Location of Grave:
Highland Road Cemetery (See map)
O/S: SZ 658 988.
William Temple V.C.
Surgeon General Indian Army
Royal Regiment of Artillery
Medal won: Rangiriri, New Zealand, 20 November 1863.
Gazetted: 22 September 1864.
Born: Monaghan, Co. Monaghan, Ireland. 7 November 1833.
Died: Tunbridge Wells. 13 February 1919.
Medal: Not publicly held.
Details of the Award
On 20 November 1863 at Rangiriri, New Zealand, during an assault on the enemy's position,
Assistant Surgeon Temple, together with another officer (PICKARD, A.F.) exposed themselves
to imminent danger in crossing the entrance to the Maori keep at a point upon which the
enemy were concentrating their fire, in order to render assistance to the wounded. Both officers
showed great calmness under most trying circumstances.
History
We don't know much about William Temple's early life but he was educated at Rev. John Bleckley's Private School, Co. Monaghan & Trinity College, Dublin and by 1862 he was living in Auckland, New Zealand where on 21st October he married Anne Theodosia, 4th daughter of Colonel [Later Major-General] T.R. Mould CB RE, Commanding Royal Engineers in NZ. Their first two children were born in New Zealand (Annie Georgina born 18th August 1863, died 2nd July 1953 aged 89 at 64 Gains Road, Southsea and Beatrice Frances, born 19th May 1865). Their third daughter, Elizabeth Alice Hickman Temple was born on 6th August 1866 by which time the family were back living in Monaghan, Ireland. They then moved to Woolwich and two more daughters (Mabel Eva Sanders Temple, born 1868 and Ethel Kate Murphy Beames Temple born 1870) and a son (William Arthur Mould Temple born 1872) were added to the family. Four more children, Reginald, Bertram, Frank and Eleanor were born between 1878 and 1881 when the family were living at "Moray House", Waverley Grove, Southsea (1881 Census). At the same time his father-in-law was living at 2 Eastern Villas Road.
Temple had begun his military career as Assistant Surgeon on 1st November 1858 and was transferred to the Royal Artillery on 11th January 1859. He became Surgeon, Army Medical Department on 1st November 1868 and from 18th October 1873 was Surgeon Major stationed in Portsmouth and in charge of the Station Hospital, Portsea. From 1884-1889 he served in India as Lieutenant-Colonel and as Secretary to Surgeon-General of the Indian Army Medical Services. On 10th April 1885 he became Brigade Surgeon and from 1886-1889 was Honorary Surgeon to His Excellency the Viceroy of India. He retired on ist November 1889.
