Visiting the Graves of the Rorke's Drift Defenders

I've decided that I would like to visit the graves of as many of the defenders as I can find in the UK.

I know where all the Victoria Cross awardees are buried, and I'm making plans to visit those that I haven't been to. However, what I'd like to find is a list of the "other" graves so that can visit them as well. I know about the three in St Woolos Cemetery, Newport, the three in Ruddington Cemetery, Nottingham and Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne in London, but I don't know where any of the others are.

I know that the former Keynsham Light Horse web site had a lot of information, but the site now seems to be unavailable. So, does any one know where I can find a list of the others, please?

Thank you.

:)

Hi, You might find the excellent publication The Zulu War, Then and Now by Ian Knight and Ian Castle published by After the Battle Publications of use as a referance. Wonderful book in itself.

Cheers,

Scorer. Welcome to the forum. You may want try putting the name of the defender in the search box left hand side of home page, make sure it's set to search inside. We have quite alot in the Grave & Memorial section. Most of the locations are within the information on the defender.

Hope its helps.

Hi Scorer.
Kris Wheatley's Legacy series of books will tell you where many are buried and also details their lives during and after their
army service . Check the ' Our Favourite Links ' on the left hand side of the page .
cheers 90th.

Ps. As 24th said there are many to be found using the link he mentions .

Hi Scorer

Welcome to the forum.

I will start a list for you and hopefully other members will fill in the blanks and correct any mistakes.

