck one of the trees, from which it glanced and then hit the plaintiff. There was nothing absolutely illegal in what the defendants were doing, and as soon as inquiries came to be made the defendants went so far to say that they would pay any reasonable compensation. 

His Honour said it was difficult matter to measure damages in a case of this sort. No doubt whatever that the defendants were engaged in a dangerous pursuit, and had they killed the plaintiff, would, he dared say, have been put upon their trial for manslaughter. The damages sustained by plaintiff were not serious, but still it was a dangerous thing to have bullet sent into his head. He thought that in giving a verdict for £20 and costs, he was giving a very moderate sum indeed.' 

Staffordshire Sentinel, Thursday 06 June 1889, p.3

Fred Butler appears to have died quite young, aged 33 in 1891.

References:

Info from Forces War Records and Rorkesdriftvc forum. 

Thanks to 1879zuluwar forum members Kate (a.k.a 'gardner1879'), John Young, '90th' and Julian Whybra for further information on Frederick Butler. 

Old News from the Potteries

Regular newspaper coverage of events in the Potteries only really started at the end of the 18th century with the advent in 1795 of the Staffordshire Advertiser paper, though as this was published in Stafford, it's coverage of the goings on in the north of the county was limited to the most noteworthy events. Another half century would pass before more local newspapers were being produced in Hanley, Stoke and Burslem. However, histories, travellers journals and some other national or regional papers occasionally carried tales from the Potteries from this early period giving us fleeting glimpses into life in the area.

* * * * *

The King's Touch

It was widely believed in the past that the King's touch could heal certain ailments. To this end on 29 August 1687, the minister and churchwardens of Stoke-upon-Trent gave John Bell of Cobridge a sealed certificate whereby he could obtain the King's sacred touch for his son Samuel Bell, who suffered from 'the King's Evil' i.e. scrofula. 

(John Ward, The History of the Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent, p.281)

John Wesley is Pelted in the Potteries 

On 8 March 1760, the Reverend John Wesley, the founding father of Methodism, visited Burslem for the first of many visits to the region. He described Burslem as 'a scattered town, on the top of a hill, inhabited almost entirely by potters', a large crowd of whom had gathered to hear him at five in the evening. He noted that great attention sat on every face, but also great ignorance which he hoped he could banish. 

The next day Wesley preached a second sermon in Burslem to twice the number of the day before. 'Some of these seemed quite innocent of thought. Five or six were laughing and talking till I had near done; and one of them threw a clod of earth, which struck me on the side of the head. But it neither disturbed me nor the congregation.' 

(John Wesley, Journal, 8-9th March 1760)

The First Cut

After receiving the royal assent two months earlier for construction of a canal connecting the rivers Trent and Mersey, on the morning of 26 July 1766, at a site just below Brownhills, pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood cut the first sod of what would in time become the Trent and Mersey canal. James Brindley, the engineer who would oversee the canal's construction, and numerous other dignitaries were present, many of whom would also cut a piece of turf, or wheel away a barrow of earth to mark the occasion. In the afternoon a sheep was roasted in Burslem market place for the benefit of the poorer potters in the town. A bonfire was also lit in front of Wedgwood's house and many other events took place around the Potteries by way of celebration. 

(Jean Lindsay, The Trent and Mersey Canal, pp.31-32)

News from the North

'As you often give me London News, I will give you some from this Country, which has of late made a Figure. This Neighbourhood has for many Years made Pots for Europe, and will still do so, though the King of Prussia has lately clapt 28 per Cent, upon them. Our Roads were so bad that nobody came to view the Place where the Flint Ware is made, but now we have Turnpikes upon Turnpikes, and our Potteries are as well worth seeing as the Stockport Silk-Mills, or the Bridgewater Navigation, which we intend to beat hollow by Lord Gower's, now begun in our Meadows, and advancing apace towards Harecastle, on the other Side of which Multitudes of Men are at work, and before Christmas we shall have cut through the Hill, and made another Wonder of the World. There are already 100 Men employed on our Side, and 100 more will be added as soon as Wheelbarrows can be procured for them. Saturday last we had brave Sport at Earl Gower's, where 100,000 Spectators were present at the Prison-Bars played in Trentham Park. Among them were the Dukes of Bedford and Bridgewater. The Prizes were Ten Carline Hats, with gold Loops and Buttons, given by the Earl. The Cheshire Men were active Fellows, but unluckily their Lot was to wear Plod Drawers, to distinguish them from their Antagonists, which made the Crowd oppose their getting the Honour of the Day. During this Game, my Friend Bucknall loft his Boy, about Eight Years of Age, who was suffocated by going aslant down a Sort of a Cave into an old Coalpit, the top of which was fallen in. The Man that ventured to fetch him out, found a Number of Birds, supposed to have dropped down there by the sulphurous Stench issuing from the Pit. We have much Hay, and Cheese is plenty, and Corn without Barn-room, nor do we want Money. 

