Marmaduke Stourton Captain 63rd Regiment.

I'm wondering if anyone has any idea what actually happened to Captain Stourton. According to Mackinnon & Shadbolt, Captain Stourton was based at the 63rd Regiment depot at the time of Isandlwana. Captain Stourton volunteered for South Africa and he was selected as special service officer with the 24th regiment. The transport ship that he travelled on to SA the 'Clyde' was wrecked in St Simon's Bay, fortunately Captain Stourton survived the wreck and continued his journey onto Durban. Whilst he was at Durban he proceeded in charge of drafts for the 24th Regiment to Pietermaritzburg. On the 18th of April he marched a distance of 12 miles and all the reports are that he was the 'cheeriest' of the party, singing, bugling and working hard to keep up the moral of the men. Later that day Captain Stourton continued the march but this time they had to overcome a particularity steep climb, at one point during the steep ascent he turned to an officer of the artillery and said ' I feel my life blood ebbing away, I am nearly done. instead of falling out he continued with the column up another steep hill that would lead them to the camp. The bugle sounded halt and Captain Stourton had just enough strength to give a final command before fainting to the ground, his men did all that they could to save him but he died where he had fallen.
It seems clear to me that he either died from a heart attack or heat stroke but considering that there were no other reports of the men in the column suffering or passing out it struck me as a very odd story.

Could have been an underlying medical condition. So yes possible heart attack!

Captain Stourton was a 39 year old Infantry officer, perhaps the army weren't so tough on physical fitness for officers back then. Its a sad story none the less.

An account of Captain Stourton's death appears in the forthcoming book Victoria's Harvest.

John Y.

Hello John

I did notice that you had contributed to the Mackinnon & Shadbolt book that I found Captain Stourton's story in, I was hoping that you may of had further information on him. Is Victoria's Harvest written by your good self? I would be interested in reading it.
Waterloo

Edit:
Just researched it: The Irish soldier in the Zulu war of 1879
David Truesdale & John Young.
PS: The book cover looks good.

http://www.helion.co.uk/new-and-forthcoming-titles/victoria-s-harvest-the-irish-soldier-in-the-zulu-war-of-1879.html

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Captain Marmaduke STOURTON - 63rd (West Suffolk) Regt.

Died at Pietermaritzburg, 18th April 1879. Aged 39. Son of William Stourton and Catherine Scully, of Yorkshire. Husband of Marie Franks.
JY Collection.

Waterloo50,

We have used the account from MacKinnon & Shadbolt's work as the basis for our retelling of Stourton's demise.

The cover comes from a children's story The Drums of the 24th.

Thanks Littlehand, you saved me the trouble. The photograph shows him in his former regiment's - the 8th Regiment - uniform.

John Y.

"Excerpt from "The South Africa Campaign of 1878/1879"
By Ian Knight and Dr Adrian Greaves

MARMADUKE STOURTON
CAPTAIN, 63RD REGIMENT (WEST SUFFOLK).
Captain Marmaduke Stourton, who died at Pietermaritzburg, on 18th April 1879, was the eldest son of the late Hon. William Stourton, of Yorkshire, by his marriage with Catherine, daughter of Edmund Scully, Esq., of Bloomfield, co. Tipperary. He was born on 14 January 1840, and was educated at Downside College, near Bath; at Namur, in Belgium; and at Stonyhurst College, Lancashire. Entering the army in May 1861, he was gazetted to an ensigncy in the 8th Foot, and served with that regiment at Malta, at Gibraltar, in India, and at the depôt in England. He became Lieutenant in 1864, and obtained his company in 1870, in which year he exchanged into the 63rd Regiment. He shortly afterwards embarked with that corps for India, and served there at various stations for several years.

