Ancestor Details
Name of Ancestor: Angus Livingstone
Ancestor's date of birth: 12/07/1866
Ancestor's date of death: 24/03/1944
Cause of Death: Age related
Service Number: 263
Colony or State of enlistment: NSW, Place of Enlistment: Coraki
Unit: NSW Lancers
Rank attained in Boer War: SGT, Date Effective: 1898
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): SGT
Murray Page: 10
Contingent: First New South Wales
Ship: SS Kent, Date of Sailing: 28/10/1899
Memorial details: NSW Lancers' Memorial Museum, Parramatta;, Lismore Town Hall
Awards/Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps
Personal Characteristics: Angus Livingstone joined the Coraki troop of the NSW Cavalry Regiment in 1890, in 1993 he was part of the tournament team equipped and sent to England ar the Regiment's own expense. The team took part in tournaments at Dublin and Islington, acquitting themselves very well against the British Regulars. The team formed a guart for Queen Victoria at the poening of the Imperial Institute, they were inspected by the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and entertained by the Prince of Wales. He was promoted corporal in 1893, then after his Regiment's name had been changed to the NSW Lancers in 1894, sergeant in 1898.
Reasons to go and fight: A serving soldier.
Details of service in war: The first Lancer reinforcement draft met the rest of the Squadron around Arundel on Boxing Day 1899, Trooper Thomas another of the Richmond River men in a letter home wrote of the encounter "We joined the rest of our Squadron at Arundel [Thomas had been part of the Lancers Fighting 29; and had just taken part in the Modder River battle] and also another group that had come over from New South Wales. We had lots of tales to pitch. ... Sergeant Livingstone, Trooper McPherson and the other Richmond River lads look well. The horses look fairly well but I notice some of them have got a disease which is like a cold and brings down their condition.". From Arundel, near Colesburg, Angus fought with Lancer Squadron at Kimberley, Paardeberg, Bloemfontein, Kroonstad, Pretoria, Carolina and Standerton; until the Squadron was withdrawn returning 6 December 1900 on the Harlech Castle, arriving just in time for the Federation celebrations 1 January 1901. [PV Vernon, The Royal New South Wales Lancers 1885 - 1985; MJ Buckley Sword and Lance]
Service and life after the Boer War: In November 1904, Sergeant Livingstone was one of two members of the 5th Australian Light Horse Regiment who went to Melbourne to be presented with that unit's King's Banner for service in South Africa. His younger brother Archie was killed in action in France in June 1917. He remained a bachelor until 1934 when he married Louisa Robertson at North Sydney. His occupation given at that time was farmer. His wife who also had not been previously married was aged 60. She was born at Cowper but was then living in Willoughby. He died at Narrabeen in 1944.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Geoffrey Alan Clarke, Forestville NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: 1st Cousin twice removedAs a footnote, Mr Clarke adds: "As it turns out I think I was regular traveller with Trooper McPherson. I travelled from Coraki to Lismore in a bus to attend High School in the early 1960s. A regular passenger on the bus was Mr McPherson. He was a tall and stately man who must have been in his 80-90s at that time. I was aware that he was a Boer War veteran."
