Photo: Brian Chandler
Medal Index Card
Bournemouth Daily Echo Wednesday 22/07/1903
Piddlehinton War Memorial
Captain
S.C.G.F., Astell, D.S.O.
N. Staffordshire Regt.
24th March 1917.
He gave his life
For King and Country.
Somerset Charles Godfrey Fairfax Astell, was born on the 15th July 1866, at West Lodge, Piddlehinton, Dorset, baptised on the 30th August 1866, the youngest and only son of five children of General Charles Edward Astell, (and grandson of William Astell MP), and his wife Harriette Dare, [nee Spaight], daughter of Francis Spaight, of Derry Castle, Tipperary. They were married on the 17th August 1848.
The other children were Florence A. born 1850 died 1938, Rose Millicent Monk born 1852 died 1938, Evelyn Gertrude born July 1854 died 1885 and Beatrice Amelia Berry born April 1856.
Charles Edward Astell was the 4th son of William Astell, {formerly Thornton}, born 1774, died 1847. M.P. for Bedfordshire and a chairman of the East India Company, of Everton House, Hunts, and Sarah [nee Harvey], the only daughter of Mr John Harvey of Ickwell Bury, Bedfordshire. Charles entered the Army in February 1837, the 45th Foot Regiment, became a Lieutenant in 1839, obtaining the rank of Captain on October 1848. Then Major in 1850, Lieutenant Colonel in 1871. He was Aide de Camp to Sir Colin Campbell in Ceylon, and to Lord Hardinga in India. Was also for some time a Staff Officer of Pensioners, and had served a year in Canada. Promoted Colonel in October 1877.
Charles was placed on the retired list with the rank of Major-General in May 1878. He was also a magistrate and a land owner in the county. He took an active interest in parochial affairs, the Church and School. In politics he was an enthusiastic member of the Conservative party, and was one of Colonel Brymer's most ardent supporters. General Astell was also a Freemason in the Lodge 'Faith an Unanimity' in Dorchester.
Due to his infirm health, Charles spent his winter holidays abroad and died at Amelie Les Bains in the Pyrenees on the 26th February 1901. His health had been failing him in his later years and was suffering from increasing lameness which deprived him of his keen activities in his field sports.
Western Chronicle Friday 20/01/1905 reports
Mrs Astell, widow of the late General C. E. Astell passed away recently. The deceased lady was a daughter of the late Mt Francis Spaight, of Derry Castle, Tipperary. Her kindly, benevolent disposition and constant good deeds made her generally beloved. The funeral took place on Wednesday {11th January}, last week at Everton, near Sandy, Bedfordshire, where the late General Astell lies buried. The coffin had a plaque engraved with the wording Harriett Dare Astell, died December 31st 1904, aged 81 years. One of the Mourners was Captain C. Godfrey Astell. D.S.O.
Somerset Charles Godfrey Fairfax Astell was educated at St Columba College, Dublin, and joined from the Militia, on the 4th May, as a 2nd Lieutenant. Somerset Astell from the 3rd Battalion (Reserve), Dorsetshire Regiment to be transferred to the 11th Hussars. Somerset Astell was a Freemason passing on the 15th December 1886, in the Sunbury Lodge no 1733.
Somerset spoke at least two other languages French and German. He was 6 feet tall.
Promoted to Lieutenant on the 2nd March 1890. In the 1891 census Lieutenant Somerset Astell was at the New Barracks at Alverstoke, Hampshire. He was in the North Staffordshire Regiment. On the 25th September 1894 he passed his Musketry Course at Hythe, and on the 11th March 1895 he passed his Horse Riding course with the 15th Hussars at Dublin. Eventually became Captain on the 17th December 1895. He served in the Sudan (Dongola), 1896, and received two medals, the Queen's and the Khedive's.
The Anglo-Egyptian conquest of Sudan in 1896–1899 was a reconquest of territory lost by the Khedives of Egypt in 1884 and 1885 during the Mahdist War. The British had failed to organise an orderly withdrawal of Egyptian forces from Sudan, and the defeat at Khartoum left only Suakin and Equatoria under Egyptian control after 1885. The conquest of 1896-99 defeated and destroyed the Mahdist state and re-established Anglo-Egyptian rule, which remained until Sudan became independent in 1956.
Lieutenant Astell was in Egypt from the 4th March 1896 to the 13th June 1897. The North Staffordshires were based at Cairo but were moved to garrison Halfa. The battalion was involved in the assault on the Ferket Dervish stronghold. There was also a Cholera epidemic which the North Staffordshire Battalion were severely hit by. Eventually the railway being built reached Kosheir, a distance of one hundred and eight miles, the battalion also repaired and helped with the construction of this railway.
Somerset served in the South African War from the 15th January 1900 to the 29th July 1902. He was the Intelligence Officer and Pass Officer, Wakkerstroom, from April, 1901 and was in charge of the Johannesburg Criminal Investigation Department 6th June, 1900 to the 25th February 1901. He was present at the Relief of Kimberley, during operations in the Orange Free State, February to May 1900; during actions at Karee Siding, Vet River (5th and 6th May) and Zand River; during operations in the Transvaal in May 1900, including actions near Johannesburg. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 16th April, 1901], and received the Queen's Medal with three clasps, and the King's Medal with two clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 19th April, 1901]: 'Somerset Charles Godfrey Fairfax Astell, Captain, North Staffordshire Regiment. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa'. (Insignia, etc, sent to the Commander-in-Chief, South Africa, and presented by the Duke of Cornwall and York 14th August 1901). He was nominated on the 29th November 1900 for the D.S.O.