On the news of the disaster at Isandlwana reaching England in February 1879, Captain Stourton who was at the depôt of his regiment at Ashton-under-Lyne, immediately volunteered for South Africa. He was selected as a special service officer to take up duty with the 24th Regiment, and was sent out, on 1st March in the transport “Clyde.” The vessel was wrecked in St. Simon’s Bay but owing to the admirable discipline that prevailed, no lives were lost, and all the troops were safely landed on the coast. Arriving shortly afterwards at Durban, Captain Stourton proceeded in charge of drafts of the 24th Regiment to Pietermaritzburg. During the morning 18 April he marched a distance of twelve miles, and was the cheeriest of the party – singing, bugling, and keeping up the spirits of the men in every possible way; but the afternoon’s advance commenced with an exceedingly steep ascent, on surmounting which he gasped for breath. Turning to an officer of the Artillery, he said: “I feel my life-blood ebbing away. I am nearly done.” Instead of falling out, he continued with the column in its march up another trying hill to the camp. When the bugle sounded “Halt,” he had just sufficient strength left to give his word of command, and then fell fainting to the ground. Within an hour afterwards, in spite of every exertion made by his comrades, his prophecy had been fulfilled, and his gallant spirit had passed away.

Though Captain Stourton’s death did not take place in the battlefield, he none the less rendered up his life in the service of his country. In spite of physical weakness he struggled on, a brave example to his men; and when his work was accomplished, he simply lay down and died. His remains were buried, with military honours, in the camp cemetery at Pietermaritzburg. The officers and men of the draft with which he had served erected a stone over the grave.

Captain Stourton married, in 1870, Marie, daughter of William Franks, Esq."

http://www.antique-swords.eu/608-1845P-Wilkinson-British-Infantry-Officers.html

"HE LATE CAPTAIN STOURTON. --We deeply regret to have to record the death of Captain Marmaduke Stourton, eldest son of the late Hon. William Stourton. Having volunteered for the South African war he was selected as a special service officer to do duty with the 24th Regiment, and was sent out on the 1st of last March in the transport Clyde which was wrecked. Owing to the admirable discipline and devotion of all to duty every life was saved. A telegram in the Times of the 13th ult, states that Captain Stourton died in camp at Pietermaritzburg, Natal, but no further particulars have arrived. He has served in the army since 1861, principally abroad, and is much regretted by a large circle of relatives and friends. R.I.P. THE PRINCE OF WALES AND MS TENANTS.—A Plymouth paper is informed that the Prince of Wales has ordered a remiss ion of 20 per cent, for three years on the rents of all his tenants in the Duchy of Cornwall. The remission is to take effect from the Michaelmas of 1878."

Hi Waterloo50

One report giving a reason for his death.

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Isle of Wight Observer 10 May 1879

1879graves wrote:

Hi Waterloo50

One report giving a reason for is death.

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Isle of Wight Observer 10 May 1879

Thanks graves,

The OED defines apoplexy:
A malady, very sudden in its attack, which arrests more or less completely the powers of sense and motion; it is usually caused by an effusion of blood or serum in the brain, and preceded by giddiness, partial loss of muscular power, etc.
In modern parlance, this would be termed a cerebral hemorrhage.
It is frequently induced by sudden changes of temperature, strong mental emotion, abuse of spirituous drinks, or narcotic substances, tight cravats, and organic affections of the heart. The treatments used back in the day for apoplexy were opium, Mercury and caffeine.

I was just watching a Youtube video of a guy Metal detecting on a Zulu war site. He did not identify the location, it was on private land, and he found several items, Martini Henry cartridge cases and bullets etc, part of a ring with Free masonry signs on it, but the most extraordinary thing he found was a tunic button for the 63rd Regt. I have not been able to find any reference to the 63rd being posted to South Africa, until they fought there as the Manchester Regt in the Boer War. I believe the 63rd was in India at the time. I googled 63rd officers in the Zulu war and found reference to Marmaduke Stourton. It would surely be an incredible coincidence if the button belonged to that gentleman. The video is titled Metal Detecting ZAR - Anglo ZULU war 1879 (PART 2)" if anyone is interested.

Hi Northbank66
I wonder where it was found ? , Stourton never saw action while he was in SA , he came out with the Drafts , which were raised for the 1/ 24th , after their losses at Isandlwana . I don't know the exact timings but Stourton left the UK on March 1st aboard the ' Clyde ' , survived it's wrecking / sinking in Simon's Bay , as did everyone else , without going to the books he eventually made it to Durban early April , he then marched it seems with the Drafts to Pietermaritzberg , passing away whilst on a march on the 18th April . Very sad .
90th

That could be Kambula.

