Description
Queen’s South Africa, no bar, Lieutenant William Robert Adcock, Uitenhage Town Guard, the local Tailor and Habit Maker of the town of Uitenhage for many years.
Officially impressed: “Lieut: W.R. Adcock. Uitenhage T.G.” Confirmed on the medal roll.
Lieutenant William Robert Adcock, was for most of his life that local Tailor of Uitenhage.
Identified in a group Photograph taken of the Officers and NCOs of the Uitenhage Town Guard, Published 1901 in the Navy and Army Illustrated showing “Typical Groups from South Africa, Ready to Fight for King and Empire.”
Born circa Oct 1865, in Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire.
The son of John Thomas Adcock, a local Cab and Car Owner, as a boy aged 15 William worked with him as one of his Cab Drivers.
He emigrated to South Africa in the 1880s. Coinciding with his Father’s death circa 1884.
Some of the “Adcock” family were already established for many years in Uitenhage, so it appears he emigrated there to join them.
As early as 1847 in Uitenhage the local tailors were ran by “Messrs Wares and Adcock’s”.
Settling in Uitenhage, he had become a Tailor in the town.
Whilst there he joined the Grand Lodge of Freemasons, with the local Southern Cross Lodge of Uitenhage on 13th October 1896.
A period advertisement in the 1904 printed book “Uitenhage Past and Present” By WSJ Sellick records him at “The Tailor and Habit Maker” at Market Street of Uitenhage.
Promising his customers “Price as low as possible, commensurate” with Good Style, Superior Material and Workmanship.”
“A record is kept of every measurement taken during the last 10 years.”
He lived and died in Uitenhage, living until the age of 79, when he was on an Old Age Pension as a retired Tailor on 1st June 1945, at the Queen Mary Hospital in Uitenhage, being buried locally in Jubilee Park Cemetery, Uitenhage.
