Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, 466 Private Frederick “Fred” Matthew Walker Topper, Grahamstown Town Guard.
Officially impressed: “466 Pte F. Topper. Grahamstown T.G.”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
Frederick Matthew Walker Topper on 2nd October 1868.
He was the son of Thomas Robert Topper (1823-1876) whose father was also a Thomas Robert Topper (1799-1872), they had come to South Africa as a family circa 1848-9.
Frederick had settled in Grahamstown, Albany, Cape Province, and married there on 26th October 1894 to Bertha Maud Murray.
He had a son Frederick Albert George Topper during 1897, the Grahamstown Journal: “BIRTH at Grahamstown on August 14th 1897, the wife of Fred Topper of a son.”
During the war, the Toppers fought for the Grahamstown Town Guard.
The only other Topper in the unit was Thomas Harry Arthur Topper (1882-1942), who was Frederick’s young cousin.
Grahamstown is now known as Makhanda.
