TOPIC:

Sedbergh was in the West Riding of Yorkshire until 1974, when it was moved to the newly-formed ceremonial county of Cumbria.

"Red sandstone. Square plan. Four-step plinth, square base with lettered panel in each side, square tapered shaft with chamfered corners, chamfered cornice and wheel cross. The panels on the base each have 2 bands of raised lettering in Arts-and-Crafts style giving the names and units of the fallen, with the dates and places of their deaths."
historicengland.org.uk/images-books/photos/item/IOE01/16414/12

It's a Grade II listed structure.
britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101384172-b...edbergh#.X5LSfZKSnIU

All the photographs in this post are credited to Sedbergh School, and were very kindly taken for us by the school's archivist.


Captain Hugh Maxwell Blair 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Lieutenant Frederick Guthrie Tait 2nd Black Watch
Lieutenant Wilfred Moss Johnson 32nd (Lancashire) Company Imperial Yeomanry
Private George William Pollock 19th Hussars
Lieutenant Robert James Thomas Digby-Jones V.C. 23rd Field Company Royal Engineers
Lance Corporal Ernest William Mocatta Imperial Light Horse

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North side -
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East side -
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South side -
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West side -



....We regret to announce the death at Ladysmith of Mr. Ernest W. Mocatta, youngest son of Major-General Mocatta, of this city. Mr. Mocatta was killed on the 6th inst. He had been a resident at Durban for nearly four years, and on the raising of the Imperial Light Horse by the late Col. Scott Chisholme he threw up his civil employment and joined the regiment as a trooper at Pietermaritzburg. Shortly afterwards he proceeded with the regiment to Ladysmith, where it has taken a prominent part in all the fighting in that district. At the Battle of Elandslaagte Mr. Mocatta was in the front firing line, and gained his first experience of being under fire. Owing to the close investment of Ladysmith it has been cut off from communication for several weeks. According to the reports that have been received of the severe fighting on the 6th inst., the Imperial Light Horse bore the brunt of the first fierce attack, losing very heavily both in officers and men. Mr. Mocatta was only 27 years of age. He was at one time a member of the Royal Chester Rowing Club, and also the secretary of the Chester Hockey Club.
Cheshire Observer, Saturday 27th January 1900
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....Golfers will learn with regret that the new Lieut. F. G. Tait's death has been confirmed. His father, Professor P. G. Tait, of Edinburgh University, has received a telegram, dated "Wynberg Hospital, February 14th, 11.30 a.m.," and saying, "Freddy killed instantaneously." As will be remember, it was reported last Tuesday that he had been shot through the body while defending a kopje during General Macdonald's reconnaissance near Koodoosberg, last week, and that he exclaimed, when falling, "They have got me at last!" Lieut. Frederick Guthrie Tait was, in the opinion of many capable judges, the finest amateur golfer Scotland has ever produced. His brilliant performances on the links have been recounted many times without number, but it may not be generally known that, like his brother, J. G. Tait, the old Cantab, now in India, he was a fine footballer. At both Sedbergh and the R. M. A., Sandhurst, he had a place in the football fifteens, and later he did good service as a forward for Edinburgh Wanderers and Edinburgh Academicals. At the "roaring game" he was also an adept. He was born on January 11th, 1870, joined the army in 1890, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1893. He accomplished a remarkable performance at St. Andrew's on his twenty-third birthday, driving a ball a distance of 341 yards 9 inches - the longest authenticated drive on record. The course was frost-bound, but there was no wind to help him."
Daily News [London], Friday 16th February 1900
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....The friends of Lieutenant Hugh M. Blair, of the Seaforth Highlanders, yesterday received a similar telegram respecting that young officer. The rumour of the death of Lieutenant Blair in the action in which the Highland Brigade took part at Koodoosberg on 9th February, reached Edinburgh on the same day that unofficial intimation was received of the death of his fellow-townsman and brother officer, Lieutenant F. G. Tait, in the same engagement, but confirmation of his death only reached his relatives, as indicated, yesterday. Lieutenant Blair, who was 28 years of age, was a son of the late Sheriff Blair, of the Lothians and Peebleshire. He joined the Seaforth Highlanders as Second Lieutenant on 7th November 1891, and was promoted to Lieutenant on 16th July 1894. He was employed on staff service with the West African Frontier Force from February 1898 to April 1899.
Edinburgh Evening News, Monday 19th February 1900
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....Sir, - I should like to make good an omission in your list of Public School old boys serving in South Africa at present. Sedbergh School had lately certainly 58 there, among whom was Tait, the golfer.
....I send this addition to your list as you had mentioned the school in the list of scholarships, but had, I presume, no information on the other point. - Yours truly, ....July 26.
Daily News [London], Friday 27th July 1900
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....SCHOOL NOTES. - The following old Sedberghians, in addition to those previously mentioned, are now on their way to the front - B. A. Hirst, second-lieutenant, commanding a company of the 1st West Yorks; H. Stapleton, Imperial Yeomanry; K. L. Tuner, South African Constabulary; A.H. Carter, Civil Surgeon to Imperial Yeomanry Hospital, Pretoria. M. B. Rimington, after being for some time in command of a detachment of Driscoll's Scouts, has received his commission in the Sherwood Foresters. J. W. B. Paul, of the Ceylon Mounted Infantry, has lost his left arm, in consequence of a wound from an explosive bullet. News has been received of the death of W. M. Johnson, who was killed at Hamelfontein. Capt. W. H. Parkin was mentioned in Lord Methuen's despatches in connection with the night attack at Faberspruit.
The Westmorland Gazette, Saturday 9th March 1901
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....There was a large and fashionable gathering at the annual distribution of prizes at Sedbergh School on Wednesday......Referring to the part taken by old boys in the late war, Mr. Lowry [the headmaster] announced that it was now known that the V.C. would be bestowed on the relatives of the late Lieutenant Digby-Jones, who lost his life at Ladysmith, whilst Major J. Shea had won the D.S.O. by his brilliant work at Grootvlei Farm, in the Orange River Colony.
Manchester Courier, Saturday 2nd August 1902
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www.angloboerwar.com/forum/17-memorials-...school-memorial#7607

