Colonel John Rouse Merriott Chard, VC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chard

Colonel John Rouse Merriott Chard VC (21 December 1847 – 1 November 1897) was a British Army officer who received the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British armed forces. He earned the decoration for his role in the defence of Rorke's Drift in January 1879 where he commanded a small British garrison of 139 soldiers that successfully repulsed an assault by some 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors. The battle was recreated in the film Zulu in which Chard was portrayed by Stanley Baker.

Born near Plymouth, Chard attended the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in July 1868. He was involved with the construction of naval fortifications in Bermuda and Malta before he was deployed to southern Africa at the start of the Anglo-Zulu War. At the end of the war he returned to a hero's welcome in England and was invited to an audience with Queen Victoria. After a series of overseas postings he took up his final position in Perth, Scotland. He retired from the army as a colonel in 1897 after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died at his brother's home in Somerset later that year.

Early life

Chard was born at Boxhill near Plymouth on 21 December 1847 to William Wheaton Chard and his wife Jane Brimacombe. He had two brothers and four sisters. His elder brother, William Wheaton Chard, served with the Royal Fusiliers, rising to the rank of colonel, and his younger brother, Charles Edward Chard, became rector of a parish church in Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset. He was educated at Cheltenham Grammar School and Plymouth New Grammar School, and after a period of private tuition he enrolled at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich.

On 14 July 1868 Chard received a commission as a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers and continued his training at Chatham for the next two years. He was posted to Bermuda in 1870 to construct fortifications at the Naval Dockyard near Hamilton and returned to England four years later for his fathers funeral. He was then sent to Malta to assist with the improvement of the island's sea defences. He returned to England in 1876 where he was based at Aldershot and Chatham, and was assigned to the 5th Company Royal Engineers.

Rorke's Drift

On 2 December 1878 the 5th Company Royal Engineers were sent to the Colony of Natal in response to a request from Lord Chelmsford, commander of the British forces in southern Africa, for an additional unit of engineers to assist with preparations for the invasion of the Zulu Kingdom. After their arrival on 5 January, Chard was dispatched with a small group of sappers to repair and maintain the ponts at one of the few crossings of the Buffalo River which ran along the border of Natal and the Zulu Kingdom. A short distance downstream was Rorke's Drift, an isolated mission station used as a staging post for the British invasion force. It consisted of two thatched bungalows about 30 metres (98 ft) apart—the western building was used as a hospital, and the eastern building had been converted into a storehouse. Garrisoned at the Drift was Chelmsford's quartermaster general, Major Henry Spalding, a company of the 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot commanded by Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead, and a large company of the 3rd Natal Native Contingent (NNC).

Chard's group arrived on 19 January and set up camp near the crossing. On the morning of 22 January he received an order that his sappers were required at Isandlwana 10 miles (16 km) to the east, where Chelmsford had set up an advanced camp for his main invasion column which had marched into Zulu territory two weeks before. However, when he arrived Chard was informed that only his men were required and that he should return to Rorke's Drift.[8] While at Isandlwana, Chard had witnessed a Zulu army approaching the camp in the distance and upon his return to the Drift at about 1pm he informed Spalding of the situation. Spalding decided to depart the Drift to hurry British reinforcements en route from Helpmekaar, but before he left he checked a copy of the Army List which confirmed that Chard was senior to Bromhead. Therefore Chard, a "notoriously relaxed" man with no combat experience, was unexpectedly placed in command of the small garrison.

.  Unconcerned by the presence of the Zulus nearby, Chard returned to his tent by the river crossing but he was soon after disturbed by two NNC officers on horseback who informed him that the camp at Isandlwana had been overwhelmed and annihilated by the Zulus. Returning to the station, Chard found Bromhead and Assistant Commissary James Dalton had already instructed the troops to use mealie bags to construct a defensive perimeter between the storehouse and hospital. Chard consented and by 4pm the hastily constructed perimeter was complete. Soon afterwards, the Zulu impi, which contained some 3,000–4,000 men, was sighted advancing on their position. This caused the NNC troops to panic and desert the station, reducing the number of defenders from around 350 to approximately 139 (including 30 sick and wounded). Chard immediately ordered an additional barricade of biscuit boxes to be built across the inner perimeter to provide a smaller fall-back area should the Zulu's overwhelm a part of the thinly manned perimeter.

