corisande Posted 28 August , 2010 Share Posted 28 August , 2010 Cecil Harcourt Folder Lees (click for link to my information on him) was murdered in Dublin in 1921. I would appreciate help in adding to what I have 1. 1873 Jun 20. Born in France 2. Served in South Africa with Montmorency Scouts 3. 1917 Feb 12. commissioned 4. Served with Chinese Labour Corps as far as I can see for his whole time between 1917 and 1919 5. 1920 Mar 11 . Resigned commission 6 1920 Jul 26 . Gets "special appointment" 7 1921 Mar 29. Murdered Dublin Really very little on the chap. An unusual case for a special appointment - they were more of the MC and bar types Any help on adding anything about him appreciated. I have started another thread as a potential non-commemorated as he is not on CWGC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 28 August , 2010 Share Posted 28 August , 2010 Name:Cecil Harcourt Holder Lees Record Type:Baptism Date:31 Jan 1874 Father's Name:Harcourt James Lees Mother's Name:Harriet Ellen Constance Lees Parish:St Mark, Notting Hill Borough:Kensington and Chelsea County:Middlesex His father was reported as being the late amassador to Boulougne, and Cecil was engaged to be married to a French woman at the time of his death. (NY Times) He reported to Hill-Dillon, and was rumoured to have tortured suspects. http://books.google....epage&q&f=false Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headgardener Posted 28 August , 2010 Share Posted 28 August , 2010 Quite a bit of info on this man's father. A colourful member of the aristocracy, it seems. Bit of a BIOG, some family history stuff at rydecemeteryorg.uk (try googling his name, it comes up as a link to a pdf file), and on WIKIPEDIA (should be able to track the family down pretty easily). Also DIVORCE PAPERS at TNA. Edit; looks like your man was 1st son, 2nd marriage, born 7 months after his parents marriage. Parents divorced when he was 15-ish. Scots-Irish ancestry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 28 August , 2010 Author Share Posted 28 August , 2010 IPT and headgardener Thanks for those leads. I must say I ,missed the reference in "British spies and Irish rebels: British intelligence and Ireland, 1916-1945" even though I have the book Looks as if a lot more can be got on his family now Odd that wit that sort of background, he only appears in the army, in 1917 and in the Labour Corps. I guess he might possibly have been in the ranks before that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headgardener Posted 28 August , 2010 Share Posted 28 August , 2010 He would presumably have been 2Lt and then Lt well before being promoted Capt in early 1917. Doubt he'd have served in the ranks, except maybe for a very short time (assuming that he enlisted in the early days of the war). In any case, if he'd been living abroad (S.Africa?) before the war he wouldn't have been subject to conscription. By the way, I was editing my last post at the same as you posted your reply. Also, I'm guessing that as first son, second marriage, he may have been entitled to a title of some kind. Edit; just saw THIS (re; Montmorency Scouts in Boer War). May be worth looking at citations just in case it mentions your man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 28 August , 2010 Author Share Posted 28 August , 2010 Yes he must be the son referred to as coming 7 months into the marriage, I have edited and added that data Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 29 August , 2010 Author Share Posted 29 August , 2010 Probably no wonder I cannot get much on his early life. He was born 1873 and this is from the Times of 1887 and concerns both his parents One wonders where the young Cecil was living at the time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 29 August , 2010 Share Posted 29 August , 2010 His service record is in WO 339/105582. The entry in WO 338 has been annotated "papers missing from Docs". Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 29 August , 2010 Author Share Posted 29 August , 2010 Thanks Phil Just my luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmania Posted 29 August , 2010 Share Posted 29 August , 2010 He doesn't appear to have had much service in the Boer War, he joined Montmorency's Scouts as a Trooper on the 1st March 1900 then on the 10th May he was discharged to a commission as Lieutenant in 1st Brabants Horse. He resigned from Brabant's Horse on the 3rd June 1900. Aled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 30 August , 2010 Author Share Posted 30 August , 2010 Thanks Aled I had not realised that his service in Boer War was so short - unless he joined another unit after resigning from Brabant's Horse I have him down as joining the South African Civil Service after the Boer War Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmania Posted 30 August , 2010 Share Posted 30 August , 2010 - unless he joined another unit after resigning from Brabant's Horse His entry in the Brabants Horse roll has a note of his previous service with Montmorency's Scouts but no mention of any subsequent service. If he did serve in another unit I would have expected to se an annotation to that effect as the rolls invariably do if there is any. Aled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 30 August , 2010 Author Share Posted 30 August , 2010 Thanks Aled I have never managed to really crack Boer War records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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