Michael D.Heath-Caldwell M.Arch.

1901

Admiral Sir Leopold Heath - age 83/84

Lady Mary Heath – (ne Mary Emma Marsh) - age 76/77

Arthur R. Heath - age 46/47 (1854-1943)

Marion Emma  Crofton (ne Heath) – May - age 44/45 

Frederick Crofton Heath – (Gen. F.C. Heath-Caldwell) - age 42/43 

Constance Mary Helsham Heath-Caldwell - aged 32/33 

Cuthbert Helsham Heath-Caldwell -aged 11/12

Martin Fredrick Heath-Caldwell- aged 7/8   

Cuthbert Eden Heath - age 41/42

Sarah Caroline Gore Heath (ne Gambier) age 41/42 

Leopold Cuthbert Heath  age 6/7 

Genesta Mary Heath - age 1/2

Ada Randolph Broadwood (ne Heath) - age 40/41 

Herbert Heath - age 39/40 

Gerard Moore Heath - age 37/38  

1901 Census

Vigo (near Holmwood)

Head - Henrietta Helsham-Jones - Single - Aged 61 - Living on own means - born, Woodbridge, Suffolk

Constance Helsham Heath - niece - married - Aged 32 - born, Lochiance, India

Martin F. Heath - great-nephew - Aged 7 - born, Holmwood, Surrey

Elizabeth Dunny - servant - Aged 45 - Cook / Domestic - born, Midlesham, Suffolk

Grace Sobley - servant - Aged 29 - Parlour Maid, ditto - born, Eppgin, Essex

Mary Smith - servant - Aged 20 - Useful Maid, ditto - born Dunot, Caithness

Envelop. May not be related to above letter.

J. Isaacs return for S.A.Miss R. Marsh-Caldwell

Linley Wood

Talke o Hill

Staffordshire

Postmark Worcester, 12 April 1901

Frederick Heath(-Caldwell)

April - 29th December 1901 - A.A.G. to General Officer Commanding Midland District, Cape Colony.

From Lieutenant-Colonel F.C. Heath R.E.

A.A.G.to G.O.C. L. of C.

15 January 1901

Some of the farmers in our immediate neighbourhood now came in for protection, bringing their flocks and cattle with them which the Boers made repeated attempts to capture. On 15th January, they succeeded in taking away 80 head, we pursued with Artillery and Mounted Infantry for 5 miles but the start was too good for us; this mishap was due to neglect of order on the part of the Cossack posts who failed to send in word that they were being attacked, and to inattention on the part of our look-out men in the clock tower.

26 January 1901

On 26th they made a similar attempt, but this time we had good notice and recaptured all the stock 4 miles out (grazing near the town had been so much eaten that cattle had to be taken a long way out to feed).

About this time a Maxim was put in the clock tower on a carriage made in our workshop. This clock tower was our Obervatory and gave us good view and would have been a capital position from which to direct operations in case of attack. With this in view "Magaphone" (large speaking trumpets) were made, one for the tower and one for each work, by these means communication was made easy, and for everyday work the lookout men were able to give us early and accurate information of enemy's movements.

25 January 1901

On the 25th our wood party was attacked, we lost 1 man killed; the Boers retreated hurriedly into the thick bush on finding that they had to deal with a detachment of the 3rd South Wales Border who behaved with great steadiness.

The Boers were now busy forming women's laagers and collecting the stock of the district. We found great difficulty in getting reliable news, the natives being thoroughly scared. No runners came back to us between December  29th and January 30th, so that during this time we were entirely without news as to what was going on outside. Most of the runners we sent out returned having failed to get through.

During latter half of January our Cossack posts were engaged almost daily wiht no loss on our side; the Boers lost one killed and it was reported that wo more were wounded.

1 February 1901

On 1st February, 30 Boers rushed a Cossack post at 5.30am and succeeded in disarming two men; the support to Cossack post coming up, Boers commenced a retreat on their main (bo--y?) without taking their prisoners. I ordered out the inlying picquet and the rest of Mounted Infantry to saddle up and follow, and commenced a pursuit.

We chased for 6 miles keeping up a running fight and getting within 600 yards of the enemy, but unfortunately we had been beaten in the race for a strong position. As we had now been fighting for two hours and the Boers were in a strong position with numbers equal to ours and within call of reinforcements, I ordered the return home. The Boers did not follow up until we had retired 1500 yards, they then fixed on us and succeeded in wounding Captain The Honourable M. O'BRIEN, of No.2 Company Northumberland Fusiliers, and the Company Sergeant Major of No.2 Company Royal Berkshires, M.I. These were our only casualties, with exception of two horses died in Camp of wounds and six others slightly wounded.

