My Community Hero of the Defence of Rorke"s Drift

On 22 January 1879, a garrison of British soldiers effectively defended the storehouse and subject healthcare facility which had been proven at Rorke’s Drift towards an army of Zulu warriors. This heroic stand has been written about thoroughly and inspired the epic film ‘Zulu!’ This is a biographical tribute to Non-public William Jones, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry that fateful day, and ultimately settled with his relatives in Manchester, England, which is in my house county.

According to his relatives descendants, William Jones was born on sixteen August 1839, at five Lucas Avenue, Castle Precinct in Bristol. He was the son of a stonemason named William Jones, and his wife, Mary Ann (late Martin, formerly Lancastle). The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel at Coleford in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, data the baptism of William and James Jones, on 22 March 1840, and the 1851 census data a relatives dwelling in East Dean, around Ross-on-Wye, which might be them. William served an apprenticeship as a shoemaker in advance of coming into the army, and there are data of a shoemaker named Jones who lived in Cowell Avenue at Evesham, Worcestershire, who might have been William.

He enlisted into the British army at Birmingham on 21 December 1858, and as 593 Non-public W Jones he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, twenty fourth Regiment. He was explained as getting 5 ft 5 inches tall, with a sallow complexion, dark brown eyes and brown hair. Even though serving at Mauritius he was promoted corporal on one September 1859, but he was lowered to non-public in the next yr. He re-engaged at Rangoon in 1868, to full 21 yrs support, and he also served in India. He married Elizabeth Goddard at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Farnham, on twenty five Could 1875. He was posted to Dover, where by a kid named William was born on 15 November 1876, who was despatched to dwell with his grand-mom and dad in Farnham.

Tension concerning British authority and different factions in South Africa had been making up for yrs prior to 1879 specifically regarding the independent-minded Boer farmers and the warrior country of the Zulu. Simply because of this, a lot of British army units had been in South Africa having section in the ninth of a series of Cape Frontier Wars, and the 2nd Battalion, twenty fourth Regiment had embarked on the troopship Himalaya on one February 1878, for energetic support at the Colony. This campaign consisted predominantly of sweeping skirmishes to flush rebel natives out of the bush, which gave the British some practical experience of preventing on the veldt, and the rebel leaders had been captured and dealt with by mid-1878.

Nevertheless, the most important threat to security in the location arrived from the highly-disciplined army of fearless Zulu warriors, and the British governing administration understood that they had to be subdued in advance of there could be any progress in the direction of a united country below just one flag, which would be easier for administration. In order to offer with the Zulu threat the British issued a deliberately unworkable ultimatum to the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, and British forces commenced to make up at strategic spots alongside the border with Zululand even in advance of Cetshwayo had responded. The 3rd (Central) Column marched in the direction of a commandeered mission-station regarded as Rorke’s Drift. The most important bulk of this area of the invasion drive was produced up of soldiers of the twenty fourth Regiment. Non-public Jones sailed to the Cape with his unit, and his wife went with him, but she died of tuberculosis on eleven October 1878.

When hostilities with the Zulus commenced and the British invaded Zululand, Non-public Jones and his ‘B’ Firm remained guiding to guard the healthcare facility and shop at Rorke’s Drift. When the Zulus attacked the depot he was posted in the doorway of a place in the healthcare facility making which contained 6 sufferers, and had to retain warriors out single-handed till he was joined by Non-public Robert Jones. Afterwards, Privates Henry Hook and John Williams broke by a wall and entered the place with a lot more sufferers, and alongside one another they fought back again the Zulus even though the sufferers had been served out by a modest window. He produced his individual escape from the burning making, and used the rest of the night with his comrades in the inner entrenchment, in advance of a aid drive arrived on the next early morning. For his support he was outlined in dispatches, and his award of Victoria Cross was introduced in the London Gazette on 2 Could 1879. He also received the South Africa Medal with 1877-8-nine clasp. He was adorned by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle on 13 January 1880. He was examined by a healthcare board at Pietermaritzburg on 3 September 1879, which uncovered that he was struggling from long-term rheumatism. He was despatched to Netley Armed service Hospital, and on 2 February 1880, he was discharged as ‘unfit for even more support due to long-term rheumatism of the joints.’ He was in possession of 3 good carry out badges.

His supposed put of residence was 174 Lupin Avenue, Birmingham, and by 1881 he was named as a warehouseman browsing Charles and Elizabeth Goddard at Courtroom 3, 6 Appreciate Lane, Duddeston, Aston, Birmingham. A kid named Albert Ulundi (Frodsham) was born there on 12 Could 1881, and Elizabeth (Frodsham) was born on 19 June 1883, at 7 Holt Avenue, Duddeston, Aston, Birmingham. Albert’s uncommon title implies that he might have been fathered by William, and he and Elizabeth are the only two youngsters who had their names altered to Jones. By 1891 the relatives house was 8 Luxton Avenue, Duddleston, Aston. Charles had moved out and William was recorded as a boarder.

He moved to Rutland Avenue in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, and by 1901 lived at 7 Ash Avenue, Miles Platting. He toured with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show when it arrived to Lancashire, and he appeared at Hamilton’s Pansterorama in Rochdale to recite his account of the defence. Nevertheless, he could not get regular work because of his wellbeing, and he was pressured to pawn his VC to offer for his relatives. It is now with the regimental museum. William was aged 61 when he married Elizabeth, at St Augustine’s Church in Newton Heath, Manchester, on sixteen July 1901. In 1912 they had been dwelling at seventy two Sanderson Avenue, Collyhurst, Manchester, when William was uncovered wandering the streets in an ‘impoverished’ situation and his wife had to accumulate him from Bridge Avenue Workhouse in Salford.

William Jones died at his daughter’s house, 6 Brompton Avenue, Ardwick, Manchester, on 15 April 1913, aged seventy three, and he was buried in a paupers grave with armed service honours at Philips Park Cemetery, Manchester. A ceremony was held at the cemetery in 2007, to commemorate the unveiling of a new headstone for the grave.

Source by James W Bancroft -http://ezinearticles.com/?My-Community-Hero-of-the-Defence-of-Rorkes-Drift&id=7826589