The first waves of Zulu assault were repulsed by British volley fire but the attackers pushed on relentlessly, particularly along a vulnerable section of the British perimeter by the hospital which became the centre of fierce hand to hand combat. With British casualties mounting, Chard ordered his troops to withdraw behind the biscuit boxes which left the western half of the station in Zulu hands, including the hospital which was subsequently set alight by the attackers. Once inside, Chard ordered the construction of a redoubt made from a tall pyramid of mealie bags to provide shelter to the wounded and form the last line of defence. The Zulus continued to attack in intermittent waves during the night but they were illuminated by the burning thatch which enabled the defenders to spot their advances. By 5am, the exhausted Zulus had abandoned the attack and British reinforcements arrived later that morning. Chard counted 351 dead Zulus scattered around the perimeter. The British suffered 17 killed and 10 wounded.

Victoria Cross, later career and death

Chard remained at Rorke's Drift for several weeks after the battle and assisted with the construction of a new stone perimeter wall. However, conditions at the camp were poor; Chard became ill with fever and was taken to Ladysmith for treatment. Once recovered he was attached to Colonel Evelyn Wood's column for the second invasion of the Zulu Kingdom. Meanwhile, Chards report of the battle had been dispatched to England where it was received with enthusiasm by the British press and public. The War Office subsequently promoted Chard to captain and brevet major and awarded him and ten other defenders of the station with Victoria Crosses, the highest decoration for gallantry that could be awarded to British troops. The citation for the award was published in the London Gazette on 2 May 1879:

THE Queen has been graciously pleased to signify Her intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned Officers and Soldiers of Her Majesty's Army, whose claims have been submitted for Her Majesty's approval, for their gallant conduct in the defence of Rorke's Drift, on the occasion of the attack by the Zulus, as recorded against their names, viz.:—

For their gallant conduct at the defence of Rorke's Drift, on the occasion of the attack by the Zulus on the 22nd and 23rd  January, 1879.

Royal Engineers Lieutenant (now Captain and Brevet Major) J. R. M. Chard

2nd Battalion 24th Regiment Lieutenant (now Captain and Brevet Major) G. Bromhead

The Lieutenant-General commanding the troops reports that, had it not been for the fine example and excellent behaviour of these two Officers under the most trying circumstances, the defence of Rorke's Drift post would not have been conducted with that intelligence and tenacity which so essentially characterised it.

The Lieutenant-General adds, that its success must, in a great degree, be attributable to the two young Officers who exercised the Chief Command on the occasion in question. 

Some of Chard and Bromhead's superiors, however, were resentful of the adulation bestowed on the pair. Wood took a particular dislike to his new subordinate. Unimpressed with his temperament and sceptical of his role in the battle, he denounced Chard as a "useless officer" and "a dull, heavy man, scarcely able to do his regular work". Lieutenant General Sir Garnet Wolseley, who thought the desperate defence of the Rorke's Drift was merely a case of "rats [fighting] for their lives which they could not otherwise save" presented Chard with his VC on 16 July. Likely influenced by Wood, he subsequently described Chard as a "more uninteresting or more stupid-looking fellow I never saw".

Chard was present in the British square during the decisive victory at the Battle of Ulundi and remained in Africa until the end of the war. His arrival back in Portsmouth in October 1879 was greeted with celebration. In addition to a series of presentations and dinners bestowed in his honour, he attended Balmoral Castle to dine with Queen Victoria who was impressed by his modest and unassuming demeanour. Chard returned to duty at Devonport in January 1880 and was posted to Cyprus in December 1881. His brevet majority was substantiated on 17 July 1886 and he returned to England in March 1887 to take up a position in Preston. He was ordered to Singapore in December 1892 and received a promotion to lieutenant colonel. He returned to England in 1896 and took up his final post as Commanding Royal Engineer at Perth, Scotland, and was promoted to colonel on 8 January 1897.

While stationed in Perth, Chard—a lifelong pipe smoker—was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue. He underwent two operations: the second—which took place in March 1897—resulted in the removal of his tongue but despite this it was reported that he could still converse clearly. However by August it was discovered the cancer was terminal and Chard retired to his brother, Charles', rectory at Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset. After two weeks of "terrible suffering", Chard died on 1 November 1897. He was unmarried.

Legacy

Chard was buried in the churchyard by the south east transept of the Church of St John the Baptist. Among the numerous messages of sympathy and floral tributes was a wreath of laurel leaves sent by the Queen, who had remained in contact with Chard and frequently enquired about his health. The wreath bore the hand-written inscription "A mark of admiration and regard for a brave soldier from his sovereign". In 1899 a stained glass memorial window dedicated to Chard was installed in south wall of the church's chancel. Another memorial donated by the Royal Engineers was placed in Rochester Cathedral.