The Boers must have fired away at least 1000 rounds; I consider our small loss was due to the rapidity of the pursuit. The Boers are reported to have lost 4 men wounded (some say killed) and one horse killed, from good evidence I believe their loss was at least this. To prevent a recurrence of a surprise of this nature, I now put up a mile of wire fence in front of the right Cossack post and ran it to the river. This was two miles out of the town, but to guard it from being cut at night I armed two natives as a night guard on it.

At thist time I had 12 armed natives and employed them in mounting guard up and down the river, in the wood to the North of us and as a guard at night on native cattle. They were armed with Martinis, so as to give early notice of the approach of the enemy. Armed natives were not employed on the offensive.

1-8 February

From the 1st to the 8th February nothing of importance happened beyond firing on Cossack posts at long range.

8 February 1901

On the 8th Captain GUNTER, Commanding the Mounted Detachment of 3rd Battalion SOUTH WALES Border took his detachment of 15 men (without horses) to some kraals three miles out and lay in ambush all that night and the following day. Boers had been making a practice of visiting these kraals but unfortunately on this particular day did not do so.

11 February 1901

On the 11th I sent Captain GUNTER, supported by Northumberland Fusiliers Mounted Infantry Company to visit a farm 6 miles out. This resulted in an exciting chase after some Boers and their capture became a very near thing; one Boer held up his hands in token of surrender, but unfortunately being fired on, thought better of it and effected his escape in the bush leaving his hat behind him.

About this time natives came in from the North bringing rumours of English columns moving North of us in the TRANSVAAL, but we had had no news from outside for six weeks.The question of food for the civilian and native populations now became a pressing one; and I was forced to feed the civilians and "employed natives" from Military stores on repayment; the unemployed natives were allowed to feed on green mealies from a field two miles out of camp.

14 February 1901

On February 14th we got within effective shell fire of a Boer Cossack post.

20 February 1901

On the night of the 20th two mounted men came up within 600 yards of trenches.

22 February 1901

On 22nd having carefully watched day by day the movement of a Boer Cossack post and noticing that each day they took up the same position, I determined to endeavour to surprise it. The post was usually from 6 to 8 strong and was some four miles from the town.

I sent Captain H.PHILLIPS, at night with a party of 35 men of 3rd South Wales Borders to hide themselves in the bush. Captain PHILLIPS succeeded in surprising the Boers, two were wounded, one severely. Captain PHILLIPS's men were admirably disposed and with more luck several prisoners would have been taken. Some four hours after this some 50 Boers assembled on the position formerly occupied by the post; two guns were got out under cover and succeeded in landing four shrapnel shells amongst them. This all took place four miles South of the river.

Shortly afterwards our Cossack posts were attacked on the North side, but the enemy were driven off by the Berks M.I. under Captain M.FOLEY, Commanding No.2 Company Royal Berkshrie M.I.

With no news since January 12th and having only three weeks supply left, I considered it advisable to reduce the buscuit rations and get in as many green mealies as possible. There was a large patch of mealie fields five miles up the river, on either side of it, but Boers kept a watch on them and it was not safe to go to them except in force. 

To get these mealie fields into our hands I decided to occupy a farm (Jouberts farm) commanding a drift connecting the two groups of mealie fields. We went out in force on 6th March to put the position in a state of defence and throw in a garrison of 50 3rd South Wales Border, 15 of whom were mounted.

During this operation the Boers attacked in force but finding that we were in superior numbers did not press home. On this occasion 150 of the 3rd South Wales Borders were engaged; they were very keen on a fight. One Boer was left dead on the field and at least another was wounded.The occupation of this farm caused the small Boer laager up the river and the larger laager to the North of the river to shift further away.

We had not six miles of river and three or four miles of country on either side in our hands and control of a large mealie area of 150 to 200 acres; but the mealies were still green and would not keep over 5 days, however they were good for man and beast and we were able to save oats, biscuit and hay and satisfy the civilian and native population. Indeed had it not been for these mealies the natives would have starved and the horses been without grain from the 20th March, on which date our oats ran out.

23 March 1901

On March 23rd, a native scout was ambushed and shot by Boers. He was in mealie fields. We brought in his body.During the afternoon 100 Boers advanced on one of our Cossack posts and occupied mealie fields, but retired on our advancing with M.I. and one gun.The natives now fought shy of going to the mealie fields on the North side of the river, so that it became necessary to send out covering parties. Natives living on the South side still continued to pick without other escort than that which could be provided from Joubert's farm.

