Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, 2 bars, Rhodesia, Relief of Mafeking, 476 Trooper Edward Warren, Southern Rhodesian Volunteers.
Officially impressed: “476 Tpr E. Warren. S. Rhod. Vols:”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
The medal roll notes that during the Boer War he served as a Member of “G” Troop, Western Division of the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers.
It also confirms that his medal and the 2 clasps were issued to the Officer Commanding of the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers at Bulawayo on 24th June 1908.
Southern Rhodesia death records records only one matching Edward Warren, a Miner, who came to settle in Rhodesia.
Edward Warren, was born in West Quantoxhead, Somerset, England circa 1870.
The son of John and Elizabeth Warren.
He is shown living with his parents during the 1871 and 1881 Census, before disappearing from the local area by 1891.
The English Census and later Southern Rhodesia Death Records both match regarding his parents name and origin.
He looks to have come to South Africa during the 1890s period, where many men came to the fledgling state of Rhodesia and South Africa, particularly as there were many Diamond and Gold Rushes going on at the time and your average labourer could maybe strike it big at the mines.
He married Jane Stuart Warren (nee Jeanette, Born Macdonald) in Bulawayo on 22nd February 1930.
By the time of his death on 10th December 1937 he was said to be about 63 years 11 months old and worked as a Miner, living in Eastern Queens.
Eastern Queen’s is particularly known for their Gold Mine, the Queen’s Mine has been operating since around 1893, and even today is still unearthing new Gold in what is now modern day Zimbabwe.
His Will notes a good numbers of shares in various Gold Mines in the area amounting to about £12617 pounds, Nigel Gold Mining Co, East Rand Proprietary Mines, Consolidated Diamond Mines of S.W.A. Ltd etc.
At the time the Rhodesian Pound was pegged to the British Sterling Pound, and accounting for inflation these shares could be worth the modern day equivalent of £700k, not a bad gamble to go to Rhodesia and become a Gold Miner.
