Individual Details
Harry Eccles
(Abt 1868 - Abt 1901)
Harry has been an especially difficult research problem. We don't know with 100% certainty what happened to him after he joined the army on 2 March 1887, except that he ended up in South Africa. After that the information about Harry is sparse. From my Grandmother's Birth Certificate, we know that her mother is named Mary Clark (McAloon) but no record of her has been found. Also, there is no record of a marriage, so it is possible that they lived in a Common Law relationship.
What we KNOW:
HIS Father: Henry Eccles
HIS Mother: Ann Elizabeth MARSH
Baptised at St George's, Sheffield, 7 April 1868, # 1286
Born: 30 September 1867
Address at time of baptism: Brightmore Street, later located at 15 Soho Street as in Census records.
Harry Eccles is my Great-Grandfather
My Great-Grandmother: Mary Clark (born, McAloon)
There are so many women name 'Mary Clark' (or Mary McAloon) that trying to figure out which one might be relevant is impossible. So, what happened to Mary or Florence's brother is still unknown.
I have never found any record of a marriage. It is possible they weren't married. Place of Marriage of Parents: Not stated on Florence's birth certificate
Harry Eccles and Mary Clark (McAloon) are the parents of Florence Ethel Eccles, born Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, January 29, 1895
The reference on Florence's Birth Certificate to 'G T L regiment' is a mistake, even though it appears on an officially transcribed copy of Florence's birth certificate. It should probably be 'Y & L regiment' which is York & Lancaster Regiment.
Harry Eccles is present in the 1871 and 1881 Census of England, in Ecclesall Bierlow, Sheffield. By 1891, he is not present.
Harry's Army Service Record indicates he was a small man, standing 5 ft, 4-1/4 inches, weighing in at 123 lbs and chest size of 33 inches. He had a 'fresh' complexion with grey eyes and brown hair. His service record shows he belonged to the Anglican Church.
Harry joined the York & Lancaster Regiment on 2 March 1887 and was transferred to the 2nd Battalion in 1888. He probably went through training at Pontefract.
The 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment was formed in 1881 with the regimental depot located at Pontefract, Yorkshire.
He was posted on 9 September 1888 although his service record doesn't specify to where.
He may have been one of the recruits sent out to The West Indies in October 1888 where the 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment was already stationed, most likely at Barbados, Jamaica, or Trinidad.
If this was the case then he would have been amongst the troops transferred to South Africa in March 1891.
The 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment was stationed at Fort Napier, Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa. Marriage and death records confirm member soldiers in this location between about 1891 and 1894. This is where my Grandmother was born in 1895. But I haven't found any record of a marriage between Harry and Mary. I also haven't found any record of the Birth of her brother.
Because records are scant, there's no way to know exactly what happened. And to add to the confusion, there is more than one divergence in the use and distribution of the York and Lancaster Regiment.
First of all, when the regiment landed in South Africa, it was divided up to be stationed at numerous locations around South Africa. And, the British Army moved around quite a lot.
Maybe he was sent to Matabeleland. At least part of the York and Lancaster Regiment was stationed in Mafeking and these men were called for duty there. Some soldiers in the York and Lancaster Regiment were trained as mounted infantry to fight in these disputes. The record shows that the York and Lancaster Regiment was mobilised to fight in Matabeleland between 1893 and 1896 and it is conceivable that he fought amongst this contingent under Field-Marshall Herbert Plumer. Also, Frederick Kershaw, a Captain in the 2nd Battalion, lost his life in Matabeleland. As well, men of the 2nd York and Lancaster Regiment were awarded medals for service in Matabeleland but there is nothing to show that 'Harry' was one of them.
His service record shows he was placed on Army Reserve from the 2nd Battalion on 1 June 1895 and given permission to reside in the colony. This occurred not long after Florence was born. We are lucky to have his service record. A great many were destroyed in September 1940, when a German bombing raid during WW2 struck the War Office repository in Arnside Street, London.
