On 22 January 1879, a garrison of British infantrymen efficiently defended the storehouse and field clinic which had been hooked up at Rorke's Drift against an army of Zulu warriors. This heroic stand has been written approximately notably and stimulated the epic film 'Zulu!' This is a biographical tribute to Private William Jones, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry that fateful day, and ultimately settled together with his family in Manchester, England, that's in my home county.
According to his family descendants, William Jones become born on 16 August 1839, at five Lucas Street, Castle Precinct in Bristol. He become the son of a stonemason named William Jones, and his spouse, Mary Ann (past due Martin, formerly Lancastle). The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel at Coleford within the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, facts the baptism of William and James Jones, on 22 March 1840, and the 1851 census facts a own family residing in East Dean, near Ross-on-Wye, which may be them. William served an apprenticeship as a shoemaker earlier than coming into the military, and there are data of a shoemaker named Jones who lived in Cowell Street at Evesham, Worcestershire, who can also have been William.
He enlisted into the British military at Birmingham on 21 December 1858, and as 593 Private W Jones he become published to the second Battalion, twenty fourth Regiment. He was described as being five feet five inches tall, with a sallow complexion, dark brown eyes and brown hair. While serving at Mauritius he become promoted corporal on 1 September 1859, however he was reduced to personal within the following yr. He re-engaged at Rangoon in 1868, to finish 21 years service, and he also served in India. He married Elizabeth Goddard at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Farnham, on 25 May 1875. He turned into published to Dover, where a infant named William became born on 15 November 1876, who turned into sent to live together with his grand-parents in Farnham.
Tension among British authority and various factions in South Africa had been constructing up for years prior to 1879; specially concerning the independent-minded Boer farmers and the warrior kingdom of the Zulu. Because of this, many British army devices have been in South Africa taking part within the ninth of a sequence of Cape Frontier Wars, and the 2d Battalion, 24th Regiment had launched into the troopship Himalaya on 1 February 1878, for lively service on the Colony. This marketing campaign consisted especially of sweeping skirmishes to flush rebellion natives out of the bush, which gave the British some revel in of fighting at the veldt, and the rebellion leaders have been captured and handled by way of mid-1878.
However, the main danger to stability inside the location came from the tremendously-disciplined navy of fearless Zulu warriors, and the British authorities knew that they had to be subdued earlier than there may be any development in the direction of a united state under one flag, which might be less complicated for administration. In order to cope with the Zulu threat the British issued a intentionally unworkable ultimatum to the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, and British forces started to accumulate at strategic locations along the border with Zululand even before Cetshwayo had replied. The third (Central) Column marched closer to a commandeered undertaking-station known as Rorke's Drift. The important bulk of this segment of the invasion pressure became made from squaddies of the 24th Regiment. Private Jones sailed to the Cape along with his unit, and his spouse went with him, but she died of tuberculosis on 11 October 1878.
When hostilities with the Zulus commenced and the British invaded Zululand, Private Jones and his 'B' Company remained behind to defend the health facility and shop at Rorke's Drift. When the Zulus attacked the depot he changed into posted inside the doorway of a room within the clinic constructing which contained six patients, and had to maintain warriors out unmarried-handed until he changed into joined via Private Robert Jones. Later, Privates Henry Hook and John Williams broke via a wall and entered the room with greater patients, and collectively they fought back the Zulus whilst the sufferers were helped out thru a small window. He made his personal break out from the burning constructing, and spent the rest of the night time together with his comrades within the inner entrenchment, earlier than a relief force arrived on the following morning. For his service he changed into stated in dispatches, and his award of Victoria Cross was announced within the London Gazette on 2 May 1879. He additionally acquired the South Africa Medal with 1877-8-nine clasp. He became decorated by means of Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle on thirteen January 1880. He became examined with the aid of a medical board at Pietermaritzburg on 3 September 1879, which discovered that he changed into tormented by continual rheumatism. He was despatched to Netley Military Hospital, and on 2 February 1880, he turned into discharged as 'unfit for in addition carrier due to chronic rheumatism of the joints.' He was in possession of three desirable behavior badges.
His intended vicinity of house become 174 Lupin Street, Birmingham, and through 1881 he become named as a warehouseman journeying Charles and Elizabeth Goddard at Court three, 6 Love Lane, Duddeston, Aston, Birmingham. A child named Albert Ulundi (Frodsham) turned into born there on 12 May 1881, and Elizabeth (Frodsham) was born on 19 June 1883, at 7 Holt Street, Duddeston, Aston, Birmingham. Albert's unusual name shows that he might also have been fathered by means of William, and he and Elizabeth are the best two kids who had their names changed to Jones. By 1891 the family home became eight Luxton Street, Duddleston, Aston. Charles had moved out and William was recorded as a boarder.
He moved to Rutland Street in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, and with the aid of 1901 lived at 7 Ash Street, Miles Platting. He toured with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show while it got here to Lancashire, and he regarded at Hamilton's Pansterorama in Rochdale to recite his account of the defence. However, he couldn't get regular employment due to his health, and he changed into compelled to pawn his VC to provide for his family. It is now with the regimental museum. William became elderly sixty one whilst he married Elizabeth, at St Augustine's Church in Newton Heath, Manchester, on sixteen July 1901. In 1912 they have been living at seventy two Sanderson Street, Collyhurst, Manchester, when William become determined wandering the streets in an 'impoverished' circumstance and his spouse had to acquire him from Bridge Street Workhouse in Salford.
William Jones died at his daughter's domestic, 6 Brompton Street, Ardwick, Manchester,
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