Maybin, G.W. Colour-Sergeant – buried Maitland Cemetery, Capetown, South Africa.
Cantwell, John. Gunner 2076
Evans, Abraham. Gunner 1643 - Buried Varteg Chaple Graveyard, Varteg, Pontypool.
Howard, Arthur. Gunner 2077 - Buried Brockley Cemetery, Lewisham. (Unmarked)
Lewis, Thomas. Bombardier. 458 - Buried in Highgate Cemetery in a pauper’s grave
Chard, John Rouse Merriott, Lieutenant – Buried Hatch Beachamp, Somerset
Robson, Charles John, Driver 12046 (Chard's Batman) – Buried Woolwich New Cemetery, London
Milne, Frederick. Sergeant. 2260 – Buried Manchester Southern Cemetery, Manchester (Unmarked)
Beckett, William. Private. 25B/135, died of wounds 23 January 1879
Desmond, Patrick. Private. 25B/568
Horrigan, William. Private. 1-24/1861, killed in action 22 January 1879
Jenkins, James. Private. 25B/841, killed in action 22 January 1879 - Memorial stone Littledean Churchyard, Gloucestershire
Nicholas, Edward. Private. 25B/625, killed in action 22 January 1879
Payton, Thomas. Private. 25B/372
Roy, William. Private. 1-24/1542 - Unmarked Grave. Baptist (May's Hill) Cemetery, Warren Road, Parramatta, Sydney, Australia.
Turner, Henry. Private. 25B/l04
Waters, John. Private. 1-24/447 - Buried Fulham Cemetery, (Unmarked)
Wilson, Edward. Sergeant. 25B/56 - Buried Aldershot Military Cemetery.
Adams, Robert. Private. 25B/987 D Company, killed in action 22 January 1879
Allen, William Wilson. Corporal. 2-24/1240 – Buried Monmouth Cemetery, Monmouthshire, Wales
Ashton, James. Private. 2-24/913, B Company
Barry, Thomas. Private. 25B/1381, B Company
Bennett, William Private. 25B/918, B Company
Bessell, William. Lance-Corporal. 25B/l287, B Company
Bly, John. Private. 2-24/2427, B Company
Bourne, Frank. Colour-Sergeant. 2-24/2459, B Company - Beckenham Crematorium & Cemetery, Beckenham, Kent
Bromhead, Gonville. Lieutenant, B Company – Buried Cantonment Cemetery, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Bromwich, Joseph. Private. 25B/1524, B Company - Buried Bilston, Staffs, (Umarked)
Buckley, Thomas. Private. 25B/1184, B Company - Buried Anfield Cemetery Liverpool (Unmarked)
Burke, Thomas. Private. 25B/1220, B Company – Buried Ford Cemetery, Liverpool
Bushe, James. Private. 2-24/2350, B Company
Camp, William Henry. Private. 25B/1181, B Company
Chester, Thomas. Private. 25B/1241, B Company
Chick, James. Private. 25B/1335 D Company, killed in action 22 January 1879
Clayton, Thomas. Private. 25B/755, B Company
Cole, Robert. Private. 25B/1459, F Company - Buried Whitton Cemetery Birmingham
Cole, Thomas. Private. 25B/801 B Company, killed in action 22 January 1879
Collins, Thomas. Private.25B/1396, B Company
Connolly, John. Private. 25B/906, C Company
Connors, Anthony. Private. 2-24/2310, B Company
Connors, Timothy. Private. 2-24/1323, B Company
Cooper, William. Private. 2-24/2453, F Company
Davies, George. Private. 25B/470, B Company
Davis, William Henry. Private. 25B/1363, B Company
Daw, Thomas. Private. 25B/1178, B Company – Buried Wellington Cemetery, Somerset
Deacon, George. Private. 25B/1467, B Company, alias George D Power
Deane, Michael. Private. 25B/1357, B Company
Dick, James. Private. 2-24/1697, B Company
Dicks, William. Private. 2-24/1634, B Company - Buried at Islington Cemetery. (Unmarked)
Driscoll, Thomas. Private. 25B/971, B Company – Buried Ebbw Vale municipal cemetery, (Unmarked)
Dunbar, James. Private. 25B/1421, B Company
Edwards, George. Private. 25B/922, B Company, alias George Edward Orchard – buried Paulton Parish Cemetery, Bristol
Evans, Frederick. Private. 25B/953, H Company
Fagan, John. Private. 25B/969 B Company, killed in action 22 January 1879
French, George. Corporal. 2-24/582, B Company - Buried Hanwell Cemetery, Ealing, London
Galgey, Patrick. Drummer 2-24/1713, D Company, Buried Paddington Old Cemetery, Kilburn, London
Gallagher, Henry. Sergeant. 25B/81, B Company – Buried Christ Church, Portsdown, Portsmouth
Gee, Edward. Private. 2-24/2429, B Company
Hagan, James. Private. 25B/978, B Company - Glyntaff Cemetery & Crematorium, Pontypridd
Halley, William. Lance-Corporal. 25B/l282, B Company - Died at Thayetmyo, Burma
Harris, John. Private. 25B/1062, B Company
Hayden, Garret. Private. 2-24/1769 D Company, killed in action 22 January 1879
Hayes, Patrick. Drummer 2-24/2067, B Company - Buried Lambeth Cemetery (Unmarked)
Hitch, Frederick. Private. 25B/1362, B Company – Buried St. Nicholas' Churchyard, Old Chiswick
Hook, Alfred Henry. Private. 25B/1373, B Company - Buried St. Andrews Parish churchyard, Churcham, Gloucester
Jobbins, John. Private. 25B/1061, B Company - Buried St. Cadoc's Church, Trevethin, Pontypool
Jones, Evan. Private. 25B/1428, B Company, alias Patrick Cosgrove
Jones, John. Private. 25B/1179, B Company
Jones, John. Private. 25B/970, B Company
Jones, Robert. Private. 258/716, B Company - Buried St. Peter's Church graveyard, Peterchurch, Herefordshire
Jones, William. Private. 2-24/593, B Company - Buried in a common grave in Philips Park Cemetery in Bradford, Manchester
Judge, Peter. Private. 2-24/2437, B Company
Kears, Patrick. Private. 25B/972, B Company
Keefe, James. Drummer 2-24/2381, B Company - Ebbw Vale Cemetery, Blaenau Gwent, Wales (Unmarked)
Key, John. Corporal. 2-24/2389, B Company
Kiley, Michael. Private. 25B/1386, B Company
