"Dean man BAGLIN a soldier at Isandlwana, Zulu War ? (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Saturday, January 03, 2015, 21:33 (3429 days ago) @ Jefff

Today I've been browsing the Welsh Newspapers site aiming to find soldiers from the Dean, expecting to find WW1 stories. Instead I found this intriguing article which by coincidence has returned me back to the Zulu War thread much sooner than anticipated. Despite the battle occurring on 22nd January, due to the sheer remoteness of the battle from the journalists and telegraph stations, plus the likely reticence of the Army command and War Office, it was almost a month before any news reached British newspapers, and even then this was tempered by news of the victory at Rorke's Drift, such as this report from 14th February.
http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3558502/ART29/zulus%20defeat
The next day far more revealing news about the Isandlwana defeat was released.
http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3419864/ART93/zulus%20defeat

Hence this story from a few months later was about a still-relatively unknown battle as far as the Foresters were concerned, so different from the "instant news" world of today ! I believe the Army transport ships took about three weeks just to sail from the UK to Natal, so returning survivors of the defeat could easily take many more after rehab and so forth.

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From the Cardiff Weekly Mail, 26 April 1879

"EXTRAORDINARY IMPOSTURE IN DEAN FOREST.

A SHAM ISANDULA HERO.

George Henry Skipp, of Newnham, waa charged at Coleford police court, on Tuesday, with obtaining money by false pretences under somewhat peculiar circumstances. The prisoner, a man of very emaciated appearance, went on Monday to the house of Mrs. Baglin, at Berny Hill, whose husband's brother was killed at Isandula, and told her that he was in the fight and saw her brother-in-law slain. Ha added that he took a red pocket handkerchief from the fallen soldier, and had brought it home, stating also that he (the prisoner) received a bullet through his foot, and was injured in the shoulder. The prisoner then suggested that Baglin should make an application to the War Office as he was entitled to £40 or £50, and offered to write a letter, which he did, claiming, on behalf of Baglin, his deceased brother's pay. Prisoner asked for a shilling to send the letter eff, and was given sixpence, all the money the woman had. It was shown that prisoner made other calls in the neighbourhood, and waa five times entertained with refreshments. Sergeant Hawkins proved that at two o'clock on the previous night he found the prisoner at a lodging house in the town, where he told the same story, having his foot bound and appearing lame. On removing the bandage he discovered a poultice placed upon the stocking, and on removing the stocking there was no trace of injury or wound. The prisoner held a long parley with the chairman, and adhered to hia statement as to his presence at the battle, and was exceedingly flippant in his replies to the interrogations of the bench. Eventually he was committed to prison for three months, the Chairman remarking that before the time expired, in all probability, they would know a little more about the Zulus than at present. Could the Bench have sent him for six months they would have done so. Prisoner impudently thanked the justices, and was removed."

http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3418583/ART31/soldier%20dean%20forest

I'm hoping that someone can please verify whether there was a Forester, or a brother of one, named Baglin at the major defeat at Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879 ? The bulk of the British men at the battle were the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 24th Foot, later named the South Wales Borderers, they almost all of their 540 died. Perhaps this story was covered in more detail in FoD papers c/o the BNA ?. Are there complete freely-available online rolls for the losses at Isandlwana, or does anyone own them on cd etc ?. I've tried searching online and have found the following list, which I think might contain all of the c1000 British deaths at the battle, but cannot find a Baglin listed.
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/zulu/despatch5_isandhlwana_isandlwana_cas...

I don't have access today to FindMyPast, whose records surely cover this period of British Army records better than Ancestry ?. Of course this case occurred relatively soon after the battle, so maybe a Baglin was present, but was injured rather than killed, so is not on any Roll ?. I presume "Berny Hill" should be Berry Hill.

All thoughts greatly appreciated, thanks.

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I've also searched for the miscreant but without much success. The FoD PR database contains several George Skipps, but which if any ??. As this is the only George HENRY Skipp on the database, could he be a descendant given the similar timing ?. This site's WW1 Soldier database doesn't include any Skipps/Skypps etc. I cannot find any prior threads that relate.

Record_ID: 16111
Entry_Number: 1173
Year: 1883
Month: Jul
Day: 18
Parents_Surname: SKIPP
Child_Forenames: George Henry
Fathers_Forenames: William
Mothers_Forenames: Eliza
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Ruardean Woodside
Occupation: Waggoner
Officiating_Minister: J.B.Beesley Rector of Ruardean
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: P[rivately?]
Notes: Beasley?
Register_Reference: PFC109 IN 1/4
Page_Number: 147
Parish_Chapel: Drybrook
Soundex: S100

Record_ID: 122589
Entry_Number:
Year: 1914
Month: Apr
Day: 13
Grooms_Surname: SKIPP
Grooms_Forenames: George Henry
Grooms_Age: 31
Groom_Condition: bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: labourer
Grooms_Residence: Raglan
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Skipp
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: William Thomas
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: labourer
Brides_Surname: VEDMORE
Brides_Forenames: Emily
Brides_Age: 23
Brides_Condition: spinster
Brides_Occupation: dom servant
Brides_Residence: Wyesham
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Vedmore
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: George
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: miller
Licence_or_Banns:
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark:
Witness_1: George Vedmore
Witness_2: Ira Vedmore Other_Witnesses: Thomas Vedmore; Edith Vedmore; Louisa Skipp
Officiating_Minister: J W Rickards
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_Number:
Parish_Chapel: Wyesham
Soundex_Groom: S100
Soundex_Bride: V356