P. S. I have just seen a Hen, which laid Twelve Eggs only, from which she has brought up Twelve Cock Chickens, which is looked upon as somewhat remarkable.' 

(Extract of a Letter from Burslem,14  August 1766, Derby Mercury, Friday 29 August 1766, p.2)

Tunnel Vision

On 1 July 1772, an anonymous correspondent writing from Burslem related what he had seen the day before when he and some companions paid a visit to the first incarnation of the Harecastle Tunnel, situated between Tunstall and Kidsgrove and then under construction as part of James Brindley's Trent and Mersey Canal. 

'Yesterday we took a walk to the famous subterraneous canal at Harecastle, which is now opened for a mile on one side of the hill, and more than half a mile on the other, of course the whole must be compleated in a short time. As it is not yet filled with water, we entered into it, one of the party repeating the beautiful lines in Virgil, which describe the descent of Æneas into the Elysian fields. On a sudden our ears were struck with the most melodious sounds. - Lest you should imagine us to have heard the genius or goddess of the mountain singing the praises of engineer Brindly, it may be necessary to inform you, that one of the company had advanced some hundred paces before, and there favoured us with some excellent airs on the German flute. You can scarcely conceive the charming effect of this music echoed and re-echoed along a cavern near two thousand yards in length.' 

(Leeds Intelligencer, Tuesday 14 July 1772, p.3)

A Fungi to Be With

'A few days ago, a mushroom was got at Stoke-upon-Trent, in the county of Stafford, whose diameter was 5 inches, and 30 inches in circumference, it weighed 16 ounces. The above is very authentic.' 

(Leeds Intelligencer, 5 September 1775, p.3)

All in a Spin

'The following extraordinary phenomenon was lately observed here; at the latter end of last month, a field of hay belonging to Mr. J. Clark, near Burslem, was carried off by a whirlwind; the day when it happened was exceedingly calm, scarce a breath of air to be perceived. The people who were at work in the field observed, that in one part the hay began to be agitated in a small circle, at every wheel it increased in size and velocity, continually sucking more hay into its vortex; after a considerable time it began to ascend, taking along with it a silk handkerchief which hung rather loosely about the neck of one of the men who was at work; it continued ascending till entirely out sight, and in about an hour it began to descend, and continued to so for an hour's space, alighting at, or within a few hundred yards of the place from whence it had been carried up, so that the owner lost but a very trifling quantity of his hay.' 

(Hereford Journal, 23 August 1781, p.2)

A Tragic Accident

The following melancholy tale from the Potteries is related in a letter dated August 14 1785. 'As Ellen Hulme, a poor woman of Lane End, was returning to her habitation late last night, with her infant, six weeks old, in her arm, she unfortunately stepped into a coal-pit, which shamefully lay open close to the road, and even with the track which led to the poor creature's house. Her husband, whom she had been to fetch from an alehouse, immediately alarmed the neighbourhood, when her distressing cries were very distinctly heard from the bottom of the dreary pit every effort was attempted by the hardy colliers to fetch her up, but the damp prevailing very much, obliged them to use means to extract it, after which was found the mother with her infant upon her arms, both dead.' 

(Sussex Advertiser, 22 August 1785, p.3) 

A Hard Winter

During the harsh winter of 1794-1795, the better off inhabitants of Hanley and Shelton formed a committee which started a subscription list for the temporary relief the poor who were suffering great hardship during the cold weather. By February 1795 the committee had collected an impressive £150, enough to enable them  to supply nearly 500 local families with meat, potatoes, and cheese. The Wedgwood family gave a liberal amount and through them a Mrs Crewe kindly added a welcome donation of a quantity of flannel clothing. The Marquis of Stafford aided the relief fund by ordering 100 tons of coal to be at the distribution of the committee. 

A month later, in an issue of the Staffordshire Advertiser that noted that thermometers in Macclesfield had measured temperatures as low as -21° F (-29.4° C), the fearsome nature of the winter was highlighted dramatically by one small but rather macabre snippet of news. 'Through the inclemency of the night of Saturday last [i.e.,14 March] a poor man perished betwixt Hanley and Bucknall. He unfortunately lost himself in attempting to cross the fields, and was found on Sunday standing upright in a snow drift, with his hand only above the surface.' 

