Eyre Macdonell Stewart Crabbe
Encyclopedia
Eyre Macdonnell Stewart Crabbe was a Grenadier Guards
officer who fought in the Sudan
campaign to rescue General Gordon and in the Second Boer War
. He was born in 1852 and died in 1905.
His father was Colonel Eyre John Crabbe of the 74th Regiment
, himself the son of Colonel Joseph Crabbe of the East India Company
's army. His mother, Elmina Stewart, came from a Jamaica
planter family. After education at Harrow School
he joined the Grenadier Guards
in 1871 and was one of the first ensigns not to have to pay for a commission, following the Cardwell
reforms. During service in Ireland as a young lieutenant he married in 1876 Emily Constance Jameson, a descendant of John Jameson
, the founder of the Dublin distilling family.
His army speciality for several years was as a musketry instructor, but in 1882 he helped organise the logistical operations for the British attack on Alexandria
. In 1884 he volunteered for the Sudan
campaign as part of the Guards Camel Corps
and took part in the battle of Abu Klea.
In 1898 he became commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion, the Grenadier Guards, and led them to South Africa
in 1899. He was wounded at the Battle of Belmont
in November and mentioned in dispatches, and was back with his battalion in time for the Battle of Magersfontein
in December. In March 1900 his battalion took part in the march on Bloemfontein
and the pacification of the Orange Free State
. He escorted Piet Cronjé
into captivity, and commented in a letter home: "It is a curious idea taking one’s wife & family with one to the wars & must be inconvenient for many reasons but it is rather the fashion in these parts. Living in a river bed & being shot at every day seems an odd fancy for a lady." On March 23 he was badly wounded when a small foraging party, mainly of officers, which he was leading, including Colonel Codrington of the Coldstream Guards
, was ambushed at Karee Siding; his adjutant was killed. This episode was generally regarded as "plucky" but widely reported round the world as an example of the "over-confidence and recklessness" (in the words of the New York Tribune
) of British officers. However Crabbe was back with his battalion by the end of April and as they marched north towards Pretoria
on May 1 Crabbe was observed and commented on by Arthur Conan Doyle
: "Here is another man worth noting. You could not help noting him if you tried. A burly, broad-shouldered man with full, square, black beard over his chest, his arm in a sling, his bearing a medieval knight-errant. It is Crabbe, of the Grenadier Guards."
Crabbe led his battalion to Pretoria
and on to the border with Portuguese East Africa at Koomati Poort but their hopes of returning to England with Field Marshal Lord Roberts
in November were dashed. Instead they were sent from Transvaal
to Cape Colony
to prevent De Wet
entering the Cape
. When the character of the war changed in early 1901 to that of blockhouses, concentration camps, and mobile columns against Boer guerillas, Crabbe (now a C.B.
) became commander of a mobile column, not rejoining his battalion till March 1902. He had dangerous brushes with Fouche in May and with Kritzinger in July 1901, and led the forces which defeated and killed Van der Merwe in September and Hildebrand in November.
In November 1902 Crabbe became AQMG of 1st Army Corps at Aldershot
and in May 1903 Chief Staff Officer of 4th Army Corps also at Aldershot
. He died suddenly of a heart attack soon after arriving for work on March 8, 1905, aged only 52. His wife had predeceased him and he left four sons and four daughters. The youngest son, Tempest, a subaltern in the Grenadier Guards
, was killed at the Battle of Loos
in 1915, the third, Lewis, ended a distinguished naval career as Vice Admiral, having commanded a ship at the Battle of Jutland
in 1916, been Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf
and on the Yangtse, and Flag Officer at Liverpool in 1939. One of the eldest twin daughters, Daisy, married John Ronald Moreton Macdonald of Largie Castle
, the youngest, Iris, Sir William Lawrence, 3rd Baronet
.
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
officer who fought in the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
campaign to rescue General Gordon and 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...
. He was born in 1852 and died in 1905.
His father was Colonel Eyre John Crabbe of the 74th Regiment
74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot
The 74th Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment. During the Childers Reforms it was united with the 71st Regiment of Foot to form the Highland Light Infantry.-Service history:...
, himself the son of Colonel Joseph Crabbe of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's army. His mother, Elmina Stewart, came from a Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
planter family. After education at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
he joined the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
in 1871 and was one of the first ensigns not to have to pay for a commission, following the Cardwell
Cardwell Reforms
The Cardwell Reforms refer to a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874.-Background:...
reforms. During service in Ireland as a young lieutenant he married in 1876 Emily Constance Jameson, a descendant of John Jameson
Jameson Irish Whiskey
Jameson is a single distillery Irish whiskey produced by a division of the French distiller Pernod Ricard. Jameson is similar in its adherence to the single distillery principle to the single malt tradition, but Jameson combines malted barley with unmalted or "green" barley...