24 March 1901

On March 24th 200 head of cattle, which had been looted by Boers from natives, were re-taken from Boer Lager by natives.

27 March 1901

On March 27th a few Boers attempted to raid some cattle grazing between Joubert's farm and HOOPSTADT on South side of river. On this being discovered the Mounted Detachment 3rd South Wales Borders from Joubert's, went out and recovered the cattle, capturing at the same time one Boer rifle and wounding at least one Boer.The forage question now became serious, but thanks to the mealie fields a fair supply was obtained. The enemy did all they could to frighten the native mealie pickers.

30 March 1901

On the 30th Joubert's farm was sniped and one native seriously wounded.

31 March 1901

On the 31st two Boers surrendered and reported that the great majority of Boers were anxious to give in; to confirm this, a few days later, a letter was picked up from Franz BORDENHAST to Stoffel BORDENHOST saying that he as representing the HOOPSTADT Boers thought it now time in the interest of his District to go into HOOPSTADT with his whole Commando and surrender.

2 April 1901

At daybreak April 2nd a column under Lord ERROLL came in view; on the afternoon of the 3rd HOOPSTADT was evacuated. 

PB130135

Letter to Posy from her one of her sisters at the Isaacs place, Boughton Park, Worcester.
After April 1901

Boughton (Boughton Park, residence of John Swinton Isaac and Amy Isaac,(ne Crofton, daughter of Maojor General Richard H.Crofton)

Friday

Dearest Posy,
It poured with rain all day yesterday except for about an hour when it ceased so that the crowds who accompanied the carriage from St.Johns Church when they took out the horses and dragged Amy and her son in triumph to the Hall door did not get soaked with rain.

All the family went to [Shrub?] Hall to meet him. He arrived there with his brothers from Southampton by 4.30, and was utterly unprepared for such an ovation and was quite upset by it. Said it was more alarming than the Boers. In fact he did not like it at all! He got through his little speech at the Hall door very nicely all the same.

And though it was so very disagreeable at the time I think he must have felt gratified by this proof of affection and good will. He is universally beloved and popular. Quite the favourite of the whole family.

There were two handsome arches one at the Lodge gate and the other at the house gate, put up by Amys people and there was another arch over the road put up by the St. Johns people. Ross was immensely excited and [fested?] the people with cake and wine.

John [John Swinton Isaac?] looks well and not a bit changed and is so simple and delightful and recounts his wonderful escapes and adventures in the most natural way in the world and indeed it is quite marvelous how he escaped with his life. He gave his mother the bullet which had been taken out of his back. How any one can live for 5 minutes with such a thing in them as a modern rifle bullet would pass belief if one did not see the thing and the man. His wound in the head was so dangerous that the doctor told the soldier who was selected for his attendant that he would not live 2 days. And John says he supposes he is the only man who has seen his own brains!

It was lovely to see his dear mother's happy proud beaming face as she sat by him at dinner and she did look so gay and pretty. We were a larger party, Amy [Amelia A. Isaac 1849-1925] and her 5 children, Edie, Nele and May, Lucy, myself and Mr Banner, a great friend of Johns who is staying here.

John is very conversational and has told us a great deal, most interesting. I miss a good deal because he speaks very fast, like the rest of the family and at dinner there was quite a roar of conversation. John cannot use one of his hands very well at present. His face is not at all spoilt by the scar on his cheek, and the wound on the head is just a white mark about the size of a dollar piece.

The other wounds are, of course, under his clothes. I was so glad to hear that Fred [Frederick Heath-Caldwell] had left Hoopstadt and happy he will not have to go back, as the war may be over before his leave. I wish Gerard [Heath] was a safe. Also, I am very very glad to hear all is comfortable at St.Saviour and that Mr Davies has found after May Day the Bread he caste on the waters for indeed he did a very good deed at a considerable sacrifice and it must make him feel happy that all was not wasted.

I do so like hearing about all your friends near L.Wd [Linley Wood] and I shall be very glad my dearest sister to come back again but I do not think it will be just yet.

File PB130015

From the Royal Engineers Journal

December 2, 1901 

Maj.Gen. Frederick Conyers Cotton, C.S.I., Royal (Madras) Engineers 

The survivors of the old Corps of Madras Engineers have lately had to mourn the loss of the third of three brothers who were distinguished members of their Corps,

Major General F.C. Cotton having on the 12th October followed to the grave Major Hugh Calveley Cotton and General Sir Arthur Cotton, in the 95th year of his age.