(Staffordshire Advertiser, 7 February 1795, p.3; 21 March 1795, p.3.)

Wild Fire

In late March or early April 1799, a dreadful accident happened in a pit at Lane End, the property of John Smith, Esq. Four men were blown up, and two them terribly burnt by what the colliers of the time described as 'the wild fire'. The explosion was loud, and the concussion so great that nearby houses shook violently. Two of the men were not expected to recover, while the other two were thrown to a considerable distance, and left badly bruised. The reporter noted that their hats were blown to the distance of 70 yards from the mouth of the pit. 

(Staffordshire Advertiser, Saturday, 6 April 1799, p.4)

The Crimean War: The Fall of Sebastopol

For the soldiers, the end of the fighting in the Crimean War, came with the fall of the Russian port of Sebastopol on 5th September 1855. The latter fell only after the Russians had started to abandon the town. However, before leaving they destroyed their forts, ships and munition dumps to stop them falling into allied hands. One local soldier 'T.M.', an artilleryman, (probably Thomas Moreton R.A., who had previously had a letter printed in the Sentinel) writing of the event to his parents in the Potteries, was manning one of the gun batteries that had pounded the town in the days prior to its fall and thus had a grandstand view of the final allied advance.

British artillery during the Crimean War.

'Dear Parents,

It is with pleasure that I have another opportunity of addressing a few lines to you, hoping they will find you enjoying perfect health, I am happy to inform you that I never enjoyed better health in my life than I am doing at present time. Dear parents I am very happy to inform you that Sebastopol has fallen into the hands of the allies at last, the bombardment commenced on the morning of the 5th inst, and at twelve O' clock mid day, on the 5th, the Malakoff and Redan Batteries stopped, two divisions of the British Army assisted the French at the Malakoff, and Redan was attacked by the red jackets. I believe they advanced into Malakoff without a gun opening fire on them, the Russians being quite surprised when the enemy perceived the attack, they retired a little to the rear and got under cover, and a sharp struggle ensued, and after a lapse of time they had to retire from the Malakoff entirely and leave in the hands of the Allies. My brave countrymen, who attacked the Redan were not so fortunate, they perceived them coming. Dear parents I can scarcely tell what my feelings were when I saw our men jumping over our works to make the attack, many of them never to return alive; They had no sooner left the works than the Musketry commenced to rattle, and the firing from the Cannonade that was pretty brisk before, was now kept up with more vigour, but a very short time elapsed, before the British were climbing over the ramparts of the enemy's works, driving the enemy before them. When our men got into this the "Redan" we commenced to send the shell further over the works to catch the enemy when retiring.

British troops attacking the Redan

The infantry were in the Redan for about a hour or a hour and a half as near as I can tell; We had ceased firing at the battery I was at for fear of wounding some of our men.I was looking over to see what was going on when all at once I perceived the infantry retiring from the Redan as fast as their legs would carry them. When I saw this I thought it was going to be another 18th of June affair (i.e. an earlier unsuccessful attempt to storm the Redan). We did not take possession of it until about twelve O'clock at night, and then the Russians abandoned it altogether. They did not only leave the Redan and Malakoff in our hands, but the Barrack, Flag staff, Garden and point Batteries, in fact, they deserted the place entirely, and went to the north side. The next day, Sunday, was a regular day of plunder, everyone who could pass the sentries made their way into Sebastopol, for to make themselves masters of anything they could find. I got in myself, and was not a little surprised to find every house that was not destroyed by shot and shell the enemy had set fire to; It was nothing but a heap of ruins; and furniture of every description, pictures, pianofortes, in fact, everything that you could mention was there. I had as much as I could carry away, but it was all taken away from me, and from hundreds more; there was a line of sentries all along, who had orders to take every article away from everyone. The French, on the contrary, were allowed to take away whatever they could carry. There was a great many who got drunk in the town, some of the stores being cramped with spirits. I managed to get away a very nice forage cap, by putting it into my breast, also some silver lace, and a few other articles. Their shipping is completely destroyed. The French have thrown up a Battery in the town to play upon some of the Forts on the north side; They still keep possession of that point Our Batteries look strange, all the platforms are dug up, and the guns are being taken away daily, and we have orders to destroy the works entirely. I don't known how they are going to act, but reports are going abroad that part of the seige train will be removed from the Crimea altogether to go on station. Some of the infantry are removed to Balaklava, they say they are going to sail around to Perekop. God only knows how it is to be; As yet they have only to give orders, and we will obey them. I don't expect to leave the Crimea until the enemy is driven from it, and winter will soon be upon us now, and prevent us from doing much more, without they look sharp. I received a letter from Morgan the day I received your last; He was in Portsmouth, but was expecting to be shifted to Woolwich; He said he should come on Furlough. I am very happy to inform you that I did not receive a scratch this last bombardment. We had two men killed one of them by the bursting of one of our guns, the other by gun shot. I was at the gun that burst the day before, they only fired six rounds out of it after I left it when it burst. I fired sixty rounds myself out of it the day before; It was the man that fired it off that was killed. I have nothing more to say at present, but wishing you all well. Give my love to brother, and accept the same yourselves.

