Glamorgan Imperial Yeomanry or Mounted Inf Welsh Regiment?

[Alan O]

This is a unidentified family photo from the Griffiths family who lived in Pontypridd. It is first decade of the C20th judging by the uniform and I can't see anything to determine whether he is Welsh VB or GIY. I don't have any relatives who were in the Boer War that I know of but the family were farmers so chances are they would have gravitated towards the Yeomanry.

[3dg]

Great photo
Yeomanry by the riding boots and spurs I'd say.

Just read the title of your thread Alan, read everything before commenting!! Sorry, I'd forgotten about mounted infantry, a great picture all the same.
Chris

[manchesters]

From the bandolier I would edge towards the MI.

regards

[41st]

Doesn’t match anything I have for the GY. Looks more like Vol Co/MI.

[Alan O]

It appears to be both as the Glamorgan Yeomanry were raised in 1900 and equipped as mounted infantry and I have seem a photo of GIY with identical uniforms.

The background may well be Raglan Barracks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raglan...k_-_706704.jpg

which matches the Newport address of the photographer as the GIY contingent trained there before departing to South Africa.

Shame it is not named but I do have a contender who was 25 in 1900.

[Toby Purcell]

The jacket is a typical yeomanry variant with low set breast pockets. These were purchased by county associations and not seen on regular army mounted infantry units. One shouldn’t read too much into the Mills-Ohlendorf bandolier, which was a variant seen on both auxiliary units (Yeomanry and Vol Coys) and regulars/militia.

[Alan O]

Toby

Thank you. I am trying to find a medal roll for the Glam IY to see if my relative is on it as I suspect it may be him as there are few contenders as most other relatives were female or the wrong age.

Alan

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Alan O

Toby

Thank you. I am trying to find a medal roll for the Glam IY to see if my relative is on it as I suspect it may be him as there are few contenders as most other relatives were female or the wrong age.

Alan

I will be interested to learn how you get along Alan.

[Alan O]

I have checked and no one of the Griffiths family or Evans family surnames matches. He may be a cousin I don't know about or a friend or suitor of the several Griffiths girls.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Alan O

I have checked and no one of the Griffiths family or Evans family surnames matches. He may be a cousin I don't know about or a friend or suitor of the several Griffiths girls.

Yes those alternatives seem entirely possible. People had no Facebook back then as you know, but the principle of ‘friends and family’ is an enduring one, especially in close knit communities such as those typical in the South Wales valleys.

[Beckford]

I wonder if this could be a member of the 3rd (Gloucestershire) Coy, 1st Bn IY? They had a Monmouthshire Squadron which included men from Cardiff and elsewhere in Glamorgan. According to the regimental history (F Fox: The History of the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry 1898-1922), their uniforms bore no badges.

I have found one Griffiths and 2 Evans in the first contingent IY (supplementary info then from various contemporary newspaper articles:

5563 Pte John W Griffiths, age 22, farmer of Greenyard Farm, Cadoxton (Barry Dock). Well-known Cardiff man, being the son of the late Mr Griffiths, who carried on business until his death at the Royal Stores, Cardiff. Member of the Monmouthshire Squadron, Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry.
QSA medal with clasps for Wittebergen, Cape Colony, Transvaal, S Africa 1901.

20433 Pte C Telford Evans, age 32, 215 Newport Road, Cardiff. Cardiff architect; his horse will be lent to him by Mr Holden, the county road surveyor. Member of the Monmouthshire Squadron, Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
QSA medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, S Africa 1901, S Africa 1902

26611 Pte J Evans
QSA medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, S Africa 1901
25.10.1901 – Invalided to England

Clive

[Alan O]

Many thanks but none of them. The Griffiths family were builders from Pontypridd. The Evans were farmers from Porth/Pontypridd.

The only contenders I have are not on the QSA list and I can't yet find any one missing from the 1901 census at all.

More work to do.

Alan

[cbuehler]

Originally Posted by Toby Purcell

The jacket is a typical yeomanry variant with low set breast pockets. These were purchased by county associations and not seen on regular army mounted infantry units. One shouldn’t read too much into the Mills-Ohlendorf bandolier, which was a variant seen on both auxiliary units (Yeomanry and Vol Coys) and regulars/militia.

Mills Orndorff, later just Mills, a prolific maker of webbing up to circa 1931.
Anson Mills started producing web cartridge belts in 1880. The actual manufacture was done by the firm of Charles W. Gilbert, using Mills' patented looms. Two years later, Mills and his brother-in-law founded the Mills & Orndorff Cartridge Belt Company in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In 1899, William Lindsey founded the Mills Woven Cartridge Belt Company of London, England, which was the first time Mills webbing was made outside the USA. In 1905 Lindsey bought out Mills and Orndorff (by this time General Mills was ready to retire) and reorganized the American company as the Mills Woven Cartridge Belt Company. The next year, Lindsey dissolved the London firm and founded the Mills Equipment Company, Ltd. , also based in London.

CB

[Toby Purcell]

Thank you for correcting my spelling CB, I should have checked. I’m fully aware of the history you’ve outlined and fortunate to possess a vintage commemorative pamphlet produced by the Mills Eqpt Co detailing its full history, but I’m sure that what you’ve written will be of interest to others.

[cbuehler]

Originally Posted by Toby Purcell

Thank you for correcting my spelling CB, I should have checked. I’m fully aware of the history you’ve outlined and fortunate to possess a vintage commemorative pamphlet produced by the Mills Eqpt Co detailing its full history, but I’m sure that what you’ve written will be of interest to others.

Indeed, likely of little interest to the subject, but I have a small collection of US Mills belts and just had to say something as the one in the photo is interesting and different from any that I am aware of here.