It appears that 'Harry' had chosen to remain in Natal. The nominal roll of the 'Natal Royal Rifles' shows a 'Harry Eccles' joined on 30 September 1899 (#238), just before the Boers officially declared war. The 'Natal Royal Rifles' were a mounted brigade based at Estcourt and were dispatched to assist in protecting valuable rail and telegraph lines. Perhaps 'Harry' joined based on his earlier training as mounted infantry but this is just a guess. He did serve in this militia until the end of the Anglo Boer War on 31 May 1902. For his service, he received the Queen's South Africa Medal with a clasp for 'Relief of Ladysmith'.
Local militias were formed in many South African towns and villages because it was not certain at the time that the British were going to send in troops to defend them. The British were there to get rich off the gold and diamonds so their motivation was to protect their 'interests' in these areas. It was only later, when war became unavoidable and the Boers were seen as a real threat that troops were sent in in large numbers.
Sometime during all this he had a relationship with a 'Mary Clark' and they had a daughter (My Grandmother) and possibly a son. They may have lived common law. Mary Clark had been married before, her maiden name was McAloon. However, no record of either marriage has been found, neither the death of her first husband. As well, no record of Mary's death has been found. It is also possible that Mary chose to leave Natal and maybe South Africa but, again, there is no record.
Although I have searched extensively in Civil and Parish records, I have only found at most a couple of other instances of adult males with the surname 'Eccles' in the date range between about 1886 and 1902 and they are unrelated. Unfortunately, many records just don't exist, for various reasons.
It is certain that Florence, my Grandmother, was returned to Yorkshire to live with her Aunt Alice Renshaw. Florence is present in the 1901 Census of England. Alice and Florence lived at 232 Hanover Street. 'Mary' does not appear in the census record.
It is said that her brother was also returned. Her brother is not present in any census record. I don't even know his given name. ** Dad's notes state that her brother was still born. **
IF this is my GGF, 'Harry' made it through the Second Anglo-Boer War because there is a record of a marriage of a 'Harry Eccles', a painter, to Georgina Harris in 1901 with his subsequent death in 1903 at the age of 36, both of these events taking place in Pietermaritzburg. No cause of death is stated. There doesn't appear to be any children of this marriage. It is not 100% certain that this is the same person but the age and locale seem to be more than coincidental. If 'Harry' remarried, either 'Harry' was never married to 'Mary' or, if they were married, she was already dead. What happened to Mary is a lingering question?
The British Army service record is the only certain document during this period known to belong to Harry Eccles, the father of Florence. The evidence suggests that this is my GGF because in all my searching in records in South Africa, I have seen no other reference to a 'Harry Eccles' anywhere. This is a rare name in South Africa. The record of 'Harry Eccles' joining the 'Natal Royal Rifles' is also an important clue. Again, it is not 100% certain that this is the same person but does seem highly likely. It is also reasonably certain that he has no other descendants, either in South Africa or anywhere else.
So, to sum up: The probability of this being the same 'Harry Eccles' as was born in Yorkshire, son of Henry Eccles and Ann Elizabeth Marsh, as joined the 'York and Lancaster Regiment' is very high. This would also seem to confirm the rest of the chronology, by inference.
In addition to the records that apply to 'Harry' and Florence, there are at least two other people; two marriages; one birth; one death and one ship passage that definitely took place. In addition, there may be a further birth and two possible deaths along with one more possible ship passage. And only one found record to show for everything. The mystery of what went on is still begging for answers.
The file [ Looking for Private Eccles.xls ] was the reference file I used while searching for information about Private Eccles. The rest of the files in [ Eccles Family Info ] folder provide background information about my Grandmothers ancestors.
Final note: Although I've never been there, it strikes me that South Africa of this era was a vastly different place than today. One thing is obvious in looking through the records is the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity, both of the native populations as well as the immigrants. There were several distinct geo-political regions and native territories as still can be seen today in the language groupings and so on. There are hundreds of local tribes and to this many settlers from all over Europe were added, along with people who came from India and Malaysia, even North and South America as well as other parts of Africa. It is a complex region with tensions among local tribes arising from time to time. Add in a mix of European colonizers including the British, the Dutch, Germans and Portuguese, each with the purpose of discovering and extracting wealth.
I also see the beauty and richness of the place and what attracts people to it. So, its not really surprising that there have been numerous wars in the region.
What we KNOW:
HIS Father: Henry Eccles
HIS Mother: Ann Elizabeth MARSH
Baptised at St George's, Sheffield, 7 April 1868, # 1286
Born: 30 September 1867
Address at time of baptism: Brightmore Street, later located at 15 Soho Street as in Census records.
