1697 Sergeant Edward Coffey 1878-4/5/1904

Personal Items

In a letter to his sister, Mr Edward Coffey, who went to South Africa in the same boat as the fourth Contingent, says that the Imperial authorities have awarded him a certificate of merit for bravery, at the front, and have also given him a trip to England. The incident for which he has received recognition was one in which he, single-handed, kept at bay some 20 Boers, fighting until his ammunition was gone. Mr Coffey is the eldest son of Sergeant Coffey, formerly of the Bluff and Port Chalmers.   -Otago Witness, 1/10/1902.

VOLUNTEER NOTICES. 

DISTRICT ORDER, No. 111a.

Volunteer and Militia Office, Dunedin, May 5, 1904. 

BURIAL PARADE. 

The FUNERAL of the late Sergeant EDWARD COFFEY, late of the South African Light Horse and Johannesburg Mounted Police, will leave No. 45 Maclaggan street, at 2.30 p.m., SATURDAY; the 7th inst., for the Southern Cemetery. 

B Battery N.Z.F.A.V. to furnish Gun Carriage and Drivers. 

Dunedin Rifles to furnish Firing Party. 

Garrison Band to attend.

Volunteers and Returned Troopers are invited to attend. 

Dress: Review Order.

By order. E. B. MICKLE, Lieut.

Dist. Staff Officer.  -Otago Daily Times, 6/5/1904.

The remains of the late Sergeant Edward Coffey, formerly of the South African Light Horse and the Johannesburg Mounted Police, were interred in the Southern Roman Catholic Cemetery on Saturday afternoon with military honours. The funeral left the residence of deceased's uncle, Mr P. O'Brien, of the Anchor Private Hotel, Maclaggan street, at 2.50, led by the firing party, which was furnished by the Dunedin Rifle Corps. Following was the Dunedin Garrison Band, playing the "Dead March" in "Saul," and then came the gun carriage bearing the coffin, covered by the Union Jack, on which were placed numerous wreaths sent by friends and relatives of the deceased. The gun carriage and drivers were furnished by the B Battery, N.Z.F.A.V., and representatives of the Dunedin Highland Rifles, various naval corps, and City Guards, and several returned troopers were also in attendance. The remainder of the cortege was composed of private mourning carriages containing the relatives, and numerous friends of deceased followed on foot.  -Otago Daily Times, 9/5/1904.

Sergeant Edward Coffey, who was one of the many New Zealanders who served with distinction in the South African regiments during the course of the Boer war, died at his residence, Dunedin, on Wednesday morning, the cause being injuries and privations sustained while on service. The deceased served under Lord Dundonald in the South African Light Horse, and acted on several occasions as one of General Buller's personal escort, subsequently exchanging into the Johannesburg Mounted Police, in which corps he became a sergeant. The deceased was a son of the late Sergeant Coffey, an ex-pupil of the Christian Brothers School, and a native of Port Chalmers.   -Otago Witness, 11/5/1904.

Southern Cemetery, Dunedin.