Welsh actor Stanley Baker portrayed Chard in the 1964 film Zulu which depicted the defence of Rorke's Drift. Baker acquired Chard's campaign medal and a "cast copy" of his Victoria Cross at an auction in 1972 but they were sold by his family after his death in 1976. However, in 1996 the Victoria Cross was discovered to be the original rather than a copy after its metallic characteristics were compared with the bronze ingot from which all Victoria Crosses are cast. The medal was subsequently acquired by Lord Ashcroft, owner of world’s largest collection of VCs, and is on display at the Imperial War Museum, London.

Chard was commemorated by the South African military with the John Chard Decoration and the John Chard Medal which were awarded to members of the Citizen Force. Instituted by Queen Elizabeth in 1952, the Medal and the Decoration were awarded for 12 years and 20 years service respectively until 2003 when they were superseded by the Medalje vir Troue Diens and the Emblem for Reserve Force Service.

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1861 England & Wales Census MyHeritage <b>What can you find in the census?</b>Census returns can help you determine who your ancestors were, and can also tell you:- Where your ancestors were living- Who they were living with- What their occupations were- If they had any servants- Who their neighbours were- If they had any brothers and sisters- What their ages were at the time of the census- If they had any disabilities.As well as giving you the above information, the fact that census returns are taken every ten years also allows you to track the movements of your ancestors through time as they perhaps move house, get married, have children or even change occupations.The fields which have been transcribed for the census are:- First name- Middle name- Last name- Sex- Birth place- Age- Place of residence- County- Relationship to head of household<b>Why this collection is so valuable</b>Census records are valuable since they can tell you where a person lived at a certain place and time. Censuses were conducted by the federal government and will offer a variety of information, depending on year. Census records can answer questions like where your ancestors were living at the time the census was taken, who they were living with, what their occupations were, who their neighbors were, if they had any brothers and sisters, what their ages were at the time of the census and if they had any disabilities.<b>Searching the census</b>The golden rule of family history is to check the original historical record, or 'primary source', wherever possible. We have provided clear images of the original census enumeration books for you to view once you've found the right family in the indexes. When using census returns you should first search the transcriptions to help locate your ancestor in the census, and then view the original images to validate your findings. It will also help you see the household in the context of surrounding households. This is particularly important as transcribing an entire census is a huge and difficult task, and whilst we have used the expertise of our transcribers and the experience of key representatives from the genealogy community to help us translate the records, it is inevitable that there will be some errors.<b>Next steps</b>With the information you gain from these census records, you will have the information you need to search for vital records in the locality where you found your ancestor. Also, the fact that census returns are taken every ten years also allows you to track the movements of our ancestors through time as they perhaps move house, get married, have children or even change occupations. Collection 10152 MH:S500014

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https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500537/john-r-m... 4 John R M ChardGender: MaleBirth: Circa 1848 - Pennycross, DevonshireResidence: 1861 - Mount Tarnar, Kings Tamerton, St Budeaux, Devonshire, EnglandAge: 13Occupation: ScholarFather: William W ChardMother: Jane ChardSiblings: Jane B Chard, Florence Chard, Charles E Chard, Margaret EdeCensus: Parish:St BudeauxSeries:RG09Page:16 Registration district:PlymptonPiece:1432Family:47 County:DevonshireRegistrar's district:Plympton St MaryLine:25 Country:EnglandEnumerated by:Matthew CookImage:8 Date:1861-00-00Enum. District:14 See household members<a id='household'></a>HouseholdRelation to head; Name; AgeHead; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500535/william-...">William W Chard</a>; 42Wife; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500536/jane-cha...">Jane Chard</a>; 46Son; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500537/john-r-m...">John R M Chard</a>; 13Daughter; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500539/jane-b-c...">Jane B Chard</a>; 11Daughter; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500540/florence...">Florence Chard</a>; 6Son; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500541/charles-...">Charles E Chard</a>; 4Daughter; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500542/margaret...">Margaret Ede</a>; 2Servant; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500543/sarah-tr...">Sarah Truscott</a>; 21Servant; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500544/hanah-br...">Hanah Brown</a>; 20Servant; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500545/elizabet...">Elizabeth Kyall</a>; 21Servant; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500546/anne-bon...">Anne Bonney</a>; 17Servant; <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10152-142500547/joseph-b...">Joseph Bartlet</a>; 30