T. M.

Reference: Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial & General Advertiser, Saturday 06 October 1855, p.3

Last Stand at Isandlwana

The Battle of Isandhlwana by Charles Edwin Fripp

On 22 January 1879, a British force of over 1,300 men, mostly from the 24th Regiment of Foot, was surprised and destroyed by a massive Zulu army at the Battle of Isandlwana ('Isandula' in some early accounts) in present-day South Africa. It seems that at least three local men, Private William Henry Hickin from Hanley, Private George Glass from Shelton and Sergeant William Shaw from Tunstall  were killed in the battle. 

For more local victims of the battle click here.

Private McNally's Letter

Another local man, Private John McNally of C Company 2/24th Foot was part of a detached force that returned to the deserted battlefield that evening and he later penned a letter to his parents in Hanley describing the scene that met their eyes.

                                                                                                  'Rorke's Drift, February 2nd 1879.'

'Dear Father and Mother,

I received your last letter all right, and was sorry to hear how things were going on at home. I should have written before but we have been so put about that we could not get any writing paper, having been continually on the march. We have had a great drawback since we came in Zululand. On the 22nd of January, while we were out searching for the Zulus, our camp was attacked, and the 1st battalion 24th regiment were all slaughtered, except about six, who escaped. We* lost 134 men, our colours, and our kits. Our tents were destroyed, our ammunition stolen, our rifles broken and taken off. Our hospital waggons were torn to pieces, the sick killed, the medicine bottles all broken, bags of flour and meal - in fact, everything - destroyed. It was a horrid sight for us. When we returned at night in the dark, we had to charge our way to camp with our bayonets. We were falling in holes and over anthills, and in camp we were falling over the dead bodies of our comrades, who had been killed, and awful as it is to relate, it is true - they were cut right down the chest and across their bellies, their bowels coming out. Some had their toes, some their ears, others their arms cut off, and some in fact - dear mother and father, I cannot describe the horrible treatment they had to suffer. The little band boys were tied to a waggon and their flesh stripped off them. We had our company, B. Co., staying here** to guard our stores. The Zulus came upon them and tried to take possession of our stores, but they were repulsed, our side losing about 12 men, the enemy about 900 or a thousand. We numbered about 100; the enemy numbered about 5,000 or 6,000. But although we have suffered this loss, we hope, please God, to have our revenge when we get some more troops out from England. We have been twelve days and have never taken our boots off, always watching day and night for the enemy making an attack, which they generally do at night. Tell McDermott that lives in Weaver-street, to write to his brother in Wolverhampton, and tell him that his son James has been killed. He went sick the morning our camp was attacked. If McDermott likes he can write to the commanding officer of his regiment, and he will give him every satisfaction respecting him.'

Staffordshire Sentinel, 26 March 1879.

*   McNally's own battalion the 2/24th.
** Rorke's Drift, McNally refers here to the famous battle depicted in the film Zulu.

747 Private William Henry Hickin, 1/24th

The memorial window to Private Hickin
in St Johns Church, Hanley.

William Henry Hickin was born in Hanley in early 1854, the eldest child and only son of Henry Hickin and his wife Hannah nee Dobson. William had an elder sister named Prudence and two younger sisters Annie Elizabeth and Mary. His father Henry came originally from Macclesfield in Cheshire, but having moved to the Potteries early in his life on 12 November 1849 he married Hannah Dobson in Wolstanton and worked locally as a locksmith and bell hanger. In 1861 he and his family lived at 13 Windmill Street and 7 year old William and his sisters are listed as 'scholars'. Ten years later the family had moved to 8 High Street, Hanley and 17 year old William worked as a 'Writing Clerk'. It seems, though that William wanted more excitement in his life and on 5 January 1876, he enlisted in the 1st Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot as Private 25B/747. 