His first commission was dated 16th December, 1825, and his retirement on the 26th February, 1859; in the rank of Major for the taking of Canton and Amoy, in the first China War of 1840-41-42, having commanded the Madras Sappers and Miners at those actions, in the temporary absence of Major (afterwards Sir Thomas) Pears.

After his retirement he received the Companionship of the Star of India for meritorious service in the Public Works Department, and was also granted a Distinguished Service Pension.Soon after his arrival in India Cotton joined the Field Force sent against the Rajah of Kolapore, which speedily brought that troublesome chief to his senses without a fight. He was then for six years employed in civil engineering duties over a very wide tract of Southern India, embracing portions of the Bombay as well as of the Madras Presidency, ending in his being sent to sea on sick certificate.

At that time the Cape of Good Hope was the chief resort of invalids from India, as a journey home to England involved considerable loss of time and of Indian allowances; a circumstance which led to the importation of many fair Cape wives to India, and to a good supply of horses for the Indian army. But Cotton, being of an adventurous nature, a fine horseman, and good sportsman, sought for health in travel up country as far as Kuruman, in Bechuanaland, then the headquarters of that worthy missionary Robert Moffatt, for whom he ever after entertained a great regard.

At the time of his return to Madras his brother Arthur had undertaken the construction of a breakwater for that open roadstead, and Cotton, who had touched at Ceylon on his way, arrived to assist him in a characteristic manner, sailing up the coast in a Cingalese outrigger canoe; which subsequently formed his ordinary means of crossing the Madras surf during his prosecution of that work in 1835-37. its failure was due rather to exhaustion of funds than to any flaw in its design. But Arthur Cottons estimates were always his weak point.

Freds furlough then became due, and in 1838 he was homeward bound. But whether his travels in America and Russia, at a period when such journeys were prosecuted under very different circumstances from the present, were made en route homeward or from England is not very clear, for he destroyed all his diaries, and outlived all contempories who could have given information about the dear relative who had gladdened their hearts by his reappearance among them; for he was ever a prime favourite in the family circle, and there also made the acquaintance of his future wife [Mary Cunliffe], who, though then prevented from sharing his fortunes, was ultimately married to him in Ceylon in 1849.

It was not long after his return to duty that Cotton, then a Brevet Captain, was called to military service in the first China War, under Sir Hugh Gough, during the years 1840-41-42. Captain Pears was Commanding Engineer, but Cotton took his place for seven months in 1841, when Canton and Amoy were captured.

He and his native sappers were much associated with the navy during the operations of these years, and were great favourites on board ship, the former being considered by the officers to be quite thrown away as a landsman and the latter being introduced by some admiring sailors to a party of Marines in these words, Thems sapper, and thems miners, and thems everything!

On his return to civil duties Cotton was put in charge of all engineering work in Malabar and Canara, on the western coast of the Madras Presidency, with monsoon quarters on the Neilgherry Hills, work which was to him a labour of love. For the necessity of opening a proper communications between the ports of these most beautiful but neglected districts and the inland provinces, involved long and repeated journeys through the grandest scenery, combining the attractions of wood, water, and mountain, with occasional enjoyment of large and small-game shooting. I have myself seen him knock over a bull bison 18 hands high and follow him up in heavy jungle to give him the coup de grace; and do the same to a wild boar at bay between the roots of a large tree, after killing one of his pair of large hounds.

 But the serious work of planning the conversion of the breakneck cattle tracks leading through the Western Ghauts into graded roads for wheel traffic, required much consideration in deciding which were of primary importance for trade, and tact in dealing with the authorities to be consulted. In Mysore he secured the co-operation of Captain Francis Cunningham, of the Mysore Commission, and of Majors Montgomery, Onslow, and Le Hardy, Commissioners of Districts in Mysore, and of Coorg; and of Collectors Conolly in Malabar, and Blair and Blane in Canara.

The same tact and ability gave him influence also with almost every Governor of Madras with whom he came in contact; for the Lord Elphinstone, the Marquis of Tweedale, Lord Harris and Sir Charles Trevilyan he was eminently a persona grata. The ultimate result of this pioneering work in the years from 1843 to 1852 has been the opening of numerous carriage roads through the Western Ghauts; where by the cotton of the southern Mahratta, Coorg, Wynaad, and the Neilgherries have been brought to the coast, and the cost salt, etc., made available for all those provinces inland, to the great enrichment of all the districts concerned.