Harry Eccles is my Great-Grandfather
My Great-Grandmother: Mary Clark (born, McAloon)
There are so many women name 'Mary Clark' (or Mary McAloon) that trying to figure out which one might be relevant is impossible. So, what happened to Mary or Florence's brother is still unknown.
I have never found any record of a marriage. It is possible they weren't married. Place of Marriage of Parents: Not stated on Florence's birth certificate
Harry Eccles and Mary Clark (McAloon) are the parents of Florence Ethel Eccles, born Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, January 29, 1895
The reference on Florence's Birth Certificate to 'G T L regiment' is a mistake, even though it appears on an officially transcribed copy of Florence's birth certificate. It should probably be 'Y & L regiment' which is York & Lancaster Regiment.
Harry Eccles is present in the 1871 and 1881 Census of England, in Ecclesall Bierlow, Sheffield. By 1891, he is not present.
Harry's Army Service Record indicates he was a small man, standing 5 ft, 4-1/4 inches, weighing in at 123 lbs and chest size of 33 inches. He had a 'fresh' complexion with grey eyes and brown hair. His service record shows he belonged to the Anglican Church.
Harry joined the York & Lancaster Regiment on 2 March 1887 and was transferred to the 2nd Battalion in 1888. He probably went through training at Pontefract.
The 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment was formed in 1881 with the regimental depot located at Pontefract, Yorkshire.
He was posted on 9 September 1888 although his service record doesn't specify to where.
He may have been one of the recruits sent out to The West Indies in October 1888 where the 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment was already stationed, most likely at Barbados, Jamaica, or Trinidad.
If this was the case then he would have been amongst the troops transferred to South Africa in March 1891.
The 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment was stationed at Fort Napier, Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa. Marriage and death records confirm member soldiers in this location between about 1891 and 1894. This is where my Grandmother was born in 1895. But I haven't found any record of a marriage between Harry and Mary. I also haven't found any record of the Birth of her brother.
Because records are scant, there's no way to know exactly what happened. And to add to the confusion, there is more than one divergence in the use and distribution of the York and Lancaster Regiment.
First of all, when the regiment landed in South Africa, it was divided up to be stationed at numerous locations around South Africa. And, the British Army moved around quite a lot.
Maybe he was sent to Matabeleland. At least part of the York and Lancaster Regiment was stationed in Mafeking and these men were called for duty there. Some soldiers in the York and Lancaster Regiment were trained as mounted infantry to fight in these disputes. The record shows that the York and Lancaster Regiment was mobilised to fight in Matabeleland between 1893 and 1896 and it is conceivable that he fought amongst this contingent under Field-Marshall Herbert Plumer. Also, Frederick Kershaw, a Captain in the 2nd Battalion, lost his life in Matabeleland. As well, men of the 2nd York and Lancaster Regiment were awarded medals for service in Matabeleland but there is nothing to show that 'Harry' was one of them.
His service record shows he was placed on Army Reserve from the 2nd Battalion on 1 June 1895 and given permission to reside in the colony. This occurred not long after Florence was born. We are lucky to have his service record. A great many were destroyed in September 1940, when a German bombing raid during WW2 struck the War Office repository in Arnside Street, London.
It appears that 'Harry' had chosen to remain in Natal. The nominal roll of the 'Natal Royal Rifles' shows a 'Harry Eccles' joined on 30 September 1899 (#238), just before the Boers officially declared war. The 'Natal Royal Rifles' were a mounted brigade based at Estcourt and were dispatched to assist in protecting valuable rail and telegraph lines. Perhaps 'Harry' joined based on his earlier training as mounted infantry but this is just a guess. He did serve in this militia until the end of the Anglo Boer War on 31 May 1902. For his service, he received the Queen's South Africa Medal with a clasp for 'Relief of Ladysmith'.
Local militias were formed in many South African towns and villages because it was not certain at the time that the British were going to send in troops to defend them. The British were there to get rich off the gold and diamonds so their motivation was to protect their 'interests' in these areas. It was only later, when war became unavoidable and the Boers were seen as a real threat that troops were sent in in large numbers.
