North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot

Also known by its full title of the Second Battalion of the Tenth of North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot.

Arrival in southern Africa

The first division of the 7, 8 and 9 companies with a portion of No 5 Company of the Second Battalion of the Tenth of North Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot left their camp at Curragh-Camp for duty on the Eastern Cape Frontier on December 8, 1859.

“The Head Quarters of the Regiment, under command of Colonel Fenwick, C. B. had sailed from Queenstown on the 12th January, in H. M. S. Urgent, and after an exceedingly calm and not unpleasant voyage, though the vessel was uncomfortably crowded, they bade farewell to the gallant ship and her agreeable officers at Algoa Bay on the 16th March.

“The left wing, under Lieut. Colonel Byrne, had sailed from Kingstown, in H. M. S. Vulcan, on the 11th of December, 1859, and reached their destination some three weeks before the arrival of the Head Quarters.

“The Head Quarters arrived at Grahamstown, - the Military Head Quarters of the Colony, - on the 30th March, and we were, within a few weeks, called upon to furnish nine detachments which scattered up pretty well over the face of the country: however a change has recently come over the arrangements, and the Second-Tenth can once more muster in respectable numbers at Head Quarters.”

On January 11, 1860, the remainder of the regiment consisting of the Colours, the Band and Drums, Nos 1, 2, 3, 6 and 10 Companies embarked onto H. M. S. Urgent at Hawlbowline bound for the Cape. On February 21, HMS Vulcan anchored in Algoa Bay and four days later Captain Coryton, two sergeants, one drummer and 47 rank and file left PE for Grahamstown where they arrived on March 3, 1860.

On March 10, 1860, HMS Urgent anchored in Algoa Bay. Three days later they left for Grahamstown and arrived at their destination on March 18, 1860.

By the beginning of May, men had been posted from Grahamstown to Fort Brown, Fort Jackson, Fort Peddie, Koonap, Trompetters, Tamacha, East London, and Line Drift.

Aims and function

Apart from the Officers and the Sergeants who provided the troops with theatrical entertainment, the regiment also had a drama club known as the Amateurs of the Band (or as the Band of Amateurs).

Impact on SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

June 5, 1861: The Amateurs of the Band produced the following three productions: The Spectre Bridegroom, or A Ghost in spite of Himself, a comedy in two acts, featuring F. Girton (Mr. Nicodemus), J. M'Kechnie (Squire Aldwinkle), J. F. Gay (Dickery, his man), J. Mann (Captain Vanntington), W. Dansie (Paul), T. Paterson (Thomas, a servant), J. Davies (Georgiana Aldwinkle), J. Durney (Lavinia, her cousin).

This was followed by another production, Poses-De-Vaux starring J. M'Kechnie (M. Trimulus Tomkins), J. Davies (Miss Polly Hopkins), J. Durney (Sophia, her maid).

Afterwards, a third production, a farce in one act Slasher and Crasher, was performed. Starring: J. M'Kechnie (Benjamin Blowhard), W. Dansie (Mr Sampson Slasher), J. Davies (Mr Christopher Crasher), J. F. Gay (Lieutenant Brown), J. Grimley (Policeman), B. Sheetan (Policeman), T. Paterson (John, a servant), T. Smith (Miss Dinah Blowhard) and J. Durney (Miss Ross, her niece).

"The entire performance went off remarkably well, the short delays between the pieces being very much more agreeable than those lengthy, wearisome intervals, which have been generally characteristic of the arrangements at our theatre. M'Kechnie's acting throughout was capital, more particularly in the character of Squire Aldwinkle in The Spectre Bridegroom and Gay, Dansie and Davies maintained their reputation admirably. The latter disposes of female characters particularly well and really makes a very "bonnie lassie". He sang "Nelly Gray" with a good deal of feeling, but accompaniments and a respectable chorus were sadly wanting. To our mind the best piece of the evening was the Interlude, so far as the performance went, both Davis and M'Kechnie having sustained their parts to perfection." -The North Lincoln Sphinx regimental periodical.

May 28, 1862: The regiment staged their production in the little Keiskama Hoek Garrison Theatre.

The first was announced as Amoroso or King of Little Britain, "A Serio-comic, Bombastic, Operatic Interlude, in one act" by J.R. Planché. The performance starred J. Davies (Amoroso, King of Little Britain), J. F. Gay (Roastando, his cook), T. Paterson (Blusterbus, his cook), B. Sheean (1st Lord of the Bed-chamber), J. M'Kechnie (Aoqnetinda), and F. Girton (Mollidusta). After the performance, a comic song was sung by J. M'Kechnie.

This was followed by a farce in one act, The Omnibus or A Convenient Distance by R. J. Raymond, starring J. M'Kechnie (Mr. Ledger), F. Girton (Mr Dobbs), J. F. Gay (Master T Dobbs), W. Dansie (Pat Rooney), G. Daw (Farrier's Boy), J. Durney (Julia Ledger), J. Davies (Mrs. Dobbs), B. Buckley (Jemima Damper).

During the following interval J. M. M'Kechnie and J. Davies sang a comic duet.

This was then followed by Richard Butler's The Irish Tutor, starring J. M'Kechnie (Mr. Tillwell), F. Girton (Charley, his son), J. F. Gay (Dr Flail, a schoolmaster), W. Dansie (Terry o'Rourke as Dr. O'Toole), T. Paterson (Beadle), B. Sheeran (A countryman), .J Davies (Rosa, in love with Charley), and J. Durney (Mary, her maid).

