A SHARED BIRTHDAY
by Graham "Sapper" Mason

Since the day I sat down for a cup of tea at my friends house in Streatham, London, (one Colin Crocker, an Ex-national Serviceman of the KRRC, an infantry regiment) and thumbed through a copy of 'The Silver Wreath', my whole life has changed. As Colin was making a cup of tea, I looked through this book and chanced upon a man who went by the name of Pte 1284 Charles Mason 'B' Coy 2 /24th. According to the legend he came from Aldgate in London and when I read his physical description bells started ringing in my head!

I had no idea how to even begin to find these things out and had never heard of the Family Record Centre or indeed the now re-named Public Record Office at Kew. I asked a few questions and before long I had embarked on a journey which daily has rocked me back on my heels at the information incorrectly recorded in many publications. As my curiosity increased so did my questions and I awoke one day and decided to find out for myself. At this point in my life I had moved from Edinburgh to Waltham Abbey in Essex. In May 1998 I found myself in Brecon at the birth of an organisation of which, unknown to me then, I would in a few years become archivist and record keeper, a labour of love as it turned out and still is.

As is the case with most people my interest started with the film 'Zulu', which if I don't see on the Christmas viewing lists (along with the Wizard of Oz) I feel somewhat cheated; these two films are a must for UK Christmas viewers! Little did I know as well the wonderful people and friends that this fledgling interest would generate in a few short years. I have never been on a course and still make many mistakes during my too few visits to Kew and the FRC. Computers were only things 'clever' people used, which let me out of the equation at the time. I decided that I must find out if the service papers of Pte Charles MASON still existed and can you imagine how I felt when one day I found them for myself? It was at this point that I realised at least one error (many more came to light) was printed in 'The Silver Wreath'. In that publication it stated that MASON was born in Aldgate, London, when in fact he was born at 9 Hoxton Market, Aldersgate, which is a different area of London. Charles MASON was baptised on the 2 Sept 1855 at St Leonard's Church and of course he could have been born many years before as far as I knew, because again I found out that adult baptisms were quite common in those days.

I will leave the date of birth until the end of this piece and you will understand why, readers, when I reveal the reason. As was so often the case in the East End of London many children were born without the 'nicety' of their parents being married. Many children did not survive even a few years and it appears that having 8, 9 or more children ensured at least some survived. Charles Mason later Pte Mason was one of 9 children whose father and family moved about the East End of London at regular intervals. A tanner or skinner was a really terrible job in those crowded and desperate times and Charles Mason's father at one time was a solder-maker, and a rent collector - a job fraught with danger; all these were occupations that Charles's father did at various times.

After getting married in Bethnal Green in 1857, the parents of Charles Mason who had already had 5 children at this time, decided another four would seem the way to go. Looking for the family in these times of multiple births has been a long and slow process and often births were not registered nor indeed were infant deaths in Victorian London. Life in the army was little better - a way out of the grinding poverty of the times, but an open invitation to the varied sexual illnesses that were out there in foreign climes. When Charles joined the army they decided to send him to Brecon where he was posted to 'B' Coy 2/24th. Fate decreed he was to be part of that little garrison on Jan 22nd 1879 in Natal. At least two letters were written to family in London, not as Charles but as FREDERICK. One train of thought is that it was FREDERICK Mason who in fact was the soldier and used his dead brother's age and circumstances to join up. What is the reason I often ask myself, why would he sign his letters home using another name? No point in kidding your family if they knew the truth is there? All supposition but adding to the intrigue of the times. 'Charles' indicates in one of his letters that he would get a picture taken and send it home. Was this picture ever taken and if so does it exist?

Upon finally leaving the army 'Charles' Mason gave as his intended address The Lion Coffee tavern, The Struet, Brecon. This is now an electrical dealer shop in Brecon, a place I have visited more than once. Did Mason go back to London? Where did he end his days? His description matches perfectly my own Uncle who is but 10 years older than myself and I come from that very part of London and early members of my known family come from the East End, the very place Charles Mason was born. Does the famous Pinetown photo of some of the survivors of Rorke's Drift show Pte Mason, I often wonder. All we know of Pte Mason is that he was on guard duty that day back in 1879. Nothing else.

We go back to the baptism ledger of St Leonard's, a few hundred yards from Hoxton Market where Charles MASON was born. You won't find a birth certificate for him but we do know when he was born because the entry was added in the margin by the verger of the time. Charles MASON baptised on the 2nd of Sept 1855 was born at 9 Hoxton Market on the 13th of August 1855, later Pte 1284 Charles MASON defender of Rorke's Drift.

We roll the clock forward to 1950 in Hackney where on the 13th August 1950 Barbara Mary Alys Mason gave her husband, Ronald David MASON, a son; that son was me and I am all but certain that soldier of long ago and myself are indeed related and to share the same birthday was the single item that set me off on the voyage I am still on.

Graham MASON b 13th August 1950 and Charles Mason (2/24th) b 13th August 1855. We salute you.

Thank you,
"Sapper"

Graham Mason - Anglo-Zulu War Researcher.