Military Chat

My grandmother died in her early 40's, in the 1940's and was named Kate Colenso Pretoria Dixon (prior to her marriage) she born in Swindon, Wiltshire. I am aware that Colenso was a battle in the Boer War and we are presuming she took these names from a family member/friend that took part in the Boer campaign or in fact died at Colenso. I have conducted some basic military research without finding out much information /a link and appreciate this maybe an incredible long shot to find out anything further, but any guidance would be much appreciated.

What sort of information are you trying to find? There is quite a lot about the battle of Colenso if you google or are you trying to find out why Kate was given these names?

Kath. x

How far back have you researched her family ?

For ref; Is this her ?

Name: Kate Dixon
Age in 1911: 9
Estimated birth year: abt 1902
Relation to Head: Daughter
Gender:Female
Birth Place: Swindon, Wiltshire, England
Civil Parish: Swindon
County/Island: Wiltshire
Country:England
Street address: 10 Percy Street, Swindon, Wilts
Occupation: School
Registration district: Swindon
Registration District Number: 240
Sub-registration district: Swindon
ED, institution, or vessel: 20
Household schedule number: 242
Piece: 11786
Household Members:
Name Age
Frederick Dixon 38 Born: Wantage, Berkshire, England
Beatrice Dixon 37 married 15 years born Swindon
William Dixon 14
Kate Dixon 9
Victor Dixon 2
William Smith 31

Dads occupation; Drilling Machinist

Marriages Jun 1895?????
Dixon Frederick Walter Highworth 5a 59
House Beatrice Louisa Highworth 5a 59

their are others on the page

HIGHWORTH REGISTRATION DISTRICT
Registration County : Wiltshire.
Created : 1.7.1837 (originally "Swindon & Highworth"). Abolished : 1.5.1899 (to become Swindon registration district).
Sub-districts : Highworth, Swindon.
GRO volumes : VIII (1837–51), 5a (1852–99).
Registers currently held at : Wiltshire.

If it is her iv'e had a quick look and theres nothing obvious so i think you are just going to have to research both sides of the family and to keep looking for a link to the military

Roy

Hello June and welcome to the Community Boards.





Note: I will let June know about the replies to her query. :-)

Births Jun 1901 (>99%)
Dixon Kate Colenso P Swindon 5a 48

The battle of Colenso took place on 15/12/1899. Total casualties British 1138 (145 killed, 755 wounded, 240 missing (mostly POWs)); Boers 40.
Pretoria was captured 5/6/1900.

My guess is there's no military connection. There was a noticeable fashion of naming kids in a patriotic style - Colenso 3 in 1899, 259 in 1900; Pretoria 5 in 1899, 3500 in 1900, Mafeking - 1 in 1899, 644 in 1900 (there were only abt 1700 whites in Mafeking during the siege); Redvers 6 in 1894-8, 237 in 1899, 4751 in 1900.

EDIT Fixed the/there typo

Thanks for your response - it was a long shot but I naively thought I might find a Dixon named/listed as serving at the battle, somewhere. I will add a note to Kates entry, on my tree, what everyone here has suggested.


My thanks to everyone who has responded so far - I am new to this way of researching/ccontact and confess I did not read "the small print" , so my apologies for responding directly to some people, I now understand I must respond on this thread .

mgnv, "My guess is there's no military connection. The was a noticeable fashion of naming kids in a patriotic style"

Thanks from me also,

You live and learn,

One reason GR is still of interest to me personaly

Roy

Roy - one of my mates from high school (b 1943) had the mid-names Leonard Spencer, so it wasn't just the Boer War, although it was much more pronounced in the Boer War.