Henry Berry

My g grandfather, Henry Berry, born in Knaresboro was said to have participated in the Zulu War. This is all the information I have, he emigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada after the war.
I would appreciate any and all help. Thank you.

Welcome to the forum Celticphred
Checking just the privates of the Imperial Regiments involved this is what I have found. If you found out he had rank let me know and I can check Sergeants, Lieutenants. etc

I have listed other Berry's in case you had other relatives linked with the campaign.

2228 F.Berry   1st Dragoon Guards
1558 W.Berry             "

407   Henry  Berry 1st /24th Regiment medal clasp 1878-79. Enlisted Manchester, Lancashire 22/7/1874 aged 20 years and five months. Discharged prior to the 16/11/1880. Is this your relative?

837 Corporal H. Berry discharged prior 16/11/1880 1/24th Regiment.

1996  J. Berry   1/24th Regiment                  1879 clasp
1738  T. Berry           "                              1879 clasp

1693 John Berry 2/24th Regiment C Company deserted at Pinetown,Natal.

29B/1930 J.Berry 58th Regiment                   1879 clasp

4 Berry's in 3/60th Regiment A.H. 1821, F. 1225, J.3104, J. 759 all with 1879 clasp


2 Berry's 88th Regiment  J. 1072 clasp 77,78,79and W. 273 clasp 77-78

AHC 2588 W. Berry  no clasp

Army Service Corp H.W. Berry T960 no clasp


Happy hunting
Kate  

If 407 Henry Berry is your relative he may have been either B Company under Captain Harrison stationed in southern Natal at Fort Buckingham for the duration of the war or with D/G company at Helpmakaar under Bvt. Major Upcher/Captain Rainforth.
I make this assumption as you say he survived and A,C,E,F and H companies were wiped out at iSandlwana on the 22nd January 1879.
Kate

There is a Henry Berry born in Knaresboro in 1856. Father John Berry (ironmonger) mother Rebecca Berry, brothers Richard,John and William. Sisters Emma and Marianne living at Market Place,Knaresboro in 1861.
By 1871 they are living at The High Street, Knaresboro, Henry is shown as a plumbers apprentice.
He is back at the High Street address in 1881 but no occupation shown. No trace of military employment at the moment.
In 1914 a Henry Berry married Ethel Jackson in Knaresboro.
Does any of this ring a bell Celticphred?
Kate

My Henry Berry did come from Knaresboro and his family is as you describe. Rebecca was Tarbotton before marriage. Family oral history claims there was a helmet badge. I never saw it and it was lost to time.

Your welcome

I’m sorry, thank you so much!

My Henry Berry emigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada, married Kathleen Sullivan, had five daughters. Emma Berry was my grandmother.

No worries.
What makes you think he was a corporal? We only have an initial for him and the 'H' could stand for anything where as private 407,shown above, was called Henry Berry.
It might be worth getting in touch with extended family and seeing if that helmet badge is lying in a drawer somewhere.
I'm sure there are many of us on the forum who would love to see it.
Kate

Kate,
You also list a 837 Corporal H. Berry discharged prior 16/11/1880 1/24th
I will search for the badge, but not much of my family is still around.

Thanks again,

Fred

Sorry Fred I didn't put it very well.
Corporal H. Berry. The H could stand for anything for example Harry, Harold, Harrison etc

Private Henry Berry is actually shown as 'Henry' so I would think has to be the more likely of the two for being your relative until further information comes to light about the first name of the Corporal.

Unless of course you have information that your relative was a corporal.
Kate

Fred this from another forum member Kenny on another thread.

Initially, Victorian recruits enlisted for life and would be entitled to a army pension after 21 years service. There were also disability pensions paid determined by a medical board at RHC. In 1847 short service army engagements were introduced - 10 years with the option of extending service to 21 years. By 1870s this was replaced by 6/6 and later 6/3 - 3 = on reserve. Most soldiers serving in AZW were on short service engagements. What this meant was their service documents were not retained - so only in the WO97 series held at TNA were service papers of those entitled to a full army pension or those had been granted an early medical pension were retained. Most of those docs related to short service men were destroyed by the War Office. The only way to compile the service of these men is to consult the medal roll, pay and muster rolls and casualty returns and of course, if survived, the discharged document issued to the soldier himself. Fortunately, in the later 1880s the War Office decided to keep all WO97 documents. Nevertheless, we can also work out that H Berry 25B/407 was issued his number in Aug 1874 and H Berry 25B/837 in Jan 1876. 25B/407 served with the Mounted Infantry and was with Lord Chelmsford on 22 Jan 1879 and possibly joined 80th F after the campaign. And 25B/837 was with D or G company at Helpmekaar. Each Company Colour Sgt (also known in those days as the 'Pay Sgt') would carry a pocket sized roll book in the field - none of these rolls have survived after the entries were transferred to main Battalion Roll held by the Battalion Paymaster. There are no quick answers I am afraid only hard graft.

Kate

Kate,

Thank you for so much info. Either one could be my Henry the discharge dates are in line with his arrival in Canada. Am I correct in thinking that men could somehow purchase their discharge from the service in some way?

Fred

Fred
I would say its looking more like Private 407 Henry Berry is your relative. Enlisting in 1874 would mean his short service of 6 years would be up by 1880 and he would be free to 'leave' the ranks but would be on the reserve.
What I'm not sure of though is wether a soldier on reserve was allowed to reside outside the UK.
Anyone else on the forum answer that one?
Kate

Sorry Kate just picked up on your question. In later years it was permissable, I was granted permission to reside outside the UK on full reserve during the 60's and 70's

Just been sent this through from Jim a relative.
Confirmed we have another Mounted Infantryman. Listed in Robert Hopes book 1/24th 407 Henry Berry

"Corporal Henry Berry # 807 appears to fit my GGreat Grandfather. He enlisted abt 1870 into the 24th and abt 1879 bought his discharge. He was from Knarsborough England. shortly after his arrival in SA they formed a mounted Unit of which he joined and stayed with until late 1879. His Helmet and Medal were in my Grandmothers house for years. He migrated to the United States abt 1883 and married an irish woman named Sullivan.  In 1920 in Providence,  Rhode Island he was interviewed by the local Newspaper. I have that and I will share it with the group in the next few days. celticfred another writer is a distant cousin of mine. I saw his post on this site. I hope to touch base with him as well."

And then this today
"Please do put this on his thread. I will dig out the article today and post it. Henry not only served in South Africa. Afte his arrival in the US he crossed into Canada and rejoined the Canadian Provisional Army. He along with several thousand other former British Soldiers were put together to fight the Metis Indians who were giving the Canadian government some problems. However, after starting the march westward the ringleader of the uprising was terminated and the uprising failed. The 6000 or so volunteers were Disbanded. Henry came back to Rhode Island and raised his family."