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In All Saints Church, Oakham.

Lieutenant the Honourable C.M. Evans-Freke 16th Lancers
Colour Sergeant A. Panter 2nd Coldstream Guards
Sergeant T.G. Taylor 7th Imperial Yeomanry
Sergeant W. Thompson 1st Cameron Highlanders
Private E.F. Brown 1st Devonshire Regiment
Bugler A.E. Peasgood Volunteer Company, 1st Leicestershire Regiment His name is also on the regiment's memorial in St Martin's, Leicester Cathedral, but as Drummer R.E. Peasgood
Private J.H. Garratt 2nd Grenadier Guards
Private J.H. Bland 3rd Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment His name is also on the battalion's memorial plaque in Halifax Minster, as J. Bland
Trooper W.E. Mann 14th Hussars
Private C. Neale 1st Royal Scots
Driver S.B. Simpson 42nd Battery, Royal Field Artillery
Trooper F.L. Wright South African Constabulary
Trooper K.M. Kinnison 7th Imperial Yeomanry



....The South African War is fast receding into history, but the memories of that great campaign will ever live in the hearts and minds of all Englishmen, wherever they may be, and the sacrifice and devotion of those who fell in the conflict will not soon be forgotten. These patriotic sentiments are finding expression in various parts of the country by the dedicating of memorials to the honour of those who nobly, and in many cases voluntarily, gave up their lives for their monarch and country, and among them the county of Rutland, "least, though most loyal," has now worthily taken its part. On Sunday last, the memorial erected to the memory of the Rutland men who fell in the war was unveiled, the occasion being one of the most striking and impressive of any ceremonies ever witnessed in the county. The memorial, as our readers will be well aware, consists of a beautiful marble tablet, which has been erected in All Saints' Church, Oakham, and forms a truly fitting tribute to the devotion and self-sacrifice of those men of Rutland who forfeited their lives in defence of their country. It has been erected on the west wall of the noble fane, near to the west door, and, as was observed on the occasion, will form one of the most cherished of the numerous memorials to be found in the Church. It may be stated that the work was entrusted to Messrs. Nicholls Bros., of Oakham, and is both ornate and decidedly appropriate in design and execution. It is composed of polished statuary marble, supported on each side by fluted columns, surmounted by a frieze carved and draped with laurel leaves. Above this is a cornice, bearing a shield with the County Arms, and a scroll containing the inscription - "South African War, 1899-1902." The text of the memorial is as follows: -