, the founder of the Dublin distilling family.
His army speciality for several years was as a musketry instructor, but in 1882 he helped organise the logistical operations for the British attack on Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
. In 1884 he volunteered for the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
campaign as part of the Guards Camel Corps
Camel cavalry
Camel cavalry, or camelry, is a generic designation for armed forces using camels as a means of transportation. Sometimes warriors or soldiers of this type also fought from camel-back with spears, bows or rifles....
and took part in the battle of Abu Klea.
In 1898 he became commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion, the Grenadier Guards, and led them to 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 1899. He was wounded at the Battle of Belmont
Battle of Belmont
The Battle of Belmont was fought on November 7, 1861, in Mississippi County, Missouri. It was the first combat test in the American Civil War for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army general in chief and eventual U.S...
in November and mentioned in dispatches, and was back with his battalion in time for the Battle of Magersfontein
Battle of Magersfontein
The Battle of MagersfonteinSpelt incorrectly in various English texts as "Majersfontein", "Maaghersfontein" and "Maagersfontein". was fought on 11 December 1899, at Magersfontein near Kimberley on the borders of the Cape Colony and the independent republic of the Orange Free State...
in December. In March 1900 his battalion took part in the march on Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
and the pacification of the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
. He escorted Piet Cronjé
Piet Cronje
Pieter Arnoldus Cronjé, commonly known as Piet Cronjé was a general of the South African Republic's military forces during the Anglo-Boer wars of 1880-1881 and 1899-1902....
into captivity, and commented in a letter home: "It is a curious idea taking one’s wife & family with one to the wars & must be inconvenient for many reasons but it is rather the fashion in these parts. Living in a river bed & being shot at every day seems an odd fancy for a lady." On March 23 he was badly wounded when a small foraging party, mainly of officers, which he was leading, including Colonel Codrington of the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
, was ambushed at Karee Siding; his adjutant was killed. This episode was generally regarded as "plucky" but widely reported round the world as an example of the "over-confidence and recklessness" (in the words of the New York Tribune
New York Tribune
The New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States...
) of British officers. However Crabbe was back with his battalion by the end of April and as they marched north towards Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
on May 1 Crabbe was observed and commented on by Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
: "Here is another man worth noting. You could not help noting him if you tried. A burly, broad-shouldered man with full, square, black beard over his chest, his arm in a sling, his bearing a medieval knight-errant. It is Crabbe, of the Grenadier Guards."
Crabbe led his battalion to Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
and on to the border with Portuguese East Africa at Koomati Poort but their hopes of returning to England with Field Marshal Lord Roberts
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
in November were dashed. Instead they were sent from Transvaal
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
to Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
to prevent De Wet
De Wet
De Wet is the name of:* Jacob Willemszoon de Wet , Dutch painter*Christiaan de Wet , Boer general, rebel leader and politician*De Wet Decoration, South African military medal named after the above...
entering the Cape
Cape
Cape can be used to describe any sleeveless outer garment, such as a poncho, but usually it is a long garment that covers only the back half of the wearer, fastening around the neck. They were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon, and have had periodic...
. When the character of the war changed in early 1901 to that of blockhouses, concentration camps, and mobile columns against Boer guerillas, Crabbe (now a C.B.
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...
) became commander of a mobile column, not rejoining his battalion till March 1902. He had dangerous brushes with Fouche in May and with Kritzinger in July 1901, and led the forces which defeated and killed Van der Merwe in September and Hildebrand in November.
In November 1902 Crabbe became AQMG of 1st Army Corps at Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
and in May 1903 Chief Staff Officer of 4th Army Corps also at Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
. He died suddenly of a heart attack soon after arriving for work on March 8, 1905, aged only 52. His wife had predeceased him and he left four sons and four daughters. The youngest son, Tempest, a subaltern in the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
, was killed at the Battle of Loos
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
in 1915, the third, Lewis, ended a distinguished naval career as Vice Admiral, having commanded a ship at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
in 1916, been Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and on the Yangtse, and Flag Officer at Liverpool in 1939. One of the eldest twin daughters, Daisy, married John Ronald Moreton Macdonald of Largie Castle
Largie Castle, Tayinloan
Largie Castle is a former mansion house at Tayinloan, Kintyre, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The house was designed by architect Charles Wilson for The Hon. Augustus Moreton Macdonald and was built in 1857-9. The house was pulled down in 1958.-References:...
, the youngest, Iris, Sir William Lawrence, 3rd Baronet
Sir William Lawrence, 3rd Baronet
Sir William Matthew Trevor Lawrence, 3rd Baronet JP FSA was an English horticulturalist, hospital administrator and collector.-Early life:...
.