Description
Queen’s South Africa, 5 bars, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, SA 1901, SA 1902, 557 3rd Class Trooper Rupert Owen, South African Constabulary, B Division.
Officially impressed: “557 3rd CL: Tpr: R. Owen. S.A.C.”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
Medal with 3 clasps issued for service with B Division SAC, followed by the dated pair of clasps earned with the “Northern Transvaal” SAC.
Rupert was born in Brighton during 1860, recruited in Westminster “aged 35” on 11th June 1901, at which time he claimed to be only 35, but was a little over 40.
He was a Painter by trade who spoke English and “A little French”.
He could ride, shoot and swim and noted that he had prior Military Service.
He was later discharged to the SAC Reserve on 13th February 1903, for free passage home on completion of his service, and discharged fully on abolition of the SAC Reserve on 1st May 1906.
He is shown on the 1901 Census, stationed at Harrow Road in Aldershot, occupation: “Baden Powells Police”, living at the Salamanca Barracks.
Rupert may have fiddled with his age slightly.
Rupert Colgate Owen was actually born in Brighton, Sussex during 1860.
He had married young to Fanny Eliza, “Owen – Daws, On the 17th Inst at St George’s, Hannover Square, Rupert Colgate Owen, of Penge, to Fanny Eliza, eldest daughter of Mr Thomas Daws, of South Norwood.” – Norwood News, 24th Dec 1881.
The son of Rupert Clarke Augustus Owen and Sophia Cumberland. His father was a Master Tailor and his mother was a Dressmaker.
Rupert was born in Brighton, raised in Uckfield and then Penge.
At the time of enlistment he would have been over 40 years, and likely to be turned away from a promising job with 5 shillings a day as a wage.
This must be why he trimmed down his age to 35 on enlistment.
In civilian life, Rupert had about 9 children with his wife Fanny.
He had a number of jobs, on enlistment he said he worked as a Painter, but had back in 1894-5 worked as a Porter for London Transport, noting there that he had prior work as a Tailor, presumably with his father, in 1891 he was a Tailors Assistant, or based on his experience learning from his father.
Things did not go great at the “Metropolitan Railway” as he was “Directed to resign (absent form duty without leave) and left the service on 1st August 1895”, although before that he had been “previously satisfactory”.