Then came a sudden and unpalatable change from the verdure and beauty of the west country to the flat and unpicturesque plains of the Godavery district, to superintend the grand irrigation works just completed by his brother Arthur; undertaken out of pure admiration of that brothers genius. But during the two years of this more scientific work, carried out with his usual thoroughness and ability, he made the gracious company of a charming wife, which made much amends for the change of scenery; and exploring expeditions up the river Godavery into the dominions of the Nizam of Hyderabad gave him from time to time a taste of the wild life and scenery in which he had reveled on the west coast.

The information gained during these trips led to a project for removing all obstructions to navigation on that river through a course of some 750 miles, the subsequent abandonment of which work, after an outlay of three-quarters of a million, when half a million more would have completed it, was a false economy. For surely 2,000 a mile is not too much to pay for making the rice of the Godavery delta and of Burmah available for the central provinces of India in time of famine.

One marked feature of Major Cottons tenure of the Godavery works was the abolition of every vestige of forced labour on them. Till his time it had been the duty of one of the Revenue Collectors assistants to supply the works with gangs of labourers collected by the native magistrate from the various subdivisions of the district. But Cotton would have none of this, his travels in America having probably opened his eyes to the power of the almighty dollar, and he trusted with complete success to the influences of a fair wage and weekly payments; setting all labour free to come and free to go.

It must have been just before this time, however, that the subject of this notice was employed on a Commission with Mr. Bourdillon, of the Civil Service, and Colonel (afterwards Sir George) Balfour, of the Madras Artillery; whose labours resulted in a Report on Public Works, which was an exhaustive and most valuable work of its kind, and led to the entire remodeling of the system under which such works had hitherto been conducted in the Madras Presidency where the executive lay for the most part in the hands of the revenue civilians, while the engineers had only to plan and finally inspect their work.

The stagnation of the Presidency under such circumstances was pointed out by this trio of able men so forcibly and so convincingly that it brought about a perfect revolution in the matter, and the creation of the existing Public Works Department in Madras in the year 1856; but not without exasperating many of the older unprogressive members of the Civil Service, with the then Governor at their head.

As lieut.-colonel in his Corps, and brevet colonel in the army, Cotton held the posts of Mint Master at Madras in 1854-55, and Deputy Chief Engineer till his retirement in 1859; in the former of which he made his mark as usual, going so thoroughly into all details as to be able to suggest several improvements, which were not carried out simply for want of sanction for the necessary expenses by the Supreme Government, which had made up its mind to concentrate all Minting operations at Calcutta.

It was a pity that the services of such an officer should have been lost to Madras and to his Corps at the age of 52, and the then Governor lamented that he could not offer sufficient inducement to avert his resignation.

The remaining 42 years of Cottons life were not, however, spent in inaction, mental or bodily. Several years, and more money than he could well afford, were spent in farming on scientific, but unprofitable, principles; but they were years full of interesting experiments and practical experiences, and of delightful intercourse with a large circle of relatives and friends of his own and Mrs Cottons, amongst whom he had settled.

Then came a renewal of travel in Syria, the Holy Land, and Egypt in successive years, followed by their final settlement in South Kensington. Congenial occupation in the busy world of London was found him in connection with the Society of Arts, of which he was vice-chairman but for the deafness which gradually grew on him.

As member of the Athenaeum Club he was in the best intellectual society. His co-operation was sought in connection with the Imperial Institute, and he was on the committee of the Aquarium when that was started on a scientific basis, and before it degenerated into its present phase of existence.

Advancing years, however, told upon him, though they quite failed to affect his mental powers, and he spent them happily among his friends, finding occupation with his microscope, and enjoyment of the natural history collections in South Kensington, with partial blindness and deafness growing on him saddened, also, from time to time, by the deaths of his wife and brother, and of many contemporaries, as must be the fate of such as enter the tenth decade of their age; but he bore them in the sure and certain hope of the true Christian man that he was.

One supreme effort that he made in the last year or two of his honourable and useful life was the endeavour to impress upon the Indian Government and the India Office the paramount importance of utilizing to the utmost the waters of the great rivers of India for prevention of future famines in a series of three letters, lately published in pamphlet form by Messrs. Rivington. The last in order of these letters, but prefixed to the other two, is pathetically addressed to his brother engineers, civil and military, and to them I commend this imperfect tribute to the memory of their eminent fellow labourer.Warren Walker Bath,

2nd November 1901 Envelop

Notice of Let F.C.Cotton.

30th December 1901 - 12th May 1902 - A.A.G. and Commanding a mobile column, a mixed force of over 600, in Orange River Colony.