Hi Frank
It's certainly not Kambula for two reasons , firstly there is no summit markers anywhere on the Redoubt position at Kambula , secondly near the end you can hear a truck go past at speed , as there are no roads at Kambula , just local dirt roads , you don't get car or truck traffic .I've seen that clip before , he does an excellent job at disguising where he is , that was my immediate thought the first time I saw it , let's not forget it's illegal to prospect on any battlefield site in SA. He could be anywhere on the British line of march to be honest , doesn't look like Nyezane which has the main road running right through the Battlefield , there is a summit marker on Wombane ( Nyezane ) , Gingindlovhu also has a main road basically running through it as well . but there are no large hill at Gin as what was in the video , to have a summit marker it must've been fairly high the hill in the video ( ? )
90th

I didn't watch it just the opening, looked like the slope down towards the town but having now seen it I would agree about Kambula. But must be the scene of an action, have you been to Fort Funk ?

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Can anyone identify the other button found?

Hi 90th

Detective head on now, found the church in the first video.

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It is The Dutch Reform Church in Vryheid.

Now what battles were near Vryheid?

Andy,

Khambula & Hlobane.

JY

Many thanks John

There was also a battle on Lancaster Hill which overlooks Vryheid , Lt Col Gawne AZW Vet was killed there in in the second Boer war 11/ 12/ 00 , Lancaster Hill was also where Cmdt Raaf saw the zulu army breakfasting on the 29th March ! .
90th

Gary,

And who do you think told the Major that?

JY

JY
ME ! HAHAHAHAHAHA
90th

In one of Littlehands posts it is mentioned that Stourton marched a distance of 12 miles from Pietermaritzburg, full of the joys of spring, only to fall ill and die, after a climb up a steep hill.  It certainly seems to fit the description of the site where the button was found, are any of the sites mentioned in all the above posts within 12 miles of Pietermaritzburg? I can just imagine someone trying get Stouirton's tunic off in an effort to get him some air, and a button popping off in that scenario would not be too far fetched. Or am I being to dramatic?

Northbank66,

As the crow flies the distance between PMB and Vryheid is about 130 miles.

JY

I guess the other question is whether there is any record as to where the column that the Captain was with was actually marching to?

Yep, I just looked on Google earth and saw that. I suppose that might mean the "Detectorist" drove through Vryheid from the east to get to the site. It's kind of ironic that he was huffing and puffing and complaining about the climb before he started his metal "detectoring", just as Captain Stourton must have felt as he made the climb to the camp.

I think that everyone could benefit from a bit of history.

Firstly the draft was making its way to Dundee where the survivors of the 24th were encamped. From Port Natal (Durban) they would have taken the train to Botha’s Hill - some 16 miles short of Pietermaritzburg.  The railway directly into PMB was not completed until 1880.  I assume that Capt Stourton was taken ill on the he march between Botha’s Hill and PMB.  He is probably buried in the cemetery at Fort Napier - although I cannot recall seeing his headstone there.  The old railway station at Botha’s Hill is worth a visit.  The current railway between the two Cities now takes a different route.

Scheepersnek could fit the bill

At the battle of Scheepersnek, Boer war, the Boers faced up to the British Mounted Infantry. That's suggests MH and ball ammunition. That's exactly what is found in the video. The view in the second video, around the 6minute mark shows a range of hills. Ive asked Steve to post a view from the Neck and the Boer position.
There is available a full list of men killed at the battle but not their parent regiments. The point being just because a 63rd button was discovered there doesn't mean it belonged to Stourton.

Just a thought

Frank's photo of Scheepersnek.
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I have been trying to identify the second button reproduced by Graves yesterday. It is not easy, but it appears to be a King Edward coat of arms which would point firmly to the Boer War. I would venture a guess at the London Rifle Brigade or perhaps King Edwards Horse?

Steve Reinstadtler

Steve
These are the casualties and there home towns. Possibly you could attach any to a regiment apart from the MI?

Thirty one British soldiers were killed in action, twenty five were wounded and eleven were taken prisoner.

