Description
British South Africa Company Medal, Matabeleland 1893, 880 Trooper Stephen Guy Blasson, Bechuanaland Border Police.
Officially Engraved: “880 TROOPr S.G. BLASSON. B.B. POLICE” Confirmed on the roll entitled to the Matabeleland reverse 1893 and no bars.
Medal roll confirms he saw action at the Battle of Singuesi River, 2nd November 1893.
Stephen Guy Blasson, an interesting character, son of a Surgeon Doctor whose twin was also a Doctor, ventured to South Africa in the 1890s as a Gold Miner, becoming involved in the Matabele War of 1893, where he served as a Trooper in the Bechuanaland Border Police.
Returning back home in 1895, in 1906 he later married a similarly adventurous young woman, Mary Hepburn, who was born and raised in Shoshong, the Capital of the Bangwato people, where her father, a missionary named David Hepburn became best friends and influenced the Christian King of Botswana, King Khama III, known as Khama the Great. He was the Kgosi (King) of the Bangwato people in what is now the Republic of Botswana.
After their marriage they traded their home in Pewsey to move to St Helier, Jersey. Where Guy Blasson would become very involved in the running of the town, being welcomed with open arms, playing with the local Golf Club, involving himself in the various charities and becoming Honorary Secretary of the St Helier Creche Committee.
The Jersey Independent and Daily Telegraph, 16th May 1908:
“FROM PEWSEY TO JERSEY
From the Jersey Times, of May 13th, it is with regret, says the Wiltshire Telegraph of Saturday last, that the inhabitants of Pewsey learned that Mr S. G. Blasson and his family are leaving Pewsey for Jersey.
Since they came to reside in the town (at Ball House) Mr Blasson has been ready to identify himself with everything that had for its object the advancement of the ‘life’ of the town.
In him the Cricket Club had a warm supporter, and this severance is amongst his genuine regrets. He was elected to Captain the Club this season in the place of Mr T.H.S. Ferris, who led the club in the last season or two, but has now resigned; but the only match in which Mr Blasson will have the privilege of appearing with his men will be this afternoon, when the team is to meet the Dauntsey School representatives.
He was also a prominent member of the Whist Club, and in presenting him with a prize at the dinner on Thursday evening the President of the Club expressed the regret of the members at losing their colleague.
Amongst other forms of activity, Mr Blasson was a hard working member of the Pewsey Carnival Committee, and in a number of ways his genial presence will be missed in the camp of his old friends, all of whom will wish him and his family every good fortune and prosperity in their new home in Jersey.
They leave Pewsey towards the end of the week.”
Trooper Stephen Guy Blasson, mostly known as “S. Guy Blasson” who in his younger years seems to have been an adventurous Gold Miner who ventured to South Africa in search of fortune, was the son of a distinguished Surgeon, Doctor William Thomas Blasson, who was was a Twin of Dr Thomas Blasson, both licensed Surgeons.
Stephen was born during July 1867 in Barnet, Edgware, Middlesex.
He was the son of a Dr William Thomas Blasson, who in his time was a beloved doctor in London, the Hendon and Finchley Times 27th March 1931, recalls upon the death of a Edgware Doctor, Dr Findlater, that at the local church was “Over this door hangs a memorial tablet to Dr William Blasson, a beloved physician, whom Dr Findlater so worthily followed. There may be no tablet, perhaps, erected to our late Doctor, but the memorial will be lasting in our hearts.”
One strange fact about his father, was that he was born as a Twin, his twin brother Thomas Blasson, also became a beloved Doctor. With Thomas graduating as a Surgeon from the Royal College in 1855 and William During 1857.
Thomas had remained to practice in Lincolnshire, with his twin heading down south to Edgware, London where young Stephen was born.
Stephen was the son of a Doctor, whose twin brother was a Doctor, his Grandfather, also named Thomas, was similarly a well regarded Doctor and Surgeon, at the Royal College in St Pancras.
He and his younger brother Cecil (born 1869) appeared to have different ideas.
His brother Cecil left for New Zealand in 1895 to work as a Farmer, and strangely died in Argentina during 1904 at a young age.
Stephen, on the other hand must have heard word of the famous Witwatersrand Gold Rush in South Africa, as a 32 year old Mr S. Guy Blasson can be found on the Southampton Shipping Records returning back home from the port of Cape Town on 19th February 1895 on board the R.M.S. Tartar where he is listed as a “Miner”.
In October 1906, he married Mary Elizabeth Brown Hepburn, born 1878 in Shoshong, British Bechuanaland, during the period that her father, James Davidson Hepburn was there as a Missionary with the London Missionary Society.
She must have had some interesting stories of Childhood, as her dad, had gone and befriended none other than the Christian King of the Ngwato people, Khama III.
So her first 10 years or so were spent living in Shoshong and later the new capital of the Ngwato people of Palapye in 1889.
However after some arguments about Mr Hepburn trying to influence the king, they had a falling out and Hepburn, angry at having his authority challenged, even by a king, left and departed for London.
Their Marriage announced in the Morning Post, 23rd November 1906: “BLASSON – HEPBURN, On 22nd November, at St Pauls, Beckenham, by the Rev Canon Hammond, Stephen Guy Blasson, of Ball House, Pewsey, to Mary Alice, Second Daughter of the late Reverend J.D. Hepburn, of Palapye, South Africa.”
During WW1 he could be found around the town of St Helier, mostly noted in the local Jersey Evening Post
Jersey Evening Post 1st September 1914:
“PARISH OF SAINT HELIER, CRECHE at PARADE HOUSE
Will any Ladies who are willing to help and really have the time to devote in the performance of the duties required of them kindly call at Parade House and consult the Lady Superintendent
S. Guy Blasson, Honorary Secretary, Creche Committee, Town Hall.
Stephen later died on 17th December 1924, living at The Halt, Roseville Street, St Helier.
