Boyce and Stanger Mounted Rifles

I am trying to trace more about Lorain Wilson Boyce who was in the SMR in 1879. He had a campaign medal as a Trooper, but the list also contains another Boyce. Were they related? LW Boyce also got a medal for service in the 2nd Boer War.
Any information will be well received!
Tim

Hello Tim. Welcome to the forum. You will now find that loads of information will be posted on stanger-mounted-rifles, and hopefully someone will come across your chap...

Here's a start...

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EARLY NATAL VOLUNTEER UNITS

STANGER MOUNTED RIFLES

Inaugurated November 1875.

Joel Lean Captain
H Warren 1st Lieutenant
F Addison 2nd Lieutenant


On 1 December 1878 the Corps was mobilized; the 36 members were:

Captain Friend Addison OC *
Lieutenant Warren
Lieutenant Shuter
Quarter-Master Knox
Sergeant-Major Moore
Sergeant Fayle
Corporal Bumner
Corporal Davidson
Corporal Boyce
Trumpeter J W Colenbrander **
Troopers:
Addison
Bond
Brown
Boyce
Bannink
Burne
Fayle
Jacobs
J Louw
C Gielink
Green
A B Gielink
Johan Gielink
J W Gielink
C Hoogvorst
Howard
Jackson
Jas. Robbins
Rogers
Jacob Louw
McClintock
W C Robbins
Toohey
W Warren
C Warren

Further men joined subsequently, bringing the total to 43 members.

The Stanger Mounted Rifles marched to Thring's Post where they were met by the Victoria Mounted Rifles and the Buffs; they proceeded to the Lower Drift and were joined by the Alexandra Mounted Rifles, Durban Mounted Rifles and the Natal Hussars, collectively named the Natal Volunteer Force. They formed the southern flank under Captain P H S Barrow, 19th Hussars, of Colonel Pearson's 3rd Buffs (3rd Regiment of Foot).

The battle of Inyezane and the relief of Eshowe followed.

* Friend Addison born 1848 in Kent, came to Natal on the Lalla Rookh in 1849.

** Johan Wilhelm Colenbrander born 1856, Pinetown Natal, of Dutch parents who emigrated from Java to Natal in 1854. Their indigo venture failed and the family founded the settlement of New Guelderland near Stanger. Johan married Mollie Mullins in 1883, and after her death, Yvonne Nunn in 1902. His third wife was Catherine Gloster. He founded Kitchener's Fighting Scouts during the Anglo-Boer War.

Uniform: Navy blue cloth, yellow facings and helmet. Badge was monogram S.M.R. surmounted by a crown, all in white metal, worn on the front of the helmet and on the ammunition pouch. The buttons also carried the monogram and crown. The kepi was worn in undress order. The Corps did not adopt a collar badge and had no motto. Officers carried swords and revolvers.

In the early stages members carried the Terry and Snider carbine, and later the Swinburn-Henry carbine.

In 1887 the Corps was absorbed into the Victoria Mounted Rifles with Captain Friend Addison as commanding officer.

Source: genealogyworld

Hi Tim. What information do you have already....

littlehand wrote:

Hello Tim. Welcome to the forum. You will now find that loads of information will be posted on stanger-mounted-rifles, and hopefully someone will come across your chap...

Here's a start...

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Thanks for the start on Stanger Mounted Rifles!
"The most dangerous moment for a bad government is when it starts to reform" Alex De Tocqueville
My quote for today!
Tim

Chelmsfordthescapegoat wrote:

Hi Tim. What information do you have already....

Thanks for the reply> I have very little to go on re Lorain Boyce, but he definitely earned a medal for the Zulu War. I am interested in anything to do withe Stanger Mounted Rifles but ideally I want to discover if there is a connection between the Trooper Boyce in the SMR's and Corporal Boyce who appears on the same list. I am trying to fill out a family tree of the Boyce family
I am a retired history teacher and have visited S Africa on several occasions
Tim

Hi Tim .
Some more info regarding the uniforms from ' Zulu War - Volunteers , Irregulars & Auxiiiaries ' by Ian Castle .

OFFICER ,
The officers tunic of dark blue cloth bore an unusual arrangement of 5 rows of black braid across the chest with hanging loops
of flat braid attached half way along . The tunic and collar had black braid edging , as did the pointed cuffs , whose decoration was worked in single loops . Twisted yellow shoulder cords held equipment belts in place and the trousers bore a thin line of yellow piping
down the outside seam .The officers peaked forage cap bore the white metal badge and was of blue cloth with yellow piping along the
upper and lower edges of the brow band ; Senior officers appear to have worn broader lines of yellow braid . White helmets were worn on campaign .

TROOPER .
The troopers tunic was of plain dark blue , edged with black braid and fastened by hooks and eyes , a single loop of black braid
decorated the pointed cuff , and equipment belts were secured by the blue shoulder straps edged with yellow piping, which also
followed the outseams of the trousers . When on duty a white helmet replaced the forage cap . Note badge , and single line of yellow
crown piping . The Swinburn - Henry carbine has a leather sight protector fitted .

There is a colour plate in the book , showing Trooper and Officer . Hope someone can post it for us , sorry its out of my league :lol!:

cheers 90th.

Hi tim.
A little more from the same book of Ian Castle's .

In 1872 the magistracy of the thukela division of Victoria County was set up at kwaDukuza the site of Shaka kaSenzangakhona's
former principle homestead . The following year a town named Stanger developed around the magistracy . In late 75 a volunteer
corps formed , adopting the name Stanger Mounted Rifles , with headquarters in the town . F. Addison , whose parents brought him
to Natal from England in 49 at the age of one , Transferred from the Victoria M.R to join the corps as 2nd Lt. , later he lead the
SMR in the zulu war with the rank of captain . The SMR mobilised on 1st Dec 78 at that town , three officers and 33 men reported
for duty , latecomers boosting the total to 46 . By the end of the war 51 officers and men served with the unit . Since many of the men
lived close to the border with zululand the corps was offered the option to stay behind to protect their homes , but they agreed to join
the invasion , leaving behind 10 men for defensive duties . As with all volunteer units at this time , the SMR wore white helmets ,
published references to blue helmets actually refer to a change that occurred in the 1880's . The badge of white metal had the
monogram ' SMR ' surrounded by a Laurel wreath and surmounted by a crown . The round , peaked , blue cloth forage cap had
yellow piping and a version of the badge without the crown .
cheers 90th.