Alfred Taylor (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Captain Alfred James "Bulala" Taylor DSO
(1862–1941) was a soldier and elected member of the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly
.
, and on its second trip from India stopped in Cape Town
, where he disembarked and disappeared. It is also reported that he arrived as a youth in South Africa
in 1886, and took up a post assembling machinery at the goldmines in Tati, Bechuanaland
. It is also reported that he preceded the Pioneer Column
to Rhodesia
where he befriended Lobengula
, the son of Mzilikazi
. In 1889, he witnessed the Rudd Concession
signed between Lobengula and the British South Africa Company
.
of 1893 he acted as a guide to Cecil Rhodes and according to his unpublished memoirs and the "Plumtree Papers" by Mrs. Clarke, he had an argument with Rhodes whilst escorting him secretly to Bulawayo
, and threatened to abandon him. Fortunately the argument was settled and the trip proceeded. In the Matabele Rebellion
of 1896 he was the Commanding Officer of a portion of Colonel Plumer's
Column.
Captain Taylor served as an intelligence officer during the Second Boer War
and assisted in the Relief of Mafeking. He was deeply involved in the Breaker Morant
saga, as he served alongside the Bushveldt Carbineers
and was lucky to escape joining Morant and Handcock in front of a firing squad. During the First World War, he served in France and received The British War medal and Victory medal.. It is reported in the "Plumtree Papers" that he modestly said that he was awarded the King and Queen's medals. However he did receive the Queens and Kings South African medals for services in the Boer War. He did farm Avoca Farm near Plumtree but there is no evidence this was granted to him by Queen Victoria.
Taylor died in 1941 and is buried in Bulawayo cemetery.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(1862–1941) was a soldier and elected member of the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly
Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly
The Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly was the governing body of Southern Rhodesia from 1924 to 1965.-Background:In 1898, the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Council, Southern Rhodesia's first elected representative body, was founded. Much of the decisions regarding the administration of...
.
Early life
Alfred Taylor was born in Dublin in 1862. According to his unpublished memoirs that are retained with the Pioneer Association in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, he was a ship's engineer that sailed to IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and on its second trip from India stopped in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, where he disembarked and disappeared. It is also reported that he arrived as a youth in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1886, and took up a post assembling machinery at the goldmines in Tati, Bechuanaland
Tati Concessions Land
The Tati Concessions Land was a concession created in the borderlands of the Matabele kingdom and the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The concession was originally made by the Matabele King to Sir John Swinburne...
. It is also reported that he preceded the Pioneer Column
Pioneer Column
The Pioneer Column was a force raised by Cecil Rhodes and his British South Africa Company in 1890 and used in his efforts to annex the territory of Mashonaland, later part of Southern Rhodesia ....
to Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
where he befriended Lobengula
Lobengula
Lobengula Khumalo was the second and last king of the Ndebele people, usually pronounced Matabele in English. Both names, in the Sindebele language, mean "The men of the long shields", a reference to the Matabele warriors' use of the Zulu shield and spear.- Background :The Matabele were related to...
, the son of Mzilikazi
Mzilikazi
Mzilikazi , also sometimes called Mosilikatze, was a Southern African king who founded the Matabele kingdom , Matabeleland, in what became Rhodesia and is now Zimbabwe. He was born the son of Matshobana near Mkuze, Zululand and died at Ingama, Matabeleland...
. In 1889, he witnessed the Rudd Concession
Rudd Concession
The Rudd Concession was a written mining concession or agreement that Charles Rudd secured from Lobengula, King of Matabeleland on 13 October 1888. Rudd was a business associate of Cecil John Rhodes and he obtained the concession as his agent....
signed between Lobengula and the British South Africa Company
British South Africa Company
The British South Africa Company was established by Cecil Rhodes through the amalgamation of the Central Search Association and the Exploring Company Ltd., receiving a royal charter in 1889...
.
Military career
During the First Matabele WarFirst Matabele War
The First Matabele War was fought in 1893-1894 between the British South Africa Company military forces and the Ndebele people. Lobengula, king of the Ndebele, avoided outright war with the British settlers because he and his advisors were mindful of the destructive power of the European weapons...
of 1893 he acted as a guide to Cecil Rhodes and according to his unpublished memoirs and the "Plumtree Papers" by Mrs. Clarke, he had an argument with Rhodes whilst escorting him secretly to Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
, and threatened to abandon him. Fortunately the argument was settled and the trip proceeded. In the Matabele Rebellion
Second Matabele War
The Second Matabele War, also known as the Matabeleland Rebellion and in Zimbabwe as the First Chimurenga, was fought in 1896–97 between the British troops and the Ndebele people....
of 1896 he was the Commanding Officer of a portion of Colonel Plumer's
Herbert Plumer, 1st Viscount Plumer
Field Marshal Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer, 1st Viscount Plumer, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE was a British colonial official and soldier born in Torquay who commanded the British Second Army in World War I and later served as High Commissioner of the British Mandate for Palestine.-Military...
Column.
Captain Taylor served as an intelligence officer during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
and assisted in the Relief of Mafeking. He was deeply involved in the Breaker Morant
Breaker Morant
Harry 'Breaker' Harbord Morant was an Anglo-Australian drover, horseman, poet, soldier and convicted war criminal whose skill with horses earned him the nickname "The Breaker"...
saga, as he served alongside the Bushveldt Carbineers
Bushveldt Carbineers
The Bushveldt Carbineers were a short-lived, multinational mounted infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in South Africa during the Second Boer War. The BVC is recognized as the world's first modern Special forces for the use of counter insurgency tactics.The 320-strong regiment was...
and was lucky to escape joining Morant and Handcock in front of a firing squad. During the First World War, he served in France and received The British War medal and Victory medal.. It is reported in the "Plumtree Papers" that he modestly said that he was awarded the King and Queen's medals. However he did receive the Queens and Kings South African medals for services in the Boer War. He did farm Avoca Farm near Plumtree but there is no evidence this was granted to him by Queen Victoria.
Taylor died in 1941 and is buried in Bulawayo cemetery.