Off-topic, Midshipman Guy, who was awarded the Victoria Cross after the attack on Tientsin, was the son of the Rev. D. S. Guy, vicar of Sedbergh.
www.vconline.org.uk/basil-j-d-guy-vc/4586873567

....Sedbergh yesterday welcomed home Lieut. Basil Guy, who, as midshipman, gained the V.C. in the Chinese War.
Yorkshire Evening Post, Friday 17th January 1902

Berenice
I thought a couple of names on the Sedbergh School Memorial sounded familiar -
From the Black and White Budget of 17th Feb., 1900


And from With The Flag to Pretoria Vol.1

Regards
IL.

It's interesting that two officers killed at Wagon Hill were educated at Sedbergh. 18 officers in total were KIA or DOW at Wagon Hill/Caesar's Camp.

Edit: I've since realised that the memorial wrongly shows Mocatta to be a lieutenant when he was actually a trooper.

John William Balfour Paul was born June 4th 1873, at Edinburgh. books.google.co.uk/books?id=eUF_rS8FEoIC...ur%20Paul%22&f=false (The link gives a brief summary of his ABW service.)

www.thepeerage.com/p5828.htm#i58275

Major J.W. 'Jack' Balfour Paul, Ceylon Mounted Rifles, attached to the Dorset Regiment as a temporary Major, was, on the 1st September 1916, transferred to the Training Reserve, also as a temporary Major. (The London Gazette, 20/10/1916)
It seems that the same appointment was repeated from the 13th July 1917. (The London Gazette, 18/7/1917), and reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and was awarded the D.S.O. in January 1919.

He appears in the Sedbergh school register for 1890-91 and 1891-92, and was owner of the Oodoowerre tea estate in Ceylon for at least the 1905-17 period.

"On Thursday 7th September 1933 the first “Open Amateur Championship for One-Armed Golfers” was played at Barnton Golf Club. Representing the Ford Valley Golf Club was Lieutenant Colonel J W Balfour Paul D.S.O. He also played in the tournament when it was played at St Andrews in June 1937."
www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/sc...thead-ford-edinburgh

The Kipling Journal, published by the Kipling Society, published an obituary in its July 1957 issue (page 17).
www.kj2.uk/acrobat/KJ122.pdf

His fourth son, Hugh Glencairn Balfour-Paul (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in WW2) was appointed British Ambassador to Iraq in 1969. Note that the surname had become a double-barrelled one; in 1957 it was still "Balfour Paul."

www.ceylonmedals.com/outline.htm

Capt HM Blair

Lt FG Tait