TOPIC:

A most attractive monument and unusual for an Anglo Boer War example in it's depiction of a soldier in Home Service Dress.

BereniceUK wrote: In Whitehead Gardens; it was originally sited in the Market Place, being unveiled on the 18th of March 1905,, but was moved in 1920. A matching statue was unveiled in Salford on 13th July the same year. www.angloboerwar.com/forum/17-memorials-...ord-lancashire#54497

An excellent photo of the unveiling of the Bury memorial can be seen here: - buryculture.wordpress.com/2016/08/05/mem...frican-war-memorial/

TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY
OF LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS
LINE, MILITIA & VOLUNTEERS,
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR
THEIR SOVEREIGN & COUNTRY
IN SOUTH AFRICA 1900-2,
THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED
BY THEIR COMRADES OF ALL
RANKS & BY FRIENDS OF
THE REGIMENT.

davidh wrote: I had that information Berenice but if you can find anything on Pratt in due course I'd be most grateful. He's mentioned in 'The Devil's Hill' by Fred Holcroft as a coal miner from Scholes, Wigan although he was living in Chorley as you mention. He originally enlisted with three friends. In the regimental enlistment register under distinguishing marks it was noted that his back was scarred by coal while working in narrow seams. Hard times indeed. His initial on the memorial and on his QSA is shown as 'J' which is wrong as his first name was Isaac.

David

At long last Chorley Local Studies has reopened, and this morning I found the following:

....The only local soldier so far reported killed in the flanking movement carried out last week in Natal by Sir Charles Warren, is Private J. Pratt, of the 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers, one of the reservists who left Chorley a couple of months ago. He hailed from Wigan, and had only been in Chorley about six months, having been employed at one of the Coppull collieries. Deceased was an unmarried man, and had been residing at Mr. J. Longworth's lodging-house, 46, Bolton-street, Chorley. He was one of the men who were entertained to dinner at the Royal Oak Hotel, and for the information of the gentlemen who were then present, it may be stated that he occupied the end seat nearest the chairman on that occasion. During the dinner Pratt appeared to be particularly quiet, and this was the subject of remark among one or two gentlemen present.
Chorley Guardian, Saturday 3rd February 1900

Many thanks for that information Berenice. It's certainly filled in some gaps in my knowledge of Pratt.

David

Different sources give his first initital as J., so I wonder if he chose to go by the name John or Jack, rather than Isaac. Isaac would remain his official name.

The medal naming with the initial J follows the medal roll and I've found mistranscribing J for I as well as I for J several times and initials being misinterpreted on handwritten medal rolls resulting in the errors being duplicated on medals. A recent acquisition to another man also forenamed Isaac shows up as T and J in the medal rolls. The casualty roll also shows Pratt's initial as J but that would follow official casualty returns which were often notoriously inaccurate. It's strange that the Chorley Guardian story uses the initial J though.