The names of the British soldiers that were killed in action are as follows: Captain William Ernest Davis Goff, Trooper HS Billing, from London, Lieutenant LW Lanham.
Trooper Len A Cowie from Durban,
Lieutenant DF McLachlan,
Trooper E Hamilton, from Eshowe,
Sergeant Major Edgar Schmitt Hadler,
a German Trooper S Ingham, from Pole’s Natal,
Mercenary from Durban,
Sergeant FW Moon, from Berea in Durban,
Trooper WF Johnstone, from Scotland,
Corporal WA Benson, from Swansee
Trooper H de Lorme, from Johannesburg,
Corporal William Garfield, from Wolverhampton,
Trooper JH Reams from London,
Trooper JS Beyers from Cape Town,
Trooper J Rudderforth,
Trooper E Coleman from Umhlathi River, Natal,
Trooper A Stanley from Clark Road, Durban,
Trooper MC Gillies, from Scotland,
Trooper BD Stone from Cape Town,
Trooper CB Hammond from Yorkshire,
Trooper RH Tuckwell from Australia,
Trooper RSO Ingle from Bath England,
Trooper S Watson from Scotland,
Trooper J Lang from Lanarkshire, England,
Trooper G Paige from Durban,
Trooper EH Roberts from London,
Trooper D Seaton from Scotland,
Trooper T Stansby from Yorkshire, England,
Trooper H Thompson from Cavan, Ireland,
Trooper E Udell from London.

Just in case you've nothing to do for the next couple of months?????????????

Could do that blindfold. Trooper Gillies from Scotland!

This from a Spinks catalogue.

British columns sent to catch him got bogged down in the quagmires that passed for roads. Botha with no wheeled transport, was much better off. Using pack animals for carrying supplies, he averaged 10 miles a day with ease, the British barely three. By September 17th he had reached the Blood River Poort, also known as Spieshoek, about 15 miles west of Vryheid, there to await the Vryheid Commando under his brother-in-law, Cherry Emmett.

British Intelligence reports on Botha's movements were sketchy. At Dundee, Capt Herbert Gough, with orders for a routine patrol to intercept and escort a convoy of empty British wagons from Vryheid, only had informatiom several days old. To his knowledge Botha was at least 20 miles away.

Gough's Mounted Infantry, totalling 585 men with the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles under Lieut.-Col. H. K. (Bimbash) Stewart, a pretty rough crowd of irregulars, reached de Jager's Drift on the Buffalo River on 16th September. Next day, grey, wet and miserable, his advance patrol reported a group of about 300 Boers about five miles beyond the Blood River at Scheepersnek. By 2 p.m. Gough was in a position to attack. The Boers, meantime, moving north to the Blood River Poort, could with skill, be approached on a converging path by the British, who in turn could remain concealed behind the long low north ridge of the Rooikoppies.

Leaving Stewart and the J.M.I. to guard his transport, Gough impetuously rode forward, certain of his surprise. The Boers, oblivious of their peril, had off-saddled at the foot of the hills. Gough had cornered them.

To complete the attack, his force had to cover a mile of open ground. This the British did at the gallop, fanning out with two field guns bringing up the rear.

The first volley seemned to panic the unsuspecting Boers, when to Gough's horror, the main bulk of Botha's force burst out of the Poort. Crossing his front at full gallop, they wheeled to their right, enveloping and rolling up Gough's flank against the mountain. Others, climbing over the ledges of the Western hill, poured a deadly plunging fire on the hapless mounted infantry. In 10 minutes it was all over. Forty-four killed and wounded and 241 prisoners were the price of Gough's impetuosity. Stewart, following some miles behind, was lucky to save the transport and get back to de Jager's Drift intact. Botha's men were jubilant. The way south now clear, they re-equipped themselves with British rifles, ammunition, horses, boots and trousers and released their prisoners next day to find their way to Vryheid, sore-footed and trouserless.

1879graves wrote:

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Can anyone identify the other button found?

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BRITISH BUTTON 63RD (THE WEST SUFFOLK) REG CRIMEAN WAR

As I previously posted, I believe that Capt Stourton died on the march (not an easy one) between Botha's Hill (the railhead from Durban) and PMB. He was one of the replacements for 24th. He is actually buried in Fort Napier, PMB. Of course, we do not know what happened to his kit. He was the only member of 63rd on the Clyde draft, as far I can determine.