To Mr. J. C. Kernick, who has carried out the whole of the arduous secretarial duties connected with the memorial, the greatest praise is due. Mr. Kernick, who is himself an enthusiastic Volunteer, was most assiduous in every way in promoting the object of the memorial, the total cost of which we may add was £75. The ceremony of unveiling the tablet on Sunday afternoon was performed by General Sir Bruce Hamilton, K.C.B., an officer who, in the South African campaign, covered himself with distinction, and the event was made the occasion of a memorable demonstration of loyalty and respect by the whole county. The military aspect was imparted by the presence of both the Yeomanry and Volunteers, as well as a number of Reservists who had taken part in the campaign. The Yeomanry was represented by the members of the A Squadron of the Leicestershire Imperial Yeomanry, which contributed one of the earliest of the active service Yeomanry Companies, and the Volunteers by the Company of the 1st Volunteer Battalion Leicestershire Regiment (embracing Melton and Oakham), and also the Uppingham detachment of the Lincolnshire Volunteers. A special train was run from Melton to convey them to Oakham, and the station-yard there was made the rendezvous for all the troops taking part in the ceremony. The band of the 1st Volunteer Battalion Leicestershire Regiment accompanied the troops to Church, also taking part in the service. The weather proved delightfully fine and the streets en route were thickly lined. Rarely has Oakham been so full as it was on Sunday. The officers present, in addition to General Sir Bruce Hamilton, were General Lord Chesham, Colonel F. G. Blair, Colonel Norcutt (4th Rifle Brigade), Major Braithwaite, Captain and Adjutant Yorke, Captain the Hon. P. C. Evans Freke, Captain Jones, Captain Sharman, Lieutenant Richardson, Lieutenant Shouler, Quartermaster W. H. Julian, together with Reg. Sergt.-Major Ewart, Sergt.-Major Dickens, Sergt.-Instructor Milton, and other non-commissioned officers. On the march to the Church (the bells of which rang a half-muffled peal prior to the service), the Reservists, numbering twenty-five (in charge of Sergt.-Instructor Gibson, of Twyford), came first, followed by the Yeomanry and Volunteers and the Oakham Church Boys' Brigade, under Lieut. the Rev. H. A. Jerwood. General Sir Bruce Hamilton was received at the Church by a guard of honour composed of Oakham and Uppingham Volunteers, under Captain Jones, and immediately upon his arrival the service commenced. The clergy present were the Vicar, the Rev. J. Hamilton Charles, the Rev. E. V. Hodge, Rector of Normanton and Rural Dean, the Rev. C. J. B. Scriven, Rector of Manton, the Rev. - Allen, the Rev. H. A. Jerwood, and the Rev. - Marsh. The processional hymn was "Fight the Good Fight." An abbreviated form of evening prayer was gone through, taken by the Rev. H. A. Jerwood, the Vicar reading the lesson (Ephesians vi., 10-18 v.). The proper Psalms were the 23rd and 122nd. After the hymn, "The Son of God goes forth to War," the sermon was preached by the Rev. E. V. Hodge, whose texts were: St. John xv., 13 v., "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"; and Exodus xii., 14 v., "And this day shall be unto you for a memorial." He said: The Bishop of Lincoln, preaching a short time ago, drew attention to this, that in describing the life and acts and duties of a Christian we continually use words taken from military service. For instance, St. Paul, when he wishes to describe the means by which a Christian should try to meet the difficulties and temptations of life, takes his language from the armour of the Roman soldier, doubtless the Roman soldier to whom he was actually chained. He tells him to take to him the whole armour of God, the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the greaves of the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. What conclusion are we to draw from this? That in the profession of a soldier St. Paul saw a field opened for a noble Christian man. He surely would never have used such a comparison if he had not wished to do honour to those who in every age risk their lives for the safety of their countrymen and the fair name of their State. St. Paul was a practical man, who looked facts in the face. He saw that through peace was the watchword of the Christian profession, in this imperfect world in which we live there never can be a time in which life and honour must not be defended by arms. It is, then, particularly fitting that we should meet to-day in this Church - a building of such great antiquity, a building which has centred within it the memories of many noble deaths in the past, where many meet week by week preparing themselves for the strenuous and self-denying lives of Christian men and women. We have met for a very solemn purpose - not merely to show that we have not forgotten the loss of our personal friends, but still more to prove that we wish to hand down for ever our gratitude to the friends of our country. Besides, we have come not only to do honour to individuals, just those who shared our homes, our Schools, our towns, and our villages; but by this memorial we are honouring both those who are bound to us by special ties, and all those others who at all times and places have served their country. We are not thinking of one or two sets of bravery, of splendid instances of special devotion; these are small things compared with the spirit which inspired all, and carried them through to their honourable death. It is this spirit which animated our forefathers, it is this spirit of devotion and patriotism which filled the sailors of Queen Elizabeth when they swept the Spaniards from our sea, and the soldiers of Queen Victoria when they were brought face to face with greater difficulties than have ever been faced, , unknown and novel difficulties in South Africa. It is this spirit which must fire the breasts, not only of one or two here and there, but of the whole British people, if our Empire is to stand firm. But let it be understood we do not need merely a warlike spirit, not merely the desire to fight. I believe that many of the greatest Generals have been most peace-loving men. Nor is carelessness of danger enough; that may be a mere matter of temperament. A certain insensibility may come by nature. What we do need is a determination to stay. Whatever happens there must be a sense of obedience to duty which is absolutely unhesitating. The word once given, there must be no shirking, no doubt, no delay. It is because we believe that our soldiers have these qualities in an eminent degree that we are honouring them to-day. We claim that the men of Rutland shall take their place as our representatives in the records of a struggle which moved all English people to the depths of their hearts. It is a pain to all to think of gallant men swept away in the flower of their age. It may seem as if they were cut off while their life's work was unfinished, but do not let us think that for a moment. That seems to me both an unmanly and unchristian point of view. It does not need fifty or sixty, or seventy years to make a life. Men's lives, however short, are complete when they have honourably finished their work, and spent themselves to the very end. Besides, they are still living in our minds. Their example stands before us; their example will move us and our descendants to the same devotion to duty. It will also be a standing warning to us if ever we seem likely to flinch, and prefer our own comfort and ease, a peace without honour. We have lost these men, indeed, some young, some in the prime of life, all good men and true, who showed their determination in the last extremity. Some may seem to have had more to lose than others. Some may have had great possessions, or great chances in life, which they willingly hazarded; but all, however poor, had one thing which all men value, and that is life; and this, when it was their only treasure, they willingly sacrificed for the public good. But while they thought that they were giving up all, they have left one thing behind them, and that is a call - a call to us to bring up another generation worthy to fill their place, and maintain the honour of the Empire. This is a great


