TOPIC:

BOER WAR MEMORIAL MONUMENT
ST. ODWALD'S CHURCH,
CHURCH STREET,
OSWESTRY,
SHROPSHIRE,
SY12 2SY,
ENGLAND.

OS GRID REFERENCE: SJ289293











The monument is of a cross in the Celtic design and is sited to the side of St. Oswald's Church. It is purely commemorative and does not stand above the remains of a deceased person. The persons named thereon lay beneath the turf of a distant, foreign land.
From my photographs, one can see that there is evidence of encroaching moss growth from the base of the pedestal and lichen/moss almost obscuring the inscription.
Other than that, the monument is in very good order.

The front elevation is inscribed thus:
"THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE',F' COMPANY OF THE 2ND VOLUNTEER BATTALION, THE KING'S (SLI) SND FRIENDS TO COMMEMORATE THE BRAVERY AND DEDICATION OF LANCE CORPORAL JAMES KENYON OF THE ABOVE COMPANY WHO VOLUNTEERED AND SERVED IN SOUTH AFRICA IN THE BOER WAR AND WAS MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES FOR HIS SERVICES"
C.H.HILL. MAJOR
COMMANDING

Below this is a carved stone rifle with a slouch hat bearing the badge of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry.

The left elevation (from the front) :"ALSO TO THE MEMORY OF SERGEANT INSTRUCTOR WILLIAM LEE OF THE'D'(HODNET) COMPANY 2ND VOLUNTEER BATTALION THE KING'S SHROPSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY (A NATIVE OF OSWESTRY) WHO DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE IN SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE BOER WAR AND WAS ALSO MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES FOR HIS SERVICES."

The rear elevation:
"THIS MONUMENT WAS UNVEILED BY BRIGADIER GENERAL LLOYD, C.B.,;D.S.O.; OF ASTON HALL ON THE 19TH FEBRUARY 1905"
and below this on the pedestal:
"DESIGNED AND EXECUTED BY CORPORAL D.J.LEWIS"

The right elevation:
"TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF LANCE CORPORAL JAMES KENYON OF OSWESTRY WHO DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE IN SOUTH AFRICA DURING THE BOER WAR"

James Kenyon attested to the King's Shropshire Light Infantry at Haslingden, Shropshire on 16th January 1900 with the service number 7300. Sadly, he died of disease at Bloemfontein on 4rd March 1901. He is commemorated on monument 2 at President Avenue, Bloemfontein where he was interred.
The "UK Army Register of Deceased Soldiers Effects' records that his money owed by H.M.Government totalling £12 11shillings and 6 pence was paid to his father Henry.

William Lee died of disease at Bloemfontein on 13th April 1901 and is also interred at this location.
He is commemorated on the St. Chad's statue in Shrewsbury.

Pres Brand Cemetery, Bloemfontein
British Memorial

On 25th June 1903, a tablet was unveiled in the Municipal Buildings, Oswestry. It recorded the names of all those from the Borough who had served in South Africa.


Wellington Journal, 27th June 1903

The following is the inscription on the tablet, which was supplied by Mr A. Lashmore, Oswestry: –

Transvaal War, 1899-1902. This tablet is erected by the Corporation of Oswestry in grateful recognition of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men who served in the Imperial Forces from the Borough of Oswestry: –

Colonel LLOYD, C.B., D.S.O.
Captain LONGUEVILLE
Captain LEIGHTON
Lieutenant LONGUEVILLE
Lieutenant Reginald Brunel De BURGHO HODGE
Lieutenant DUMVILLE LEES

Private E.W. ADAMS
Private T.E. ALLDRIDGE
Private Walter ALLDRITT
Trooper T.H. BARROW, (Imperial Yeomanry)
Trooper E. BAYLEY (Imperial Yeomanry)
Trooper R.L. BOWEN (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private T. BOWYER
Private BRIGGS
Sergeant W.H. BROMLEY (Volunteer),
Sergeant Joseph Harcourt BYRNE (Volunteer)
Sergeant John Thomas BYRNE (Volunteer)
Lance-Corporal E.C. CARRINGTON
Private James CARTER
Private John CARTER
Private CHIDLOW
Quartermaster-Sergeant B. CLARKE (Imperial Yeomanry)
Trooper W. COATES (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private Harry COLEMAN (Volunteer)
Trooper E.S. COOKE (Imperial Yeomanry)
Trooper J. Shirley DAVIES (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private Joseph DAVIES
Private William Herbert DAVIES
Quartermaster-Sergeant J.W. DOWNES (Imperial Yeomanry)
Trooper George EVANS
Lance-Corporal John EVANS (Volunteer)
Sergeant-Major W. EVANS (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private R. FARDOE
Private John FRANCIS (died 15th February, 1901)
Private J. FRASER
Private W. GLOVER
Private W. GOODE
Private David GRIFFITHS
Private Thomas HAMPSON (Volunteer)
Trooper C.H. HOWELL (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private D. HOWELL
Private Arthur Fras. HUGHES
Private J. HUGHES
Private Price HUGHES
Private William Llewelyn HUGHES
Private Albert JONES
Corporal E.B. JONES (Volunteer)
Private Edward JONES (died May 13th, 1900)
Private Edward JONES
Trooper R.M. JONES (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private Reuben JONES
Private Thomas JONES
Trooper G. KEDDIE (Imperial Yeomanry)
Lance-Corporal James KENYON (Volunteer, died 3rd March, 1901)
Trooper Thomas LASHMORE (Imperial Yeomanry)
Trooper A. LEDWITH (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private H. LEE
Private Joseph LEE
Colour-Sergeant William LEE (Volunteer, died 13th April, 1901)
Sergeant C. LLOWARCH
Private John LLOYD
Trooper Norman LLOYD (imperial Yeomanry, died 20th April, 1902)
Trooper F.V.M. MADOC (Imperial Yeomanry)
Sergeant Eli MARSH
Private Alexander MARTIN (died January 29th, 1901)
Colour-Sergeant A.E. MATTHEWS
Private John Henry MILLS (Volunteer)
Trooper James OWEN (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private James OWEN
Private Herbert Stanley OWEN
Private W. OWEN
Private James PASSANT
Private John Charles PHILLIPS (Volunteer)
Private Elias PHILLIPS
Private John PHILLIPS
Trooper Edwin POTTER (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private Charles PRICE
Trooper D. PRICE (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private J. PRICE
Trooper John PRITCHARD (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private Edward QUILLAM
Farrier-Sergeant Charles Henry ROBERTS (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private David ROBERTS
Corporal Edward ROBERTS (Volunteer)
Sergeant-Major John ROBERTS
Private Robert ROBERTS
Corporal Thomas ROBERTS (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private Walter ROBERTS
Trooper D. REES
Trooper W. SWANNICK (Imperial Yeomanry)
Trooper F.R. TANSWELL (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private C.E. TAYLOR
Trooper Alfred THOMAS (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private Edward THOMAS
Private John THOMAS
Trooper R.H. THOMAS (Imperial Yeomanry)
Trooper H. TRUSCOTT (Imperial Yeomanry)
Trooper A. TURNER (Imperial Yeomanry)
Private George TYNAN (died 31st May, 1900)
Private George VAUGHAN
Private John W. VAUGHAN
Trooper Henry WALKER
Trooper Bert WILLIAMS
Private Fred WILLIAMS
Trooper Henry WILLIAMS
Private James WILLIAMS
Trooper John WILLIAMS
Private Richard WILLIAMS
Private Thomas WILLIAMS (Volunteer)
Private W. WILLIAMS
Trooper William WILLIAMS
Trooper J. WOODWARD
Private Henry YOUNG



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