"The performance was, on the whole, very successful, and the actors had the satisfaction of playing to a full house, which was a novelty in their South African experiences. The little Garrison Theatre was crowded to excess by people from the village, and the officers and men of the Regiment, all of who appeared much pleased with the efforts made for their amusement. M'Kechnie's acting and singing was, as usual, excellent, and Gay's ludicrous personification of Master T. Dobbs in the second piece kept the house in a continued roar of laughter. Corporal Davies is too well known to our readers to require any notice at our hands. Dansie made a famous "Pat Rooney" in The Omnibus, and an equally good "Terry O'Rourke" in The Irish Tutor, and Daw disposed of his short part of the "Farrier's Boy" in The Omnibus so well, that we would suggest a higher position for him in the next cast of characters." -The North Lincoln Sphinx regimental periodical.

June 19, 1862: The Band Amateurs produced Charles Selby's Robert Macaire or The Two Murderers of Lyons. Starring T. Smith (Germeuil, a wealthy farmer), T. Paterson (Dument, an inn-keeper), W. Dansie (Robert Macaire, under the assumed name of Bertrand), J. M'Kechnie (Jacques Strop), F. Girton (Charles), J. F. Gay (Pierre, head waiter), J. Mann (Sergeant Loupy), J. Grimley (Louis), B. Sheeran (Francoise), J. Davies (Marie), J. Durney (Clementine).

This production was followed by George Wood's one-act farce, The Irish Doctor or The Dumb Lady Cured from Moliere's "Le madeein malgre Ini". Starring: J. M'Kechnie (Sir Ralph Credulous), J. F. Gay (Walter Lovewell), F. Girton (Dr Fiantie), W. Dansie (Denis Murphy, a broom-maker), T. Paterson (Squire Robert), B. Sheeran (Dick), F. Doherty (Simon, servant to Sir Ralph), T. Manion (Dick, servant to Sir Ralph), J. Davies (Laura Credulous), J. Durney (Peggy, her maid), T. Smith (Bridget, wife of Denis).

"Several of the actors were deficient in the remembrance of their parts on this occasion, and there appeared to be a superabundance of h3 (sic) on the move. Had it not been for the efforts of M'Kechnie, Davies, Gay and Dansie, both pieces would have been complete failures. The acting of all the others was decidedly lame. We recommend more rehearsals, a better cast, and a prohibition of all unnecessary h3 (sic)." -The North Lincoln Sphinx regimental periodical.

July 9 & 16, 1862: The Band Amateurs produced the celebrated legendary drama in three acts, The Corsican Brothers. Starring W. Dansie (Twin brothers), J. C. Wool??? (M. de Chaserd Rensud), M. Rafferty (M. Alfred Meynard), T. Brooker (Le Baron de Montgiron), J. Mann (Gaetano Orlando), T. Brooker (Marie Colonna), T. Patterson (Grifio), W. Allen (Boissee, a Wood cutter), T. Patterson (A Surgeon), J. F. Gay (Madame Sevillia dei Franchi), J. Grennan (Emilie de Lasparre), J. Durney (Marie, a domestic), A. Vogado (Estelle, lady of the ballet), W. Foster (Celestine, lady of the ballet).

W. Allen then played the violin in seven different positions after which J. M. M'Kechnie sang a comic song, "Solomon Lob". The Wandering Minstrel was then performed starring J. H. M'Kechnie (Mr Crincum), W. Dansie (Herbert Carol), W. Allen (Tweedle), T. Brooker (Jem Bags), M. Rafferty (Mrs Crincum), J. Grennan (Julia), J. Durney (Peggy).

July 21, 26 & 27, and August 3, 1862: The Serjeants (sic) performed Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton's beautiful five-act drama The Lady of Lyons or Love and Pride. Cast: Serjeant Major T. H. Smith (Claude Melnotte), Color Serjeant W. Shaw (Colonel, afterwards General Damas, cousin to Madame Deschappelles and an Officer in the French Army), Serjeant J. Lydon (Monsieur Beauseant, a rich gentleman of Lyons, in love with, and refused by Pauline Deschappelles), Color serjeant G R Hungerford (Monsieur Glavis, Beauseant's friend, also a rejected suitor to Pauline), Serjeant P Fox (Monsieur Deschappelles, a Lyonnese merchant, father to Pauline), Color Sergeant B. Martins (Landlord of the Golden Lion), Drum Major A. Craig (Gasper), Serjeant J. Hanrahan (Servant), Serjeant M. Lyons (First Officer), Serjeant J. Hanrahan (Second Officer), Drum Major A. Craig (Third Officer), Lance Corporal J. Davies (Pauline Deschappelles), Lance Corporal J. Smith (Madame Deschappelles, Pauline's mother), Corporal G Brown (The Widow Melnotte, mother to Claude), Corporal G. Brown (Marian, maid to Pauline).

Another production on ***** was The Kiss In The Dark starring Serjeant P. Fox (Mr Pettibone), Serjeant H. Charlesworth (Frank Fatlions), Corporal G. Brown (Mrs Pettibone), Lance Corporal J. Smith (Mary).

Sources

North Lincoln Sphinx Vol 1, No 1. January 1, 1860.

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