Lewis, David. Private. 25B/963, B Company, alias James Owen – Buried Bethel Cemetery, Sketty
Lines, Henry. Private. 2-24/1528, B Company - Buried St Johns Churchyard, Upper Boddington. (Unmarked)
Lloyd, David. Private. 25B/1409, B Company - Buried Cefne Cemetery, Merthyr Tydfil
Lockhart, Thomas. Private. 25B/1176, B Company
Lodge, Joshua. Private. 25B/1304, B Company - Buried Phillips Park Cemetery Manachester. (Unmarked)
Lynch, Thomas Michael. Private. 25B/942, B Company
Lyons, John. Corporal. 25B/1112, B Company - Buried St Woollos Cemetery, Newport.
Lyons. John. Private. 2-24/1441, A Company
Manley, John. Private. 2-24/1731, A Company
Marshall, James. Private. 25B/964, B Company - Buried Vicarage Lane Cemetery, Ruddington, Nottingham
Martin, Henry. Private. 25B/756, B Company - Buried Binegar Churchyard, Somerset
Mason, Charles. Private. 25B/1284, B Company
Maxfield, Robert. Sergeant. 25B/623 G Company, killed in action 22 January 1879
Meehan, John. Drummer 2-24/2383, A Company
Minehan, Michael. Private. 2-24/1527, B Company – Buried Castletownsend, County Cork
Moffatt, Thomas. Private. 25B/968, B Company – Buried Runcorn Cemetery, Cheshire
Morris, Augustus. Private. 25B/1342, B Company - Buried Kirkdale Cemetery, Liverpool (Unmarked)
Morris, Frederick. Private. 25B/525, B Company - Died in service of disease at Secunderabad, India
Morrison, Thomas. Private. 25B/1371, B Company
Murphy, John. Private. 25B/662, B Company - Buried St Woollos Cemetery, Newport
Neville, William. Private. 25B/1279, B Company - Buried Ince in Makerfield Urban, district cemetery. (Unmarked)
Norris, Robert. Private. 25B/1257, B Company
Osborne, William. Private. 25B/1480, B Company
Parry, Samuel. Private. 25B/1399, B Company
Partridge, William. Private. 25B/1410, G Company
Pitt, Samuel. Private. 25B/1186, B Company - Buried St David’s Cemetery, Bettwa
Robinson, Edward. Private. 25B/1286, B Company
Ruck, James. Private. 25B/1065, B Company
Savage, Edward. Private. 25B/1185, B Company - Buried Cathay’s Cemetery, Cardiff. (Unmarked)
Saxty, Alfred. Corporal. 25B/849, B Company – Buried St Woollos Cemetery, Newport
Scanlon, John. Private. 25B/1051 A Company, killed in action 22 January 1879
Sears, Arthur. Private. 2-24/2404, A Company - Buried Fulham Cemetery, London(Unmarked)
Shearman, George. Private. 2-24/1618, B Company
Shergold, John. Private. 2-24/914, B Company
Smith, George. Sergeant. 2-24/1387, B Company - Buried Islington Cemetery.
Smith, John. Private. 25B/1005, B Company
Stevens ,Thomas. Private. 25B/777, B Company
Tasker, William. Private. 2-24/1812, B Company - Buried Yardley Cemetery , Birmingham, (Unmarked)
Taylor, Frederick. Private. 25B/973, B Company
Taylor, James. Lance-Sgt. 25B/82, E Company - Buried Trefnant Parish Churchyard Denbighshire
Taylor, Thomas Edward. Private. 25B/889, B Company – Buried Runcorn Cemetery, cheshire
Thomas, John. Private. 25B/1280, B Company, alias Peter Sawyer - Buired Kirkdale
Cemetery, Liverpool. (Unmarked)
Thompson, John. Private. 25B/1394, B Company
Tobin, Michael. Private. 25B/879, B Company
Tobin, Patrick. Private. 25B/641, B Company
Todd, William John. Private. 25B/1281, B Company
Tongue, Robert. Private. 25B/1315, B Company - Buried Vicarage Lane Cemetery, Ruddington, Nottingham (Cemetery now renamed as Vicarage Lane Cemetery)
Wall, John. Private. 25B/1497, B Company
Whetton, Alfred. Private. 2-24/977, B Company
Wilcox, William. Private. 25B/1187, B Company - Buried Dolton Churchyard, Devon
Williams, John. Private. 25B/1395, B Company, alias John Fielding - Buried in St. Michael's Churchyard, Llantarnam, Gwent
Williams, John. Private. 25B/934, E Company
Williams, Joseph. Private. 25B/1398 B Company, killed in action 22 January 1879
Williams, Thomas. Lance-Sergeant. 25B/1328, died of wounds 23 January 1879
Windridge, Joseph. Sergeant. 2-24/735, B Company - Buried Witton Cemetery, Aston, Birmingham (Unmarked)
Wood, Caleb. Private. 25B/1316, B Company – Buried Shaw Street Cemetery , Ruddington, Nottingham (Cemetery now renamed as Vicarage Lane Cemetery)
Graham, James. Corporal. 1123, alias Daniel Sheehan - Buried Aldershot Military Cemetery.
Attwood, Francis. Second Corporal. 24692 - Remains reinterred at Efford Cemetery, Plymouth, Devon
Byrne, Louis Alexander. Acting Storekeeper, (civilian attachment), killed in action 22 January 1879
Dalton, James Langley. Acting Assistant Commissary – Buried Russell Road Roman Catholic Cemetery, South Africa
Dunne, Walter Alphonsus. Assistant. Commissary – Died in Rome
Reynolds, James Henry. Surgeon. BA MB ChB – Buried Kensal Rise Cemetery
Pearse, Mr., Surg. Reynolds's servant
Ludding, Thomas. Private.
McMahon, Michael. Private. 3359
Miller, Robert. Corporal.
Adendorff, James. Lieutenant
Mayer, Jessy H. Corporal.
Anderson, Michael. Corporal. , killed whilst deserting 22 January 1879
Doughty, William. Corporal.
Scammell, Carl. Corporal.
Schiess, Ferdnand Christian. Corporal - Buried at Sea
Wilson, John. Corporal
Green, Robert S. Trooper - Buried La Zaretto Cemetery, Mossel Bay
Hunter, Sydney H. Trooper., killed in action 22 January 1879
Lugg, Henry. Trooper – Buried Old Port Shepstone Cemetery, Port Shepstone, South Africa
Smith, George. The Reverend – Buried New Hall Lane cemetery in Preston, Lancashire
The Rev Smith's native servant
Daniels, Mr

