HMS Active's Naval Brigade field musicians

Posts : 7 Join date : 2011-01-21

Does anybody know if HMS Active's naval brigade used drums or bugles for their musicians in the field?

Also, does anybody know which sailors in the Brigade were the musicians?

Thanks!

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

Here's one.

https://www.1879zuluwar.com/t3075-musician-charles-roper-hms-shah

Guest

Rob,

HMS Active had 1 Bandmaster, 7 Bandsman, 2 Bandsman 2nd Class, and 2 Musicians. None of them served with the Naval Brigade during the Zulu War.

Boustead, William - Bandsman 2nd Class - Medal, No Clasp
Goff, Henry – Bandsman - Medal, No Clasp
Harris, J. C – Bandmaster - Medal, No Clasp
Hayes, John - Bandsman 2nd Class - Medal, No Clasp
Littlejohns, Edward Smith – Musician - Medal, No Clasp
McCann, Francis – Bandsman - Medal, No Clasp
Medhurst, W. – Bandsman - Medal, No Clasp
O'Brien, T. – Musician - Medal, No Clasp
Rennie, William Alexander – Bandsman - Medal, No Clasp
Riley, Thomas – Bandsman - Medal, No Clasp
White, Thomas - Bandsman 2nd Class - Medal, No Clasp
William, Thomas – Bandsman - Medal, No Clasp

There was 1 bugler with the Royal Marines, but he also did not serve in the Naval Brigade.

LeDelaney, John – Bugler - Medal, No Clasp

When the “Active’s” men were besieged at Fort Eshowe they, along with the rest of Pearson’s column, were entertained by the bands of the “Buffs” and the 91st, but there is no mention of a Navy band.

HMS Shah had a drum and fife band that served ashore with their contingent to the Naval Brigade. Musician Charles Roper is the man referred to in Impi’s link.

I hope this answers your question.

Petty Officer Tom

Posts : 7 Join date : 2011-01-21

It makes things a bit more confusing.

Was there no tactical role for buglers and drummers in the Naval Brigade the way there was in the Army?

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

MABEY / Drummer R.M HMS Active..

Guest

Excuse me, I overlooked Thomas Cook, Bugler, RMLI who did serve with the Naval Brigade of "Active."

Drummer A Mabey (Maby) died 13 Feb 1878 at Ibeka, Trankei, after taken ill with dysentery.

Petty Officer Tom

Posts : 7 Join date : 2011-01-21

Thanks.

That makes things a bit more confusing, since Active's Marine Contingent acted as a separate company from the two sailor companies. I suspect they also had somebody with a drum or a bugle. We may not know.

Posts : 4 Join date : 2014-10-07

Good day - this is my first posting.

Have read with interest the posting below on 15/11/2012 from "Petty Officer Tom". The HENRY GOFF appearing in the list of bandsmen on HMS Active, was my great-grandfather. I've been trying to trace his family history for ages, without success. Would there be any records anywhere which would show more info about these bandsmen - year of birth, place of birth, etc?

All that I know about Henry is that in September 1858 (SORRY, TYPO - THIS SHOULD READ 1878!)he married a South African girl, Sarah Maria Magdalena Kalis, in Simonstown, Cape Colony. The South African marriage record shows the groom as "Bandsman, HMS Active", so presumably this ship was based in Simonstown at the time. NB: Both his South African marriage record and my Dad's South African birth certificate, shows that the name is spelt GOUGH, and not GOFF.

Any advice/ideas would be appreciated - many thanks.

Gavin
Rochester, Kent

Posts : 4 Join date : 2014-10-07

My huge thanks to Rusteze for his prompt and highly relevant info. I've pinned down my elusive ancestor at long, long last!

I have another question......Field Musicians on Royal Navy ships - what did they do when they were not playing music? Did they become fighting men? For instance, Bandsman Goff (my ancestor) on HMS Active was in the Zulu War and the Ashanti campaign - what did he actually do? Fighting on land, presumably - what weapons would have been used?

I hope these are not silly questions, but I'm completely new to the topic!

Thank you
Gavin

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

Your very welcome Gavin.

Here are a couple more references that turned up and I think are your family - the first is the 1851 census in Portsea with Henry aged 3 together with his mother and father. The next is the 1861 census, this time with Henry (Gough) a scholar but in the Workhouse. If it is him, it is no surprise he joined the Royal Navy.

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Steve

Posts : 4 Join date : 2014-10-07

Very many thanks, once again. Highly relevant and useful.

Gavin

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