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DateOriginal Topic
25th June 2004A visit to the PRO.........soon, if possible.
By Gill Mead
My great grandfather (Thomas Lewis) was one of the brave men at Rorkes Drift. I just found him on the 1891 Census and he is still a member of the RA @ Woolwich. I need to know when he retired and if he received a pension??? In 1901, Thomas was married, had a couple of children and was a bus driver in London. Can anybody help me?
DateReplies
11th July 2004susan wear
hi gill
you said that your grandfather was at rorkes drift. you are right they were brave.
I was wondering if he was known as gunner lewis as i am related to caleb wood and gunner lewis.
11th July 2004Peter Ewart
Susan

Related to both? Were Gunner (or Bombardier) Thomas Lewis and Caleb Wood(s) related to each other, then? Or are you fortunate enough to be descended from two unrelated Rorke's Drift defenders through sheer coincidence? Or perhaps they kept in touch after 1879 and a relative of each man married each other? Whichever way it happened, you're a rather lucky lady. You could start a VERY prestigious society but would, I'm sure, find it very hard to recruit a second member!

Gill

The occupation of Thomas Lewis a century ago made me smile. A picture of him driving a (presumably horse-drawn) omnibus in London and perhaps passing Fred Hitch VC on his horse-drawn hackney cab along those same routes conjures up a wonderful scene. Now I wonder what the hailed greeting across the street would have been?

Peter