Perhaps for William Hickin, the prospect of all-male company offered by the army had been a major factor in him joining up, as in late September 1876, Private W. Hicken (sic) 24th Foot, appeared before a court martial at Dover accused of being drunk and committing an ’Unnatural offence’. The next day one Private Thomas Dickinson also of the 24th Foot was accused of ‘Drunk. Permitting Pte. to commit unnatural offence on him.’* At a time when homosexual acts could get men sentenced to life imprisonment, the court’s sentence of 7 days hard labour for both of them seems extremely lenient, even more unusual is that the sentence was later remitted. Perhaps the court decided that the evidence was weak, or if not that rather than impose a severe sentence, they would give both of them a warning shot across the bow to prevent any future incidents. Or maybe they simply considered that the two soldiers had been so drunk they didn’t know what they were doing. Whatever the case that seems to have been the end of the matter. 

*WO86/25 Judge Advocate General’s Office, Courts Martial Registers pp.307-308.

Over a year and a half of training and home duty passed before Hickin went to join the 1/24th in South Africa on 22 August 1877. He was immediately engaged in the Kaffir War against the Gaikas, Galekas and other tribes during 1877 and 1878. Then in 1879 like the rest of the 24th Foot he was engaged in the opening moves of the Zulu War. Advancing into Zululand with the central column he was one of the soldiers who fought and were killed at Isandlwana on 22 January 1879.

His remains like those of the rest of the regiment were buried on the battlefield some months later and his effects and campaign medal were passed on to his father. Back in Hanley William Henry Hickin was not forgotten. He was commemorated on his grandfather's gravestone in Hanley Cemetery and his family had a memorial window installed in St John's Church, Hanley.

'HANLEY.'

'MEMORIAL WINDOW.- A few days ago a handsome stained window was placed near the south door in the Old Church, in memory of William Henry Hickin, a private in the 24th Regiment, who was killed in the now famous battle of Isandula. The deceased was twenty-five years of age at the time of his death, and when in this district was in the habit of regularly attending the services at St. John's Church; his father Mr. H. Hickin having been a churchwarden for several years past. The expense incurred has been defrayed by subscriptions raised amongst the congregation. The subject dealt with is a very artistic treatment of the legend of St. George and the Dragon. The inscription is as follows:- “To the glory of God, and in memory of William Henry Hickin, of the 24th Regiment, who fell in the Zulu war, at the battle of Isandula, in South Africa."'

                       

Staffordshire Sentinel 11 December 1880


According to local Zulu War researcher Ken Ray, Private Hickin was the only 'other ranks' casualty of the battle of Isandlwana to be commemorated with a stained glass window. He also informs me that Hickin's campaign medal which was for many years held by a collector outside of the area is now in the hands of a local medal collector.

  

408 Private George Glass, 1/24th

'Death on the Battle Field. - The following names appear in the official list of those who fell at lsandula: Private Plant, Shelton, of the 1st battalion of the 24th Regiment; Private W. Glass, 1-24th Regiment, of Cauldon-place, formerly schoolmaster of the Hanley and Shelton Free Night School; and Private Hickin, 1-24th Regiment, son of Mr. Hickin, locksmith, High-street.'

Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial & General Advertiser - Saturday 08 March 1879, p.5

George Glass was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire in 1856, the youngest son and penultimate child of William and Martha Glass. His family had strong military ties in that his father William, hailed from Armagh, Northern Ireland and in 1822 had joined the ranks of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment of Foot, serving 22 years with the regiment. William married whilst in the army, his wife, George's mother Martha came originally from Scotland. Together they had nine children, the eldest born in Ireland, but most were born in the Potteries or Newcastle after the couple had moved there in the 1840s when William Glass left the army. Here in both 1851 and 1861 he listed his employment as as a 'Staff Sergeant of Pensioners (Chelsea Pensioners)'.

George's mother Martha died in 1862, which doubtless prompted his father to find a job and by 1871 William Glass was working as a bookkeeper. He had moved the family to Hanley and had remarried, this time to a woman named Susannah from Newport, Salop. At 14 years of age his son George was now old enough to go to work and was employed as a potter. There is no further local documentation about George and though it is not impossible that he worked as a school teacher as noted in brief notification in the Sentinel, it seems more likely that the reporter was actually confusing George with his father. Not only is the dead soldier mistakenly listed as 'W. Glass' in the paper, but in the 1881 census William Glass describes himself as a former school master.

