Thomas Price (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Caradoc Rose Price, CB
, (21 October 1842 – 3 July 1911), often known as Colonel Tom Price, was an Australia
n soldier, acting commandant of the Commonwealth Military Forces in Victoria
in 1902.
the fourth son of John Price, fourth son of Cornish Australian
Sir Rose Price, 1st Baronet (see Price Baronets
). He received some basic education in Hobart and from 1854 was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne
. In December 1859 he entered the East India Military College, Addiscombe
, England
and was commissioned in 1861 in the Madras Infantry.
with different regiments. He retired from the army in 1883 and returned to Australia. In 1885, having been given much discretion by Frederick Thomas Sargood
, then minister for defence, re-organized the Victorian military forces. He originated the mounted rifles, afterwards called the light horse, and was largely responsible for the spread of the rifle club movement.
From 1900, Price saw action in South Africa
in the Second Boer War
in command of the second Victorian contingent and was mentioned in dispatches.
In 1902 he was assigned command of forces in Queensland
until he retired, medically unfit, in 1904.
, his health having been affected by his services in India and South Africa, and lived there until his death in 1911. He was buried with military honours in the Melbourne General Cemetery
. He married twice, firstly to Mary, daughter of Thomas Baillie and secondly to Emeline Shadforth, daughter of the Hon. R. D. Reid, who survived him with three sons and a daughter by the first marriage. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1900.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, (21 October 1842 – 3 July 1911), often known as Colonel Tom Price, was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n soldier, acting commandant of the Commonwealth Military Forces in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 1902.
Early life
Price was born in HobartHobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
the fourth son of John Price, fourth son of Cornish Australian
Cornish Australian
Cornish Australians are citizens of Australia whose ancestry originates in Cornwall, United Kingdom, one of the six Celtic Nations. They form part of the worldwide Cornish diaspora which also includes large numbers of people in the US, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico and many Latin...
Sir Rose Price, 1st Baronet (see Price Baronets
Price Baronets
There have been six Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Price, one in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and four in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Two of the creations are extant as of 2008....
). He received some basic education in Hobart and from 1854 was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. In December 1859 he entered the East India Military College, Addiscombe
Addiscombe
Addiscombe is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south of Charing Cross.It is situated just to the northeast of central Croydon, and is home to a high proportion of people who commute to Central London, owing to its proximity to the busy...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and was commissioned in 1861 in the Madras Infantry.
Military career
Price began twenty years of service in 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...
with different regiments. He retired from the army in 1883 and returned to Australia. In 1885, having been given much discretion by Frederick Thomas Sargood
Frederick Thomas Sargood
Sir Frederick Thomas Sargood KCMG, was an Australian politician, Minister of Defence and Education in the Government of Victoria 1890–1892 and Senator in the Australian Senate 1901–03.-Early life:...
, then minister for defence, re-organized the Victorian military forces. He originated the mounted rifles, afterwards called the light horse, and was largely responsible for the spread of the rifle club movement.
From 1900, Price saw action 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 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...
in command of the second Victorian contingent and was mentioned in dispatches.
In 1902 he was assigned command of forces in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
until he retired, medically unfit, in 1904.
Late life
Price retired to Warrnambool, VictoriaWarrnambool, Victoria
-Cityscape:The original City of Warrnambool was a 4x8 grid, with boundaries of Lava Street , Japan Street , Merri Street and Henna Street . In the nineteenth century, it was intended that Fairy Street – with its proximity to the Warrnambool Railway Station – would be the main street of...
, his health having been affected by his services in India and South Africa, and lived there until his death in 1911. He was buried with military honours in the Melbourne General Cemetery
Melbourne General Cemetery
The Melbourne General Cemetery is a large necropolis located north of the city of Melbourne in the suburb of Carlton North.-History:...
. He married twice, firstly to Mary, daughter of Thomas Baillie and secondly to Emeline Shadforth, daughter of the Hon. R. D. Reid, who survived him with three sons and a daughter by the first marriage. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1900.