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Hi Frank,

Thanks again for your speedy reply.

I will pass the information onto my neighbour. Apologies for asking the questions but I am slightly in the dark as I haven't looked on Ancestry yet.

FYI

My great uncles were in 3rd & 4th Militia Battalion's Border Regiment.

3rd were embodied Jan 1900 and posted to Fermoy, Ireland to replace regular Battalion sent to South Africa.

My relative in 4th Battalion had signed Militia Reserve forms so was mobilised as an individual and along with several other Border Militia MR soldiers was posted to 1st ELR - from memory his ELR allocated number was 6367 - and served in South Africa 1900/1902.

Regards

Steve Y

Hi,

Just a quick update regarding additional information I have discovered regarding Matthew Spark in a 1997 book "The Black Angel" (a reference to the Boer War Memorial in Penrith, Cumbria) by local author Colin Bardgett. The book details the activities of the 1st Volunteer Company, Border Regiment in South Africa 1900/1901.

Matthew Spark and his friend George Teasdale are mentioned several times in the text. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a couple of original photographs that my neighbour gave to me are reproduced in the book with an informative caption.

There is mention of the contingent travelling to Hulme Barracks, Manchester in October 1901 to be presented with their QSA (no clasps attached at that stage) by no other than Lord Roberts.

Regards

Steve Y

Hulme Barracks must have been quite magnificent back in the 19th century, a good place to receive a medal, from memory, I think it was the home of the 15th Hussars for many years, sadly, long gone, a friend of mine used to live in the officers mess after it's conversion into apartments, but still a superb grade two listed building.

Tullybrone wrote: Hi,

Just a quick update regarding additional information I have discovered regarding Matthew Spark in a 1997 book "The Black Angel" (a reference to the Boer War Memorial in Penrith, Cumbria) by local author Colin Bardgett. The book details the activities of the 1st Volunteer Company, Border Regiment in South Africa 1900/1901.

Matthew Spark and his friend George Teasdale are mentioned several times in the text. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a couple of original photographs that my neighbour gave to me are reproduced in the book with an informative caption.

There is mention of the contingent travelling to Hulme Barracks, Manchester in October 1901 to be presented with their QSA (no clasps attached at that stage) by no other than Lord Roberts.

Regards

Steve Y