Colonel Philip Saltmarshe 1853-1941

Lieutenant Saltmarshe, Royal Horse Artillery (My Deepest thanks to Mr. D.Lantz for the magnificent gift of Saltmarshe's photograph) Philip Saltmarshe was born on June 9th, 1853 in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire. He was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Philip Saltmarshe；the family lived in Saltmarshe Hall. Lieutenant Colonel Saltmarshe was Lord of the Manor, and the family is said to have been there since the time of the Normans - Sir Lionel Saltmarshe having been knighted by William the Conqueror at the Castle of the Nore on November 14th, 1067, where he was given the Lordship of Saltmarshe under Royal Letters Patent. After being educated at Eton (1867-69) he joined the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and entered the Army in 1872. He became a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on January 9th, 1873. In 1875 he was attached to the 16th Brigade. He took part in the Second Afghan War in 1878-79 (Medal) with No. 5 (Heavy) Battery of the 11th Brigade, from the commencement of the war until April 1879, and then from that date until August 1879 as Commissary of Ordnance at Kandahar. 5/11th were part of Stewart's column to Kandahar, reaching their destination in Jan 1879 (3 40-pounders with elephants, 3 8-inch mortars). The battery returned to Quetta in August 1879. In 1880 he was attached to C Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery. We learn that Lieutenant Saltmarshe, RHA, had embarked on 22 March 1881 with Lieutenant H.C.Slater, RHA, on board the National steamer SS Holland (Captain Brownlow) at the Albert Docks, North Woolwich, when a telegram was received, directing that the departure of the ship should be delayed. The ship was to take 150 horses and nearly 400 men to the Transvaal. However the final peace treaty was to be signed on March 23. The rest of E Battery, C Brigade, RHA, Major Borradaile, had left on board the Persian Monarch a fortnight before, and will be ordered back to England. Philip Saltmarshe will be promoted to Captain on January 10, 1882, and transferred a mere few month before his former Battery was to see some action in Egypt. In 1883, he married Ethel, the daughter of Charles Murray Adamson of North Jesmond, Newcastle-on-Tyne. His wife gave birth to a daughter on June 15th 1885, at 3, Cyprus-villas, Aldershot.He has a total of three children, one of them a son, his namesake, who later became Captain Saltmarshe, King's Royal Rifle Corps. He will be promoted to Major on October 1st, 1889. In July 1890 he was selected as the Unionist candidate for the Howdenshire division of Yorkshire, but he will retire from that position in September inst. Bulmer's Directory of 1892 tell us that Major Philip Saltmarshe, RHA, is a "Magistrate for Howdenshire - Petty Seasonal Division" (of which his father is the chairman). In 1890 he had been selected as the Unionist candidate for the Howdenshire Division of Yorkshire, but eventually retired from the candidacy. In 1893 he is listed as posted in the RGA (Royal Garrison Artillery), the Major for Portsmouth Station. On October 14th 1898 he is promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel (dated October 6th). He wrote an article titled "Competitive Practice in the Garrison Artillery and its Effect on the training of Officers and Men", published in the "Proceedings of the Royal Artillery Institution" c. 1896. In the Boer War he commanded the heavy artillery of the Natal Field Force. The London Times of February 5th, 1900 indicate that Lieutenant-Colonel Saltmarshe boarded the Dominion liner SS Canada at Southampton on February 4th, on his way to South Africa. This specific stay will not be an extended one as the London Times of july 13th, 1900, states that the Nubia left Cape Town on July 4th with invalids - the list including Lieutenant-Colonel Saltmarshe, RGA. He reached Southampton on July 26th. For his War Service in South Africa, he received the Queen's War Medal with three Clasps. He would be promoted to Colonel on October 6th, 1902. In June 1903, we learn that Colonel Saltmarshe, RGA, is the Fire Commander of the Thames defence section. The October 13th, 1903 London Gazette states at last : "Royal Garrison Artillery, Brevet Colonel Philip Saltmarshe, on completion of five years' service as a regimental Lieutenant-Colonel, is placed on retired pay. Dated 6th October, 1903." He wrote an article titled "Defence against torpedo-boat raids", published in the "Proceedings of the Royal Artillery Institution, July August and September 1903". Colonel Philip Saltmarshe, JP, DL, who had a keen interest in history and archeology, died on March 15th, 1941, at the age of 87. The Times tells us he left £270,371, including settled land (net personalty £225,111).

Wilkinson Sword made for Philip Saltmarshe 1872

This is the1821 Pattern Officers Light Cavalry Officer's Sword made for Philip Saltmarshe in 1872. This pattern was the same as prescribed for officers of the Royal Artillery save for the pommel which was stepped.

Proved by Wilkinson Sword 15th July 1873