TOPIC:

At St. Illtud's Church, Llanelltyd, near Dolgellau, Merionethshire (now in Gwynedd),





Harry Romer Lee?







ALSO FOR THE SAFE RETURN OF THEIR SON GUY
LIEUT. IN THE BUFFS WHO SERVED IN THE SAME
CAMPAIGN FROM JUNE 1901 TO FEBRUARY 1902.



ARRIVAL FROM THE FRONT. - Last Wednesday afternoon a deputation met Capt. Harry Romer Lee, son of Mr. W. H. Lee, Gelligemlyn, and grandson of Mr. C. R. Williams, to welcome him back from the seat of war in South Africa. The deputation consisted of Mr. J. C. Hughes, under-sheriff; Mr. David Owen of Cross Keys; Mr. T. H. Roberts, ironmonger; the Members of the Urban District Council, and others. Captain Lee was wounded near Pretoria and was in the relief of Kimberley, at the investment of Paardeburg, and took part in the ceremony of Cronje's surrender. He was also at Bloemfontein and at the Waterworks. He was highly complimented by his superiors for his dash and gallantry on more than one occasion. He is an officer in the 20th Hussars, which is now stationed in India, but was attached to the 16th Lancers on the out-break of the Boer War. The deputation gave him a warm reception. St. Mary's Church bells rang a merry peal on his arrival.

(The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard, 3rd August 1900) St. Mary's is the Parish Church of Dolgellau.

Also in the church is this prayer desk, which is a Great War memorial to the two brothers.





In the church cemetery is the Lee family memorial.

It is really quite stunning, some, I suspect, most, would only commission something as grand as that to remember a family member who failed to return home, rather than a celebration of their actual return, money, clearly must not have been an issue, quite remarkable.

Berenice
Thank you for another memorable post. I second all Frank's comments.
Regards
Brett

Good Morning Berenice.......

I must agree with Frank but one thing comes to mind...... Could one or the other or even both sons come down with Enteric or some other disease but both of them recovered to be able to come home...... I wonder if there any way to find this out??????

Still it is a great window.....

Mike

Harry was the second of four sons, Guy was the last. I wonder why Harry got a stained glass window, and Guy only a plaque? Guy was in South Africa for approximately eight months; was that a normal length of time to serve out there?

Harry Romer Lee was known as 'Romer' or 'Tich,' and was persuaded to change his surname to Romer-Lee by his wife.
books.google.co.uk/books?id=ejA9AwAAQBAJ...O.%2C%20M.C.&f=false

An item in The London Gazette, of 17th March 1942, reported that Harry Romer Lee had changed his name to Harry Romer-Lee.
www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35491/page/1252/data.pdf

Deputy Lieutenant, Lieut-Colonel Guy Lee, D.S.O., M.C., was presented to Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1949. nannau.com/people/1949-royal-tour.php

QSAMIKE wrote: Good Morning Berenice.......

I must agree with Frank but one thing comes to mind...... Could one or the other or even both sons come down with Enteric or some other disease but both of them recovered to be able to come home...... I wonder if there any way to find this out??????

Still it is a great window.....

Mike

Good shot there Mike, Harry was wounded 11 May 1900 near Kroonstad and must have spent some time in the UK as he qualified for the 01 and 02 clasps on the QSA not the a KSA. I can't locate him in the Shipping List though and nothing in the medal roll to help.