Memoirs of the Fultons of Lisburn

56 MEMOIRS OF THE FULTONS OF LISBURN
Henry, the son of Joseph and grandson of Dr. Henry Fulton, is thus the sole representative
of the Joseph Branch. He is described as of Sevenoaks, Kent, L.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., L.S.A., and
M.D. (Brussels, with honours); b. 25th December 1S71, at Roebuck House, but when about two
years old passed to the charge of his grandmother. On her death he remained there with his aunts,
the Misses Elizabeth and Josephine. In 1876 they moved to 43, Pembroke Road, Dublin, and
then in 1880 to 63, Park Avenue, Sandymount. On 28th October in that year, they came over
to England for Henry's education. Their residence has for some years been at Sevenoaks,
where they purchased land in 1886, first building " Lisburn " for themselves, and eventually
" Idehurst " for their nephew on his marriage. In 1898 he settled at Lee-on-Solent, in pursuit
of his profession there, and at Portsmouth. Ere long, however, a new phase in his career
developed itself, which is best told in his own words now (November 1901) supplied to me:
"In November 1898 I joined the 1st Hants RE. Volunteers as Surgeon-Lieut., and
early in 1899 changed into the combatant side of the same regiment as second Lieutenant. In
November 1899 I volunteered to serve in South Africa if required. On Saturday, 13th January
1900, army orders issued sanctioning the formation of sections from Engineer Volunteer Corps-
On the 15th I was selected out of three officers to command the 1st Hants section, and joined
on same day. On 10th February, proceeded to Chatham with my section to the School of
Military Engineering, and remained there till 10th March, when we embarked in the Tintagel
Castle, and joined, about 5th April at Elandslagte, the 37th Company 5th Division Natal Field
Force, under Sir Charles Warren. Here I was employed about six weeks on water supply and
fortifying the position. We accompanied the 5th Division, in the general advance on Dundee
under Sir R. Buller as far as Waschbank, and then worked, repairing the railway from there to
Glencoe ; this was carried on night and day, and in the twelve miles over thirty bridges and
culverts (which had been blown up) were repaired in three days. For this, the company received
the thanks of Colonel Wood, Engineer-in-Chief. Then we marched to Haddingspruit (where
the railway disaster just after Dr. Jameson's raid occurred), and on to Newcastle, where we were
encamped for some time. We were next at Ingogo, making gun-pits at night, for the advance
on Botha's Pass. We were with the 5th Division through the battle of Botha's Pass on 6th
June, when the section was under fire for the first time. We entered the Orange Free State
on the 10th, and at the battle of Allemens Nek about the 13th, were under heavy fire for an
hour and escaped casualties, though several men were killed on both sides of us. This com-
pleted the operations known as ' Langs Nek,' for which a bar is to be given." The company
after this frequently split up into sections, which were sent with various flying columns and
fortified Wakkerstrom, Utrecht and Vryheid. Besides this my section was employed repairing
the railway line and building blockhouses. Part of the time I was sent in command of about
thirty men to work under General Talbot Coke about twenty-five miles south of Volksrust. All
through, we had frequently to do outpost work at night in addition to other duties. Then I was
called suddenly to Volksrust, and all the company reunited. We thence marched through part of
Zululand to Vryheid, and remained there three weeks, suffering from sniping when at our work.
Then we went back over Scheepers Nek to Blood River, where during ten days we made a
field bakery for the force. Ordered to England — three days' march to Dundee, where entrained
for Maritzburg. A week there, and we embarked at Durban in the Templemore for Cape Town.
There a week, and embarked in the Avondale Castle. Reached Southampton 27th November."
Henry m. on 21st August 1894, at Kingston-on-Thames Registry Office, Mary, second
daughter of Captain James Barton, late Royal Horse Artillery, formerly of the Mauritius, now
of Blackheath, and has issue :
Joseph Henry Caldbeck, b. 7th October 1896.
a " I had the pleasure of being in charge of the first train pushed by Kaffirs, from Volksrust to Langs Nek, returning in the
dark to the former place — rather risky, as it was beyond outpost line."