Sergeant J R Edwards

John Robert Edwards joined the 1st/24th in 1872 and was promoted to corporal in 1873 while the regiment served in Gibraltar. The photo was probably taken there as he has the dress uniform with corporal stripes on the right arm. In 1876 he was promoted to sergeant and received permission to marry Sarah Emily White. They had two children, a daughter who died in 1878 and a son, also called John Robert, who was born 2 months after John Robert senior was killed at Isandhlwana. He was in Lt Porteous's company (A). Sarah re-married in 1882 and John Robert junior took his step-father's name Gardiner, but reverted back to Edwards later in life. The medals for the Edwards family, including the un-opened medal for South Africa 1879, awarded posthumously to J R Edwards senior, were sold at Bosleys Auction in Sep 2005. This photograph is courtesy of Bosleys Auctioneers.

Regimental details | Soldiers at Isandhlwana