George had joined the army in Liverpool on 28 July 1874 becoming 25B/408 Private George Glass of the 1st battalion 24th Regiment of Foot, aged 18 years 4 months. Like most of the 1/24th he took part in the campaigns against the Gaika and Galeka tribes during 1877 and 1878 and marched into Zululand with the ill-fated centre column in 1879, being killed with most of his battalion at Isandlwana. George's effects and South Africa Medal were later claimed by his father.

Reference: Norman Holme, The Silver Wreath, p.26

2236 Sergeant William Shaw, 2/24th

Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial & General Advertiser - Saturday 8 March 1879, p.5

William Shaw was born in Tunstall in 1846, the son of potter Aaron Shaw and Sarah nee Hicks. He appears from the 1841 census to have had an elder sister named Elizabeth while other documents reveal a younger sister named Mary Ann, but fuller details of William's family are complicated by the apparent lack of an entry in the 1851 census that may have revealed more siblings. By the time of the 1861 census, William's father was dead and his mother had remarried, this time to collier John Whalley and William and his sister Mary Ann are listed as his step children at his home in Watergate Street, Tunstall. William was 15 years old at the time and his profession was given as an 'apprentice potter'.

We next hear of William Shaw five years later at his wedding after banns to local farmer's daughter Emma Worrall at Christ Church, Tunstall on 18th June 1866. Both were 20 years old. William worked as a potter, but signed his name with a fairly practised hand, revealing at least a basic education, while his bride had to sign her mark.

What prompted William to join the army is unknown, but from the available evidence he appears to have enlisted in the spring of 1870 along with a number of Potteries youths if the newspaper report above is to be believed. His service number is given as 2-24/2336 in some muster rolls but was actually 2-24/2236. He was posted to the 2/24th in Secunderabad, India on 28th December 1870. He was promoted to Corporal on 22nd January 1873 and Sergeant on 8th April 1877. However, two years prior to this last promotion the Judge Advocate General's Office: District Courts Martial Registers (1875-1876) have a Sergeant William Shaw, 24th tried by court-martial 20 October, 1875 at Dover.  He was charged with “Theft” and sentenced to 84 days imprisonment with hard labour, and to be “Reduced.”  A notation shows that the sentence was “Not Confirmed.”

Certainly during the early part of his career, William Shaw was separated from his family and in 1871, his wife Emma and their two eldest children Mary Ann and William Henry Shaw aged 2 and 1 years respectively, were lodging with William's mother and step father at their home in King Street, Tunstall. Only a limited number of wives and children were allowed to accompany battalions when they went abroad and it seems that rank finally told and having raised himself to sergeant, William got permission for his wife and children to join him, first at Aldershot where a third child Sarah was born on 1875 and two years later a last child for the couple, John, was born in Kent in 1877, shortly before the battalion was posted to the Cape. In South Africa as the newspaper report on his death indicates, the family were based in King William's Town, Cape Colony.

Sergeant Shaw saw service against the Galeka tribe in 1878 and at the opening of the campaign against the Zulus in 1879 he was listed as serving in H Company 2/24th, however accounts of the battle have him variously serving in C Company (which apart from a few men left in camp, did not take part in the battle) or G Company. Though entitled to the South Africa Medal and Clasp ‘1877-8-9’, a notation on the medal roll says that there was “no trace of issue” of his medal.

According to the notebook of Corporal John Bassage 2/24th, now held at the Royal Welsh regimental museum, who was part of the force come to bury the dead in June 1879, the remains of Sergeant Shaw and three private soldiers were found together in a heap on the battlefield. The men seem to have formed a small group in a last desperate attempt to try and fend off the Zulus in front of them. All four appeared to have been stabbed to death with assegais. 

Following the death of her husband, Emma Shaw returned to Britain with her children. Due to the family's now straightened circumstances, the three older children Mary Ann, William and Sarah were sent to the respective Royal Victoria Patriotic Asylums for Boys and Girls in Wandsworth, the two institutions having been set up to cater for the orphans of soldiers and sailors. The youngest child John, possibly stayed with his mother and may have been joined by William in 1881 when the Boy's Asylum closed down. There is some evidence that the family later got back together, William and Sarah appearing as witnesses at the marriage of their mother to joiner John Burnett in Manchester in 1896.

Reference: Norman Holme, The Silver Wreath, p.39; Norman Holme, The Noble 24th, p.261;  www.1879zuluwar.com.

Family and background information courtesy of Alan Rouse