William Slade Vincent

2.1
Major William Slade Vincent in Townsville, Queensland

Whilst maintaining his business interests, Major Vincent joined the Queensland Defence Force which consisted of volunteers and militia groups. The officers of the force were not paid but Major Vincent had an income derived from his stock and station business.

This move, to a military life, was to have a significant influence on the early life of his son William as after his schooling he immediately joined the army.

Major Vincent became an Acting Captain with “B” Company, Townsville on 9th May 1885.

Acting Captain, Townsville [9]

He rose through the ranks of the Q.D.F. and it was announced in an Ipswich Qld. newspaper that he was promoted to Captain on 15th May 1885. His appointment was officially confirmed on 28th April 1886 by the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Queensland and its Dependencies.

Captain, Townsville

When his promotion to Captain was announce at the meeting in the Townsville Town Hall, it was received with delight by those assembled at the meeting.

Captain Vincent’s Appointment to Townsville received rousing cheers

On 12th and 13th August 1885, Major Vincent was at the Annual General Meeting of the Townsville Turf Club (as Chairman of Committees). [10] Horse racing was a major sport at the time and Major Vincent was a keen racegoer and it would lead to “influential connections” with Townsville’s businessmen.

It was decided by the Q.D.F. that, then Captain Vincent, would benefit from further military training, which was to be conducted by the British Army in England, and he sailed for England on the “Duke of Argyll” on 24th January 1886.

Directed to England for Military Studies

Transcript:

.....“Captain W. S. Vincent and Lieutenant A. H. Rourke leave to-morrow by the B.I.S.N. [British India Steam Navigation] Company’s steamship Duke of Argyll. The former goes direct to England, while the latter intends to visit Ceylon, India, and Japan, and proceed thence via America to England.”.....

On arriving in England, Major Vincent secured an attachment with the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers (the old 89th).

Attached to Royal Irish Fusiliers

At this time, England was a dominant power in the world and one of the celebrations held, just prior to Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, was the Indian and Colonial Exhibition in London in May 1886.

The exhibition was attended by Queen Victoria on 7th May, along with many thousands of dignitaries from across Britain’s Colonial Empire. It attracted 5.5 million visitors in the 6 months it ran. Major Vincent was chosen as one of the representatives from the Colony of Queensland.

Representative for the Colony of Queensland at Indian and Colonial Exhibition 1886 [11]

Major (then Captain) William Vincent 1886 [12]

After about three months at the School of Instruction at Aldershot, England, Major Vincent qualified as a field officer.

Major Vincent Passes as a Field Officer

When Major Vincent returned from England, he was promoted to Major on 15th December 1886 and took over command of “B” Company, the Kennedy Regiment, in Townsville.

Promotion to Major [13]

On 30th October 1886, the 3rd Queensland Regiment was gazetted and based at Kissing Point, Townsville (later named Jezzine Barracks) with Major William Slade Vincent as its first commanding officer. [14]

Kissing Point 1906 [15]

Major Vincent’s career progressed and in November 1887 he was seconded to the Board of Examiners in Townsville. This board was comprised of officers who had attained the rank of Major and their task was to grade officers who were seeking promotion. He continued in this role until 1891.

Townsville Board of Examiners 1887 [16]

When in Townsville he saw a business opportunity, and in 1888 became a director of the newly floated Townsville Omnibus Company. [An Omnibus was a horse drawn coach pulled along on tracks, similar railway tracks.]

Townsville Omnibus Company

In 1889, he was granted leave, from the Q.D.F., to proceed to Suakim, on the Red Sea in the Sudan, Africa and there to take up active duty with the British Imperial Forces. The Imperial Force was composed of many military contingents from the Colonies of Great Britain, including India, Australia and Egypt.

Six months leave to go to Suakim [17]

He boarded the “Quetta” on 1st January 1889, for the Sudan. [18] But when he landed the Egyptian Army contingent of the British forces, led by Lord Kitchener, who was to gain fame on the battlefields of Europe in WW1, had already defeated the Mahdist State, even after a lengthy siege by the Mahdists.

After failing to engage in the war, Major Vincent proceeded to England and then returned to Qld. There were many reports, in Australian newspapers, of Major Vincent’s exploits whilst he was away, and some were quite sarcastic.

Before Major Vincent arrived back in Townsville on the “Taroba” on 15th May 1889, a friend received a letter from him that was shown to a Qld. newspaper, the Northern Miner.

War Office could not manage a war for him, just at present

and another:

More peaceable mood

and yet another:

He was prevented from falling like a soldier

On 15th December 1886, Major Vincent was “unattached” from active duty in the Army but still served on the Examiners Board.

Major Vincent Unattached [19]

He finally retired from the Q.L.D. on the same date, 15th December 1886.

Major Vincent Retires [20]

He owned two properties in or near Townsville which were in his name. The first was in the town of Camoomilli (now Picnic Bay) on Magnetic Island, off the coast of Townsville. The second was a Townsville town block.

His contribution to the town of Townsville was later recognized with a suburb, Vincent, being named after him.

In 1894, Major Vincent was reportedly prospecting in W.A. and a short account of his time in W.A. was published in the Northern Miner newspaper. No further reports of his prospecting exploits and how successful he was are known.

Major Vincent prospecting in W.A.

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[9] State Library of Queensland - Blue Book 1885
[10] Queenslander (Brisbane, Queensland : 1866 - 1939), Saturday 23 May 1885, page 828 (2)
[11] Brisbane Courier (Queensland : 1864 - 1933), Friday 18 June 1886, page 3
[12] Ancestry
[13] State Library of Queensland - Blue Book 1886
[14] A Gazette is a document, produced and distributed by the government, announcing decisions and laws of the government.
[15] Jezzine Barracks Military Museum
[16] Queensland Government Gazette
[17] Queensland Government Gazette 1889 P90
[18] Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Wednesday 2 January 1889, page 5
[19] State Library of Queensland - Blue Book 1889
[20] State Library of Queensland - Blue Book 1893