The 2nd Battalion sailed in January 1900, and arrived at the Cape about the 3rd February. Along with the 2nd Cheshire Regiment, 2nd South Wales Borderers, and 1st East Lancashire Regiment, they formed the 15th Brigade under Major General Wavell, and part of the VIIth Division under Lieutenant General Tucker. The work of the division has been sketched under the 2nd Norfolk Regiment, and that of the brigade under 2nd Cheshire.
After the occupation of Johannesburg the battalion was stationed in the neighbourhood of that town, and frequently had hard marches and some fighting, particularly towards the end of August, in the first half of September 1900, and again towards the close of the campaign.
Twelve officers and 17 non-commissioned officers and men were mentioned in Lord Roberts' final despatch.
A Greek Subject Dimetry Charilaos, who was deported from Johannesburg in July, 1900, put a claim for compensation. He was a keeper of Tea Rooms in South Africa. He was also a member of the racecourse plot in Johannesburg, in which the 12 plotters had plans to murder the British officers, rush the Government offices and pillage the towns. All under the leadership of an ex German officer named Lorenz, alias Carl Millea. The other eleven were arrested, Dimetry was deported. The South African Deportation Compensation Commission met to decide the compensation. Captain Astell was one of three deponents in the 2nd North Stafford Regiment who were discharging police duties at the time.
Source : Gloucestershire EchoWednesday 13/11/1901
Captain Astell was an Adjutant, for the 4th North Staffordshire Quartered at Lichfield, 1902-3, which he resigned from on the 17th August 1903. He married on the 29th August 1903, at St Michael's Church, Chester Square, London, [he was residing at 128 Ebury Street], Frederica Beatrice, [nee Roberts], born 12th February 1877, [residing at Half Moon Street], baptised on the 16th March 1878, St Barnabas Oxfordshire, only child of James Frederick Roberts, CMG, FRGS, and Mary Beatrice, second daughter of Sankey Gardner, JP, of Eaglesbush Neath. James Frederick Roberts was a British diplomat who was appointed the rank of consul-general in 1914 to Odessa. James Frederick Roberts grave and his wife are buried at Ste Marguerite Anglo American (pt 3) Church burial ground, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France, with their daughter. Somerset Charles Godfrey Fairfax Astell retired on the 7th October 1903, with a retired pension of £120 a year.
On the 1st September 1914, he presided over a recruiting meeting in Piddlehinton School (now the Village Hall). The meeting was well attended and as a result, a number of men enlisted, mainly in the Dorsetshire Regiment.
Godfrey Astell re-enlisted in to the North Staffordshire Regiment on the 26th September 1914, and was based at home in the UK based as a Captain in March 1916. On the 3rd February 1916, Captain Astell went before a Medical Board and was declared unfit and sent on leave for one month. he again attends another Medical Board and again is declared unfit. Finally on the 23rd March 1916 he is passed fit finally for General Service.
He was then posted to the 8th (Service) Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, who were on the Somme on the 12th July 1916.
On the 27th September 1916, Captain Astell is transferred to the Royal Fusiliers.
On the 22nd October 1916, Captain Astell was admitted to the 20th General Hospital at Etaples, suffering from slight congestion of the Liver. [Congestive hepatopathy, is liver dysfunction due to venous congestion, usually due to congestive heart failure]. Captain Astell had a fondness for drink.
Mrs Astell residing at West Lodge, Dorchester received a letter from the War Office informing her of her husbands condition, however she was in Austria.
He embarked on the 25th October 1916. On the 31st October 1916, he was in front of a Medical Board who declared him unfit, he was granted leave, with a further two periods of leave until the 17th January 1917. On the 20th January 1917 he joins the 3rd (Reserve) North Staffordshire Regiment.
He was not really fit for the rigours of trench warfare and was invalided home to recover and was transferred to the 37th Labour Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers as a Company Commander. This was re-numbered the 107th Labour Company of the Labour Corps. After recovering he was stationed at Newcastle-upon-Tyne from December 1916 with his unit.
In mid-March he became ill and was admitted on Friday 23rd March 1916 at 4.30 pm in to the Northern General hospital, (Armstrong College), at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with acute pneumonia. He died on Saturday evening on the 24th March 1917 at 8.05pm of pneumonia.
He was buried in Jesmond, Newcastle-on-Tyne. Apparently he wanted to be buried with his family at Sandy in Bedfordshire.
His wife, who had not seen her husband for nearly three years was interned in Austria as an enemy alien on the outbreak of War. She happened to be staying there on holiday.
Captain Astell's favourite recreations were hunting, shooting and fishing.
There was a Military Funeral at Jesmond on the 29th March 1917.
However, a plaque to his memory is in St Mary's Church, Everton-cum-Tetworth, Beds. After his death West Lodge was sold to Colonel John Belgrave, DSO, who was serving with the General Staff, Royal Field Artillery. He was to become the father-in-law of Susan Belgrave.
In 1911, Frederica Beatrice Astell was lodging with her Mother Mary Beatrice Robert, now aged 61 at 9 Langham Street, London. Frederica died on the 22nd July 1956 at the Hotel Busby, 38 Rue Marechal Joffre, Nice, Alpes Maritime. She left effects of £7371 17s 1d. Probate dated 6th December Lloyds Bank Ltd.
Somerset Charles Godfrey Fairfax of West Lodge, Piddlehinton D.S.O. a captain in H.M. Army died 24th March 1917 at Newcastle Administration (with will limited) Blandford 9th July to George Dudley Docker solicitor of the attorney of Vigant William de Falbe D.S.O. Effects of £3266 3s.
Somerset Charles Godfrey Fairfax Astell is not remembered on a North East War Memorial, but is remembered on Piddlehinton War Memorial.
