TOPIC:

In St John-in-the-Square Church, Wolverhampton.









(Apologies for the central third of the inscription not matching the other two, I slipped up taking the photos.)

Hello Berenice,

I am sure that this is your man on the memorial below. Corporal William Garfield was KIA in the Vryheid District of Natal (Transvaal during the Boer War) on the 20/05/1900.

Several of the men on this memorial including him are to be found on the casualty list for Bethunes Mounted Infantry in the Casualty Roll of the Natal Field Force.

Again pic courtesy of the eGGSA Library.

I am really enjoying these posts of yours.

Regards
Adrian

555 Corporal William Garfield was KIA at Scheepers Nek in the brief engagement that resulted after Bethune had been ordered to leave Dundee to pursue members of both the Vryhied and Swaziland Commando, he fought a short but bloody action on Sunday the 20th of May 1900.
Wonderful photographs in both posts here!

Berenice,

These are outstanding. Please keep going!

Justin

Berenice

I echo the appreciation already expressed by Adrian and Justin, and I hope that we will be seeing many more such posts. Garfield's memorial in Wolverhampton is exceptional!

Regards
Brett

Here's a description of the history behind the window.

"Description: Jesus with the Centurion. 'I say unto you I have not found as great a faith, no, not in all Israel' Luke 7:9

Artist: S Evans, West Smethwick

Inscription:

To the glory of God and in affectionate memory of William Garfield of Bethunes Mounted Infantry who was killed in action a Scheepers Nek Vryheid, Transvaal. May 20th 1900 aged 30. This window was placed here by his family May 1901.

Corporal William Garfield was the eldest son of William Garfield, wholesale corn factor and flour sellers of 1&2 Worcester Street. His father was at one time a Warden of the church.

Express & Star, Friday 25th May 1900: "Pretoria May 22. The Landrost of Vryheid report that about sixty British cavalry on Sunday afternoon came into collision with eighty men of the Swaziland Commando under Commandant Blignant at Scheepers Nek, with the result that only about twenty British escaped. Thirteen men including one lieutenant and two subalterns were taken prisoner. Of the twenty British who escaped some were wounded. The Federal losses were one Swaziland Burgher killed and one slightly wounded. -- The exact figures of the British casualties were 27 killed, 25 wounded and 11 taken prisoner. The loot included 25 horses, 2 maxims and ammunition. The Federals assisted in removing the wounded and burying the dead".

William Garfield went out to South Africa in 1893, and shortly after arrival obtained the appointment as secretary of the Ferreira Deep Mining Corporation of Johannesburg. On the out break of war he, with many other 'Uitlanders', had to clear out of the Transvaal. He went first to Lorenco Marques and from there to Durban, where he joined Colonel Bethune's Corps of Mounted Infantry. He was present on duty by the Naval guns at the battle of Colenso, but escaped unharmed. Had he lived another six days be would have celebrated his 31st birthday, and probably taken part in the entry of Lord Roberts into Pretoria."
www.historywebsite.co.uk/listed/StJohns/johns05.htm

His name also appears on Wolverhampton's South African War memorial in St Peter's Church but his rank is given as Trooper.