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Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, 1836-1922 MyHeritage Newspapers are fantastic sources of genealogical and family history information. Birth, marriage, and death announcements, and obituaries, are commonly used items for genealogy. However, ancestors mayalso be mentioned in articles reporting on local news and events (i.e. social, community, school, sport, or business related events). Collection 10449 MH:S500016

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https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10449-13255104/freeland-... 4 11 NOV 1897 <p>Freeland Tribune
Publication: Freeland, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, USA
Date: Nov 11 1897
Text: "...of Mark Hann.i Sir Rutherford Alcock. who was president of the British Royal Geographical society in 1876, died In London Colonel John Rouse Merriott Chard, V. C., died In Taunton, England The elections ... subscription is discontinued. FREELAND, PA., NOVEMBER 11,1897. In all the eulogies of the late Henry George which have appeared since his death, one remarkable achievement of the man has been overlooked. To Mr ... of Commissioner Evans shows that there were r>,MO more names on the roils on Anne 30, 1807, than there were one year before, notwithstanding the dropping, during tire fiscal year for death and other causes ... of 41,122 names. There were 970,011 name* on the roll at the close of the last fiscal year, and, unless ..."
About this sourceGrowing from settlements in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, dating to the 1840s and 1850s, a town named Freehold was laid out in 1870, and in 1876 it was renamed Freeland and incorporated as a borough. Although not a mining town, Freeland’s growth and prosperity were linked to the surrounding mining communities in this area of the lower anthracite region of Luzerne County.In 1893, Henry C. Bradsby reported in his History of Luzerne County that the Freeland Tribune was launched on June 28, 1888, by Thomas A. Buckley, with the help of his son, D. S. Buckley, a practical printer and expert reporter, who worked for the Philadelphia Record and other metropolitan newspapers. Bradsby went on to say that “Mr. Buckley had for some time conducted a job office in the place, and it did not require much to start a seven-column folio weekly. [The Tribune] commenced and continues democratic. It so prospered as a weekly that, in June, 1892, it became a semi-weekly, with a steam-power press, job presses and all the latest wants of a complete country office.” The Freeland Tribune was a counterbalance to the Republican-leaning Semi-Weekly Progress. It went from semiweekly in 1892 to appearing three times a week in 1900, reverting to a weekly in 1919 until its finalissue on June 30, 1921.In its first 30 years, Freeland had foundries and machine shops, silk and overall factories, carriage and hame makers, and a beer brewery, along with numerous stores and businesses and more than a dozen churches. Since most of the surrounding communities had not much more than a company store from which to buy a narrow range of essentials, many residents came to Freeland toshop and conduct business, and some also to work or to attend church. The area’s ethnic make-up reflected the successive waves of immigration attracted to the anthracite coal fields. Early immigrants from Wales, England, Germany, and Ireland were joined after 1880 by people of Polish, Italian, Slovak, Lithuanian, Ruthenian, Jewish, Hungarian, Tyrolean, and Portuguese descent. Freeland’s population increased steadily, from 624 in 1880 to 1,730 in 1890, to 5,254 (1,339 foreign born) in 1900, to 6,197 in 1910. In 1900, the combined population of Freeland, Drifton, Eckley, Jeddo, Upper Lehigh, and several other small, nearby communities was 13,785, and news about these towns and issues directly affecting them were reported in the Freeland Tribune. Hazleton, then one of only two cities in Luzerne County, was only eight miles away, but although its newspapers also reported on Freeland and nearby communities, they focused mainly on high-profile events, covering local news and concerns in far less detail. Grist for the histories of a number of these smaller communities can be found in the Tribune.Large issues such as mine owners’ abuses, unionization and strikes, and therole of the railroads played out in the pages of the Freeland Tribune, as did many more localized topics, along with a small selection of national and even some international news, and ads from localbusinesses</p>

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John Chard From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Rouse Merriott Chard 21 December 1847 - 1 November 1897 (aged 49)

Original photography of John R. M. Chard, date unknown

Place of birth Plymouth, England Place of death Hatch Beauchamp, near Taunton, England Allegiance United Kingdom Service/branch British Army Years of service 1868-1897 Rank Colonel Unit Corps of Royal Engineers Battles/wars Anglo-Zulu War Awards Victoria Cross

Colonel John Rouse Merriott Chard VC (21 December 1847 - 1 November 1897) was a British Army officer who received the Victoria Cross for his role in the defence of Rorke's Drift in 1879.

