Lieutenant Duncan Robertson NAPIER (1871–1898)

Duncan Robertson Napier was born in Croydon on 6 October 1871 and baptised at Holy Saviour Church there on 19 November. He was the eldest son of the civil engineer William Henry Edward Napier and Annie Walker Robertson, who were married in the Wandsworth district in 1870.

At the time of the 1881 census Duncan (9) was at home at 80 Radcliffe Gardens, Chelsea with his parents and his siblings William (8), Francis (6), and Katherine (3), plus the family's five servants (a nurse, cook, parlourmaid, and two housemaids).

He was educated at Elstree Preparatory School and Harrow, and then at the beginning of 1891 passed into Sandhurst. The census that year shows him as a 19-year-old military cadet, still living at 80 Radcliffe Gardens with his parents and two of his siblings, plus four servants.

He passed out from Sandhurst first on the list and in 1892 joined the 1st Battalion of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry and served with it at Gosport, Kinsale, and Cork until 1894, when he exchanged to the 2nd Battalion in Bareilly.

His father died in Edinburgh on 2 August 1894.

Lieutenant Napier embarked for England on 27 March 1897 on twelve months' general leave, and on 12 May 1897 he acted as the best man of Charles J. Wilkie of his regiment at St Basil’s Church, Bassalleg, South Glamorgan.

He evidently returned to the 2nd Battalion before this leave was up, and in 1897/8 he served both on the Punjab Frontier and at Tirah. In September 1897 while on active service he fell on the hilt of his sword and seriously injured his side. After the Mohmand Expedition he returned to Peshawar and remained there until December 1897. He was then passed fit for service and joined the Regiment again at Ali Musjid.

After suffering a severe winter on the Khyber he reluctantly returned to Peshawar and on 26 March 1898 embarked for England (on medical certificate) for six months. He travelled by easy stages to England, arriving home in April.

Serious complications to his wound set in, and he died in London on 24 October 1898 at the age of 27 as a result of his injury, and his funeral was held at St John the Baptist Church in Holland Road. He was buried in Edinburgh with his father (see grave).

He was posthumously awarded the India Medal with two clasps, and on the Tirah War Memorial he is described as having “died of disease on active service”.

His obituary appeared in the Oxford Light Infantry Chronicle for 1898, pp. 279–80, plus a portrait opposite p. 280.

His effects came to £214 16s. 6d., and his mother was his executor. His probate record gave his address at death as 43 Elsham Road, Middlesex.