Introduction

Biography

Booth was the son of Will­iam Thorn­hill Tuck­er. He mar­ried three times, to Lou­isa Ma­ry Bode (1877, Am­rit­sar, In­dia), Em­ma Moss Booth (1888), and Min­nie Reid (1906).

He served with the Brit­ish ar­my in Ben­gal, then joined the Sal­va­tion Ar­my (SA) in 1881. Based on his pri­or ex­pe­ri­ence, the SA sent him back to In­dia in 1882.

To reach the un­touch­ables, he adopt­ed their dress and be­came known as Fa­kir Singh, the Li­on of God.

He was pro­mot­ed to Com­mis­sion­er, and in 1891 was trans­ferred to SA In­ter­na­tion­al Head­quar­ters, where he and his sec­ond wife, Em­ma, worked as joint Com­mis­sion­ers for For­eign Af­fairs.

They were sent to Am­eri­ca in 1896; Em­ma died there in a train wreck in 1903. Fred­er­ick re­turned to SA In­ter­na­tion­al Head­quar­ters in 1904, where he be­came For­eign Sec­re­ta­ry.

He mar­ried his third wife, SA Co­lo­nel Min­nie Reid, in 1906, and the next year they were trans­ferred to In­dia. The Vice­roy award­ed Fred­er­ick the me­dal of Kai­se-ri-Hind in 1913.

He re­turned to Bri­tain in 1919, and re­tired from the SA in 1924.