Sometime during all this he had a relationship with a 'Mary Clark' and they had a daughter (My Grandmother) and possibly a son. They may have lived common law. Mary Clark had been married before, her maiden name was McAloon. However, no record of either marriage has been found, neither the death of her first husband. As well, no record of Mary's death has been found. It is also possible that Mary chose to leave Natal and maybe South Africa but, again, there is no record.
Although I have searched extensively in Civil and Parish records, I have only found at most a couple of other instances of adult males with the surname 'Eccles' in the date range between about 1886 and 1902 and they are unrelated. Unfortunately, many records just don't exist, for various reasons.
It is certain that Florence, my Grandmother, was returned to Yorkshire to live with her Aunt Alice Renshaw. Florence is present in the 1901 Census of England. Alice and Florence lived at 232 Hanover Street. 'Mary' does not appear in the census record.
It is said that her brother was also returned. Her brother is not present in any census record. I don't even know his given name. ** Dad's notes state that her brother was still born. **
IF this is my GGF, 'Harry' made it through the Second Anglo-Boer War because there is a record of a marriage of a 'Harry Eccles', a painter, to Georgina Harris in 1901 with his subsequent death in 1903 at the age of 36, both of these events taking place in Pietermaritzburg. No cause of death is stated. There doesn't appear to be any children of this marriage. It is not 100% certain that this is the same person but the age and locale seem to be more than coincidental. If 'Harry' remarried, either 'Harry' was never married to 'Mary' or, if they were married, she was already dead. What happened to Mary is a lingering question?
The British Army service record is the only certain document during this period known to belong to Harry Eccles, the father of Florence. The evidence suggests that this is my GGF because in all my searching in records in South Africa, I have seen no other reference to a 'Harry Eccles' anywhere. This is a rare name in South Africa. The record of 'Harry Eccles' joining the 'Natal Royal Rifles' is also an important clue. Again, it is not 100% certain that this is the same person but does seem highly likely. It is also reasonably certain that he has no other descendants, either in South Africa or anywhere else.
So, to sum up: The probability of this being the same 'Harry Eccles' as was born in Yorkshire, son of Henry Eccles and Ann Elizabeth Marsh, as joined the 'York and Lancaster Regiment' is very high. This would also seem to confirm the rest of the chronology, by inference.
In addition to the records that apply to 'Harry' and Florence, there are at least two other people; two marriages; one birth; one death and one ship passage that definitely took place. In addition, there may be a further birth and two possible deaths along with one more possible ship passage. And only one found record to show for everything. The mystery of what went on is still begging for answers.
The file [ Looking for Private Eccles.xls ] was the reference file I used while searching for information about Private Eccles. The rest of the files in [ Eccles Family Info ] folder provide background information about my Grandmothers ancestors.
Final note: Although I've never been there, it strikes me that South Africa of this era was a vastly different place than today. One thing is obvious in looking through the records is the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity, both of the native populations as well as the immigrants. There were several distinct geo-political regions and native territories as still can be seen today in the language groupings and so on. There are hundreds of local tribes and to this many settlers from all over Europe were added, along with people who came from India and Malaysia, even North and South America as well as other parts of Africa. It is a complex region with tensions among local tribes arising from time to time. Add in a mix of European colonizers including the British, the Dutch, Germans and Portuguese, each with the purpose of discovering and extracting wealth.
I also see the beauty and richness of the place and what attracts people to it. So, its not really surprising that there have been numerous wars in the region.
Events
| Birth | Abt 1868 | Stone, Yorkshire | |||
| Death | Abt 1901 | South Africa |
Families
| Spouse | Mary Clark ( - 1901) |
| Child | Florence Ethel Eccles (1895 - 1975) |
| Child | William Eccles ( - ) |
| Father | Henry Eccles (1839 - ) |
| Mother | Ann Elizabeth Marsh (1839 - ) |
| Sibling | Ann Eccles (1862 - ) |
| Sibling | Fanny Eccles (1866 - ) |
| Sibling | Robert Eccles (1870 - ) |
| Sibling | Alice Eccles (1859 - ) |
| Sibling | Albert Eccles (1871 - ) |
| Sibling | Florence Eccles (1878 - ) |
| Sibling | Polly Eccles (1881 - ) |