Thank you all very much for your help ... this is exactly what I wanted!

I realise, just by looking at the list, that quite a number will be out of my reach, i.e. not in the UK. However, I'm sure that I'll be able to visit some of them, so this information will be of great use.

Thanks again!

:)

1879 Graves
Do you have any more Data on the positioning or grave ref for Mabin in Maitland Cemetery, the custodians dont have a clue.

Regards

Mabin - 12487B Maitland Cemetery - died 23/101938

Robert Shedden St John Green NMP buried La Zaretto Cemetery, Mossel Bay

I'm sure there was a site on here, which shows all the locations in Google Earth.

Hi Springbok9

George William Mabin died, aged 90, at the Groote Schuur Hospital, Rondesbosch, Cape Town on the 23rd October 1938. He is buried in a large family plot in Maitland Cemetery, Cape Town.

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Sorry mate, that's all the information I have on the grave.


Hi Sherman

Many thanks for Trooper Green's details, I have updated the list with his details.

Mabin.
Find a Grave Click Here

Thanks guys, I will have a browse around on the weekend.

Regards

Hi Springbok9,

The grave of Georhe Mabin is not too difficult to find. Just ensure that you have a picture of the grave with you and it should not take you more than 10-15 mins of driving around the cemetery to locate it - you can enter the cemetery by car and you will be able to drive right up to the grave, which will save you a lot of time, as its a large cemetery.

Regards,
Mark

James Jenkins - Memorial stone - Littledean Churchyard, Gloucestershire added to the list.

It's been a while since I said what I was going to do, and I haven't done very much for various reasons.

However, I'm now going to try to do what I said I wanted to do, and I'm going to start with the graves that are near to Newport. Two of the Cemeteries that I'm going to try to visit are those at Ebbw Vale (Drummer James Keefe and Private Thomas Driscoll) and Merthyr Tydfil (Private David Lloyd). I have written to the two Councils to ask them for information of the location of the Cemeteries and the specfici graves.

I have heard from Merthyr Tydfil Council, and they've asked for some more details of Private Lloyd. They would like in particular the following: the address of the house he was living in at the time iof his death;the date of his death, and an idea of why I think that he was buried in the Cefn Coed Cemetery. Although I haven't heard from Blaenaau Gwent Council about Drummer Keefe and Private Driscoll, I'm guessing that I might well be asked for similar information (especially the dates of death) here as well.

So, can anyone help me with this information, please? If you can, please post here or send me a PM.

Thank you very much.

Hi The Scorer

1409 Pte David Lloyd, Died 16th Sep 1917, Buried Cefne Cemetery, Merthyr Tydfil.
971 Pte Thomas Driscoll, died 20th June 1931, buried in Ebbw Vale municipal cemetery.
2381 Drummer James Keefe, Died 18th September 1893, Buried Ebbw Vale

The best person to contact is Kris Wheatley, she can be contacted through her website:
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From Garves' comprehensive list, 14/50 - 28% of the known graves in Britain, are in cemeteries that are in Wales.

Would this give us some clue as to the % of B Coy, 24th Foot who defended Rorke's Drift, that were Welshmen?

