King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

The work of Henry Buckton Laurence (1842-1886)

Henry Buckton Laurence was a King's Own Royal Regiment officer who was also a published artist. It is know that three volumes of his work were published and some of his illustrations of the South African War of 1879 were published in the Illustrated London News.

Henry was born on the 9th September 1842 at Zante, in the Greek Ionian Islands.  He was commissioned at he age of 18 years and 9 months and joined the 2nd Battalion of the 4th (King's Own Royal) Regiment of Foot.  He was Ensign, with purchase, 18th June, 1861, Lieutenant, with purchase, 30th June 1865, and Captain in 1873.  He served in the South African (Zulu) War in 1879.   He was promoted Major in 1881

He was seconded from the 2nd Battalion for Staff Service, 1884-1886, his obituary records him as the Deputy Assistant Quarter Master General (DAQMG) at Deesa, a post located near the Khyber Pass in the North West Frontier Province of India.   He died at the age of 43 years at his uncles (Saffery Johnson) home in Wimbledon on 8th March 1886, it could be assumed that he was at home, in England, on leave, or may be he was already sick.  He was recorded as the eldest surviving of George H D Laurence of Florence, Italy.

Major Henry Buckton Laurence's Service:

England, Chester Castle, 18 June 1861 to 21 August 1861
Corfu, Ionian Islands, 22 August 1861 to 2 June 1864
Malta, 3 June 1864 to 26 March 1866
British North America, 27 March 1866 to 5 July 1868
Dublin 6 July 1868 to 29 May 1869
Chester 30 May 1869 to 31 March 1870
Aldershot March 1871 to August 1872
Woolwich August 1872 to July 1874
Ireland July 1874 to July 1877
On Active Service in South Africa December 1878
Embarked on ‘Teuton’ 13 December 1878, arrived Cape Town 9 January 1879 and Durban 13 January 1879
Battle of Inhlobana Hill 28 March 1879
Battle of Kambula 29 March 1879
Reconnaissance before Ulundi 3 July 1879
Battle of Ulundi 4 July 1879
Attack on Manyanyoba’s Cave
Embarked Durban on HMT ‘Malabar’ 8 February 1880 for Bombay.
Service in India, including Poona, Bombay, until his secondment to the Staff.

Items in the museum's collection:

Major Henry Buckton Laurence.
Accession Number: KO0833/04i & KO2590/379

Another important work by Henry Buckton Laurence is  “Sketches of Canadian Sports and Pastimes dedicated by kind permission HRH Lieutenant Prince Arthur of the Rifle Brigade, by Lieutenant Henry Buckton Laurence” Published by Thomas McLean, 7 Haymarket, London, 28th July 1870, the lithographer was Vincent Brooks, Day & Son.

All the prints are signed with the monogram HBL.

1. Coasting in British North America
2. Tobogganing in Upper Canada
3. Tobogganing at Prince Edward Island – The Start
4. A Corner of the Rink, Halifax, Nova Scotia
5. Curling On The Lakes, Near Halifax, Nova Scotia
6. Sailing Ice Boat
7. Trotting Match on the Ice – Prince Edward Island
8. Prince Edward Island – “Royal Mail” In the Winter Crossing Gulf of St. Lawrence Between Brule & Cape Tormentine
9. Common American Brown Bear
10. Bringing A Few Friends to Dine in Barracks
11. Sending Them Home
12. Tandem Meeting A Wood Sledge in a Narrow Road
13. The First Sleigh Drive, Going Down Hill
14. Gone Away
15. Wild Goose Shooting
16. Indian Camp & Keeper
17. Moose Tracking
18. Moose Calling
19. Off the Tracks.

* Prince Arthur, Queen Victoria’s favourite son, later the Duke of Connaught, was Governor-General of Canada 1911-1916. Prince Arthur had visited Halifax in September 1869 before commencing a one year tour of duty with the Rifle Brigade in Canada.

Sadly the King's Own Museum does not have any of these illustrations, however examples of his prints are in:
The Public Archives of Canada (Picture Division)
The McCord Museum
The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
The David M Stewart Museum
The Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum, Charlottetown
A complete bound edition of his Sketches of Canadian Sports and Pastimes is in the Metro Toronto Reference Library.
 

Memorial to Major Henry Buckton Laurence in the King's Own Royal Regiment's Chapel, at Lancaster Priory Church.