TOPIC:

In St Mary's Church, Monmouth/Mynwy, Gwent. At the time of the ABW, and the installation of the window and memorial board, the county of Monmouthshire/Sir Fynwy wasn't by law part of Wales/Cymru, and Acts of Parliament referred to "Wales and Monmouthshire." — Please correct me if I have that wrong. ( I can remember a post-WW2 atlas, which my family had, indicating that Monmouthshire was in England.)








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..........................................................................................For those who
..........................................................................................fell in war,
..........................................................................................For those who
..........................................................................................returned in peace,
..........................................................................................Thanks be to God.
..........................................................................................mdcccxcix = mcmii
. . .
We pray you remember in the Lord all those of the
Royal Militia Regiment of the County of Monmouth
and of this District who laid down their lives for their
Sovereign and Country in the war in South Africa
1899-1902, whose names are here recorded and to
whose memory this window is here dedicated.
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Royal Monmouthshire
Royal Engineers
+~[ Militia ]~+
Sapper W. Baldwin.
Died at Kroonstad,18th May 1900.
Sapper E. Brickley.
Died at Kroonstad,21st May 1900.
Corporal W. Garton.
Died at Kroonstad,21st March 1901.
Sapper T. Samuels.
Died at Springfontein,
28th March 1901.
Corporal W. A. Roberts
Died at Pretoria,9th June 1901.
Lance Corporal C. Westley.
Died at Pretoria,28th October
1901.
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Captain A. J. Tyler,
West Riding Regiment.
Killed at Lobatsi, 15th March 1900.
Trooper Algernon Parker,
Cape Mounted Police.
Killed at Kimberley, 11th Nov. 1899.
Private J. Russell,
2nd Shropshire Light Infantry.
Died at Wynberg, 21st July 1900.
Private Frederick J. Evans,
1st East Yorkshire Mounted Infantry.
Killed at Bothaville, 6th Nov. 1900.
Private Albert Sysum,
South Wales Borderers.
Killed at Krugersdorp, 14th Dec. 1900.
Corporal Francis B. Cossens,
Army Medical Corps.
Died on returning home 8th Nov. 1901.
Private Charles F. Wills,
K. Comp. 4th Vol. Batt. S. Wales Bords.
Died at Klerksdorp, 22nd Nov. 1901.
Trumpet Maj. Harry P. Timlock,
1st Royal Drag & Baden Powells Police
Died at Vet River, 22nd May 1902.
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Francis Benedict Cossens died in the last quarter of 1901, aged 27; his death was recorded in the Abergavenny registration district, which didn't include the town of Monmouth at that time.
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I was able to visit the local history part of Monmouth Museum, in the Shire Hall, where the local newspaper is available to view. Unfortunately, it was on microfiche, not microfilm; the microfiche is a flat piece of film, with up to 12 pages of the newspaper on each sheet, and the images at Monmouth were all in negative - white print on a dark grey newspaper page, and each image was so dark that it was impossible to read anything.

The only other time I've come across negative microfiche images was in Dumfries Library, Scotland, but at least they were readable.
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...."The court of inquiry announces that the following man, who was reported missing, was killed in action near Krugersdorp December 14 last. 2nd South Wales Borderers.—6,072 Private H. R. Sysum."
Evening Express, Saturday 11th May 1901

....DEATH AT THE FRONT—The death at the front is reported of Private H. R. Sysum, of the 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers, who was killed at Krugersdorp, on December 14th last. He had been previously reported missing. Deceased, who was only 19 years of age, was the son of Mr R, Sysum, baker, Overmonnow, with whom and his family every sympathy is felt in their loss.
The County Advertiser, Saturday 25th May 1901
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The 13th century bridge and gatehouse at Monmouth. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monnow_Bridge
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Berenice - I remember being confused regarding the status of Monmouthshire. The Victorian authority on the matter would have considered your post WW2 atlas a "vulgar error". Anyway, all the confusion was swept away by a local government act of 1972 and there is now no doubt that Monmouthshire is part of Wales as Henry VIII decreed.

I have on-line access to the Monmouthshire Beacon at the time of the ABW. Feeding in the initials and surname of the fallen as you list them produced no hits until I reached Capt. A J Tyler and below is a graphic description of his death which appeared in the 1st June 1900 edition. Will, as time allows, do searches for the rest.



Based on article in volume 36 of Botswana Notes & Records (see second post after this one) the above may not be a true account of his death.

Another reference to him in the unillustrated Monmouthshire Beacon led to this find in the Illustrated London News 7th April 1900

Berenice - I have found all you ever wanted to know about Captain Arthur John Tyler 1871-1900 but the pdf containing an article in volume 36 of the "Botswana Notes and Records" at 2.16Mb is too large to attach to this post. Just google "Captain Arthur John Tyler" and it comes out top of the list. Also contains info about his elder brother George Endell Tyler 1866-1914 - also served in the ABW, wounded 3 times but survived. Wanted to re-enlist for WW1 but committed suicide when he realised the lasting effects of his ABW injuries would prevent him from being a fighting soldier.

Steve D - Harry Parker Timlock may be of interest to you as he was born in Ombersley in 1874. Enlisted on a long service attestation aged 14. His service papers have survived (FMP) despite his death of dysentery just before the end of the ABW.

Thank you David. I will investigate Timlock further. Interesting and scarcely seen rank of Trumpet Major.
Steve D.

York Minster Cathedral
[Capt A.J. Tyler]