James Ferris – Zulu War Veteran

At our recent guided walk, cemetery volunteer and military historian Kevin told us about an amazing discovery made recently.

Kevin had answered a request on the website Fine a Grave to locate the grave of James Ferris in Radnor Street Cemetery and in so doing discovered the remarkable story of a Zulu war veteran.

Served in the Zulu Wars

Swindon Man Recalls a Lucky Escape

Comrades Killed

Hale and as hearty as any man 20 years his junior, James Ferris, who lives at 171 Westcott place, Swindon, is one of the few Swindon survivors of the Zulu wars. If anyone ever had cause to “thank his lucky stars” then surely that person must have been James Ferris. He took part in the Relief of Echowie and had the experience of seeing two men, fighting on either side of him, shot down with bullets through their hearts. Ferris, who served in the 2^nd Wilts, then known as the 99^th Foot, joined up in November, 1877, and never received a scratch throughout his service.

“We lived on hard biscuits and meat all the time we were out in Africa,” Mr. Ferris told a North Wilts Herald representative, “but soldiering is a fine life. If a man takes care of himself and knows how to behave himself, he will never regret wearing the King’s uniform. I would join up again tomorrow if they would have me.”

Joined Up At 20

Mr Ferris served in Africa from 1877 to 1881, and was then transferred to Bombay, where he remained for two years.

Born at Lyneham, Mr Ferris entered the Great Western Railway works on leaving school, and he was barely 20 years of age when he joined the Army. When he returned to England from foreign service he found employment as a tram driver at Portsmouth, and remained there for four years until the trams were taken over by the Corporation. He then came back to Swindon, where he again found work with the GWR Company. Mr Ferris has a wife and 11 children – five boys and six girls – living. Two of his sons are in Sidney, Australia.

James Ferris, who is in his 75^th year, spends most of his time in his little back garden tending to his pets. “This is my dear old Trip,” he said, as a fine wire haired terrier came prancing up the garden path to meet us. “’Trip’ is the best dog in the world and woe betide any rat that dares to show itself when she’s about. She was born on Trip morning; that’s why I called her Trip.”

Never Broody

Mr Ferris also keeps a number of pigeons, a cat, half a dozen pure bred rabbits, and a black hen named Bett. Bett is a great bird. She follows her master about wherever he goes and responds to her name like a dog or a cat and she is a firm favourite with Trip. She is three years old, but she has never been known to go broody. Last year she laid 136 eggs, and up to the present she has produced 83 this year.

James Ferris still takes a keen interest in the sporting events of the town. Despite the wretched weather he attended the juvenile fete in the Park on Saturday, and he was at the Town Garden on Wednesday to listen to the band of his old regiment.

North Wilts Herald, Friday, August 14, 1931.

James and Eliza Ferris and one of their daughters

James Ferris was born in Lyneham in 1857 the son of James and Mary Ferris. In 1883 he married Eliza Jane Austin and the couple went on to have 11 children.

In 1891, following his military service and his marriage, James was working as a car driver and living with Eliza and their five children in Portsea, Hampshire. By 1901 he was back in Swindon, working as a labourer in the gas works and living at 23 John Street with Eliza, 10 children, a granddaughter and a lodger! In 1911 James was working as a Jobbing Gardener and living at 39 Union Street with Eliza and six of their children (and a boarder). Their 18 year old son William is described on the census of that year as ‘soldier on leave.’

James Ferris died in October 1935 aged 78 years. His funeral took place on October 25 when he was buried in grave plot C1347, an unmarked, public grave which he shares with two others.

Since Kevin’s discovery the grave has now been located and is kept cleared, the grass mown.

And there is a post script to James’s story and his indomitable wife Eliza.

A “Darby and Joan”

A Great-Grandmother Weds a Grandfather

A great-grandmother and a grandfather, one a widow and the other a widower, and both of them aged 72, were married yesterday at St. Mark’s Church, Swindon, after a courtship lasting for less than four months.

The bride was Mrs Eliza Ferris, of Westcott Place, Swindon. Her first husband, Mr James Ferris, was a Zulu war veteran, and there are thirteen children living, several of whom attended the wedding. The bridegroom was Mr Sidney Heath, of Tytherton, near Chippenham and some of his children were also present.

Belfast News-Letter, Thursday, September 30, 1937.

After their marriage Eliza and Sidney lived at 43 Rolleston Street. She died in 1949 but is not buried in Radnor Street Cemetery.