Scorer.

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Thank you everyone - it's a great help!

Hello everyone ,
I am new to this page and therefore unsure of what to do .Several years ago i belonged to a group called the 1879 re-enactment group. They dedicated there time and effort into seeking out those brave men who fought that terrible battle against the zulu's During my time with them they held a rededication ceremony for my great great grandfather Alfred " Henry " Hook who won the Victoria Cross , My gt gt grandfather in the film Zulu was portrayed as a drunken malingerer , a thief and a coward . The actor James Dean who played the part of " Henry " was very upset that when he heard about the rededication ceremony wanted to attend, unfortunatley a short time before the ceremony he was taken ill and died. There have been many services over the years for those brave soldiers and i hope that there will be many more for those forgotten hero's.

Welcome to the forum. May I say what an excellent first post. The work by these re-enactment groups connected with the The Anglo Zulu War of 1879 is very much appricated, and I know I speak for everyone. And regarding your great great Grandfather " Henry Hook" there is not on person on this forum or any other forum that I know of thinks "Henry Hook" was anything else other than a very Brave and Honrible Soldier. "Hooky as he come to be known is and always will be one of the more famous names in the history books on Zulu War 1879.

Thank you for joining the forum. We are all deadicated to keeping their names alive. They will not be forgotten.

Birminghammo. Welcome to the forum, and I echo Admins words.

Hello and welcome Birminghammo.

I would also echo Admin and impi's posts.

Like many wrong things in the film, they also got it wrong about 'Hooky'. He was, as Admin says, a very brave and honourable man.

Just one correction to make, the actor who played 'Hooky', was James Booth, not James Dean, you must have done a typo. :lol:

Hope you enjoy your time on the forum, there are some good chaps and chapesses on here.

Regards.

Martin.

Hi Birminghammo.
Echo the above sentiments .
Cheers 90th

Martin
Youve got it wrong mate, in the movie, in the background when Chard was building the ponts there is a road. Look carefully and you will see a porch come round the corner, has to be James Dean on the way to the set.

Cheers

Nice one springy :lol:

Do you mean that James Dean actually disguised himself to look like James Booth, wow! what a cunning ploy that was. :lol:

If any members of this forum are members of the RDVC they may like to pass this on to Paul, it may be helpful.

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This is the link below that may help. Look at 1879Graves post.

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Ahh The Keynsham Light Horse! still can be googled,
has a search engine, finest site of its type i have 
ever seen..

xhosa2000 wrote:

Ahh The Keynsham Light Horse! still can be googled,
has a search engine, finest site of its type i have 
ever seen..

But not with the memorials.

Sadly john, your right, not for a number of years
now! but some of the guys are still around, and
i'm sure they will put Dr Paul straight.. i supplied
the photo of 593's grave..i miss the Zulu's that
would chase you around the page.. 

Do you still have the photos of the 593 Graves you mention?

To the tune of the ' Warwickshire Lad's '

Xhosa. Did you attend the event!

Yes Admin, i was invited, it was a glorious day
very warm i recall.

o'h yeah i forgot to say, yes i took the pictures admin.

Good stuff Les .
Cheers 90th

Thanks 90th   . hiya impi.  thanks for the link!
nice day to remember. was you there?

I would have posted my footage of the day, but others
did it so much better..anyhow here is the beginning of
mine and the end! interesting only for the minor
blooper at the end, which made me smile..

sorry about the link, my regular method would appear
to no longer work.. 

Xhosa, I posted the correct link for you!

funny that! i posted the correct link three times! but it was blocked! 
but thank you anyway admin.

Just out of interest, what link are you posting.

i post the same way i posted all my other's,
no different! then i posted gangster shark
and you lost your blob..i do not seek to
disrupt anything..just think it slightly odd!.

That's the problem your other links didnt work, either.

Hmmm, that's frightening! so are you saying that none of the films
i have posted have shown on this site? despite the fact that i have
read forum members comments afterwards. or are you exaggerating
a bit, i think what it could be is that i went into the settings on my
google/ youtube account a few months ago and had a fiddle..i dont
know what ive done!..i upload a clip..when its processed, i copy the
code.. on this site i paste it in to the box, press insert then send.
thats all i know, i'm smart at somethings but obviously not at others..
it could be seen that i'm talking the p..i'm not. i'm clearly doing some-
thing wrong..

Hi Les
It's easy for you to say ! , Speak English mate !! LOL
90th

You Bugger!