- General Sir Bruce Hamilton then gave a brief address, in which he said: I regard it as a great honour that I have been asked to unveil this memorial. The names which are inscribed upon it include representatives of almost every branch of our Army, and I think it is therefore evident that I cannot here refer to the numberless actions and battles in which they took part, as to do so would include a complete history of the war. I will only refer to the circumstances under which Lieutenant Freke-Evans, of the 16th Lancers, met his death, as it is a fine example of the daring enterprise which our soldiers are always ready and eager to undertake. He was one of a small party of picked officers and men who were selected by Lord Roberts, during his advance from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, to endeavour to work round the flanks of the Boer Army, and to blow up the railway line in their rear. The party to which he belonged marched all night, and towards dawn they met a large Boer commando. Our men had to fight for their lives, and eventually succeeded in getting away, but not before Lieut. Freke had received the wound from which he died. I think we can imagine no nobler end to our lives than that which was the fate of this brave young officer. But in addition to reminding us of the gallant men whose names are inscribed upon it, I think this memorial has a meaning of a somewhat wider kind. We see here on our list not only the names of members of our regular Army, but also of the Yeomanry, Militia, and Volunteers, and I think that that fact should serve to remind us of something of which every Briton must be proud. I refer to the splendid way in which the country rose to the occasion at the commencement of the South African War. The Army in South Africa was at first composed of regulars only, whose profession it is to serve and fight abroad as well as at home. But it was soon seen that their numbers were quite insufficient for the very serious task they had before them. This was realised at home, and it was then that a great wave of patriotism roused the country. Men offered their services from every corner of the Empire, and the necessary reinforcements were quickly raised. When we remember how these reinforcements were recruited - from men who up to that time had been living a peaceful life, and who, when success had rewarded their courage and endurance, returned again to a life of peaceful citizenship, and whose operations covered an extent of country more than six times as large as England, and six thousand miles from their home - I think when we remember how our Army was thus re-inforced, and how much it achieved, we must all admit that it is a striking example of what the patriotism of a great nation can accomplish when its great spirit is fairly roused. We have recently seen in the Far East what great results have been obtained by the systematic teaching and cultivation of sentiments of patriotism and loyalty in Japan. Perhaps never before has self-sacrifice for some higher cause been so freely exhibited by a whole nation. Everyone from the highest to the lowest, seems content to efface themselves for the honour and welfare of their fatherland, and the deeds which they accomplish, their modesty, and their devotion, are one of the wonders of the world. I am sure that many of you who are here to-day, and who mourn the loss of some dear relative or friend who went to that far country in South Africa never to return, and others of you who served in South Africa, and who cannot forget the brave comrades whom you left behind, I am sure that you all must derive some consolation from the thought that we remember them with pride and veneration, and though they are no longer here among us, their actions still live in our hearts, and their lives have not been given up in vain. Their dead bodies are like the foundation stones on which the character of the Empire stands; and it is by thinking of the sacrifice which they and others like them have made, that our children of the future will be roused to act a noble part in life, and think of something higher than their own private interests and personal ends. I am sure that in this Church there is no memorial which will be more valued and appreciated in years to come than that which we have unveiled to-day. - A dedicatory prayer was offered by the Vicar, following which the collect for All Saints'-day was said, and then, the congregation remaining standing, the band gave an exquisite rendering of Chopin's "Marche Funebre." Immediately afterwards four buglers sounded the "Last Post," first inside the church, and then outside, at the west door, the effect of this being singularly impressive. The Hymn, "On the Resurrection Morning" was sung, and after the Blessing, two verses of the National Anthem were fervently rendered. The concluding voluntary played on the organ by Mr. Hy. Nicholson, A.R.C.O., was "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth," the beautiful pathos of the piece appealing to all present, and the service concluded with another Funeral March. The troops, including the Boys' Brigade, after leaving the Church, were inspected by General Sir Bruce Hamilton, and they then marched, headed by the band, to the Market-place, where they were dismissed. A collection was made at the service on behalf of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Help Society for the assistance of widows and children, and for the expenses connected with the unveiling ceremony.
....The visiting troops were entertained to tea in the Church-room, the following ladies kindly assisting at the tables, viz.: - Mrs. Peasgood, Miss Peasgood, Mrs. Oliver, Miss Tomlinson, Mrs. Nicholls, Mrs. Phillips, Mrs. Kernick, and Miss Campbell The order of service, in book form, was tastefully printed by Mr. Chas. Matkin, and formed quite a souvenir of a memorable occasion.
The Grantham Journal, Saturday 19th November 1904

Good heavens, I have not seen that for quite some years, Cecil Evans Freke was Lord Carbery's son!

There's also a memorial plaque to him in St Andrew's Church, Glaston, Rutland.

BereniceUK wrote: There's also a memorial plaque to him in St Andrew's Church, Glaston, Rutland.

Do you have details Berenice? There is a memorial here to PC Evans-Freke KIA WW1 - his brother?

There are several memorials and gravestones for the family at Glaston church. www.gravestonephotos.com/public/cemetery...mit=51&scrwidth=1200

Thanks Berenice, great resource that.