He was born in Plymouth Devon, the son of William Wheaton Chard and Jane Brimacombe. He had two brothers: William Wheaton and Charles Edward, and five sisters: Charlotte Maria Herring, Mary Jane, Jane Brimacombe, Florence and Margaret Edith. He joined the Royal Engineers in 1868 and served in Bermuda and Malta before being sent to South Africa. As a Lieutenant, he commanded the supply depot at Rorke's Drift when it was attacked by Zulus during the Anglo-Zulu War. After the battle he was immediately promoted to Captain and then brevet Major. His actions were reported in this way:

For gallant conduct at the Defence of Rorke's Drift, 22nd and 23rd January 1879. The Lieutenant-General reports that had it not been for the example and excellent behaviour of Lieutenants Chard, Royal Engineers, and Bromhead, 24th Regiment, the defence of Rorke's Drift would not have been conducted with the intelligence and tenacity which so eminently characterised it. The Lieutenant-General adds, that the success must in a great measure be attributable to the two young officers who exercised the chief command on the occasion in question.

-London Gazette, 2 May 1879[1] Bust of John Rouse Merriott Chard. From 1892 until 1896, he commanded the Royal Engineers detachment at Singapore as a Lieutenant Colonel and was made a Colonel in 1897 when he was due to be posted to Perth, Scotland. However he became ill with cancer of the tongue and died at Hatch Beauchamp, near Taunton.

He was played by Stanley Baker in the film Zulu; Baker owned Chard's VC and Zulu War Medal from 1972 until his death in 1976.[2]

Until 2003, the bravery of Lt. Chard was commemorated by the South African Army with the John Chard Decoration (see South African military decorations).

The Resident Infantry Company (RIC) officers bar at Mount Pleasant Airfield Military Base in the Falkland Islands (UK) is called the "Chard Bar" and features a mural depicting the scene at Rorke's Drift.

Historical military print of Lt John Rouse Merriot Chard at the Defence of Rorke's Drift during the Zulu War. Zulu war art print published by Cranston Fine Arts. The Military Art print Company

Eve of Distinction by Mark Churms Lt. John Rouse Merriot Chard, Royal Engineers.At about 3.30 on the afternoon of 22nd January 1879, Lieutenant John Rouse Merriot Chard, Royal Engineers, was supervising repairs on the military pont on the Mzinyathi river, at the border crossing at Rorke's Drift, when survivors brought news that the advanced British camp at Isandhlwana had been over-run by the Zulus, and that a wing of the Zulu army was on its way to attack Rorke's Drift. Chard ordered Driver Robson to pack up the wagon and return to the mission station, where a stockpile of supplies was under the guard of B Company, 2/24th Regiment. Chard, in consultation with his fellow officers, made the historic decision to make a stand at Rorke's Drift.

Lt John Rouse Merriot Chard Oil Study by Mark Churms On January 22nd 1879, during the Zulu War, the small British field hospital and supply depot at Rorkes Drift in Natal was the site of one of the most heroic military defences of all time. Manned by 140 troops of the 24th Regiment, led by Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, the camp was attacke by a well-trained and well-equipped Zulu army of 4000 men, heartened by the great Zulu victory over the British forces at Isandhlwana earlier on the same day. The battle began in mid afternoon, when British remnants of the defeat at Isandhlwana struggled into the camp. Anticipating trouble, Chard set his small force to guard the perimeter fence but, when the Zulu attack began, the Zulus came faster than the British could shoot and the camp was soon overcome. The thatched roof of the hospital was fired by Zulu spears wrapped in burning grass and even some of the sick and the dying were dragged from their beds and pressed into the desperate hand-to-hand fighting. Eventually, Chard gave the order to withdraw from the perimeter and to take position in a smaller compound, protected by a hastily assembled barricade of boxes and it was from behind this barricade that the garrison fought for their lives throughout the night. After twelve hours of battle, the camp was destroyed, the hospital had burned to the ground, seventeen British lay dead and ten were wounded. However, the Zulus had been repulsed and over 400 of their men killed. The Battle of Rorkes Drift is one of the greatest examples of bravery and heroism in British military history. Nine men were awarded Distinguished Conduct Medals, and eleven, the most ever given for a single battle, received the highest military honour of all, the Victoria Cross.

References

1.^ London Gazette: no. 24717. p. 3177. 2 May 1879. Retrieved 24 December 2009. 2.^ Victorian & Colonial Anecdotes