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The plaque is in St John the Baptist's Church, Troedyrhiw, Morgannwg/Glamorgan. Apologies for the not-quite-in-focus photos. I'd been hassled by the church's evangelical vicar just prior to taking the photos and I was in a rush to get out of the church.

7380 Private John Ball, Volunteer Service Company, 1st Welsh Regiment. Died of enteric fever at Pretoria on 1st July 1900.


The following casualties were reported on Wednesday : -
including Volunteer Company Welsh Regiment. - 7,380 Private J. Ball died from peritonitis at Pretoria on July 1.

Private J. Ball is the son of Colour-sergeant Ball, of Merthyr Vale, who is so well known in South Wales as a crack shot. In 1894 Sergeant Ball secured the Prince of Wales's Prize at Bisley, and he is also the holder of a large number of other valuable trophies. Private Ball was a most promising shot, having secured several prizes.
Evening Express, Thursday 5th July 1900


Extracts from a letter by Lieutenant Frank H. Gaskell: -
Out of the original company of three officers and 113 men who came out to South Africa, the following have left us for the causes mentioned : -
3rd V.B. Welsh - Private J. Ball, enteric fever (since dead), left company at Mark's Drift, near Pretoria; Private J. Button, fever (since dead), left company at Vereeriging.
We all were very sorry to hear to-day of the death of one of our best men - J. Ball, of the 3rd V.B. Welsh. He only left us on the 26th of June with fever. He was greatly liked by both officers and men, being one of the smartest men in the company.
South Wales Daily News, Monday 6th August 1900

The Cardiff Times, Saturday 4th May 1901




The officers and men of the Volunteer Service Company of the Welsh regiment have decided upon placing a memorial tablet of brass, with a suitable inscription, in the Parish Church of each district from which their three dead comrades hailed. These were Sergeant W. J. Rees, Pembroke; Private Ball, Merthyr Vale; and Private Lewis, Llanharry. The work has been entrusted to Corporal Harry F. Rott, engraver, Swansea, who went through the campaign with the Volunteer Company. All the men have now received their discharges, and their pay, which amounted in the aggregate to considerably over £1,000, and ranging from as much as £30 to £40 per man. As already intimated, the men feel strongly that they should be discharged without being paid for a month's furlough. Representations will be made, we understand, to remedy this shortcoming on the part of the War Office.
Evening Express, Saturday 4th May 1901



"Sacred to the memory of Private John Ball, Volunteer Service Company 1st Welsh Regiment (Gwell angau na chywilydd), of this parish, who died at Pretoria, while on active service, South Africa, July 1, 1900, this tablet was erected by the officers, non-commissioned officers of his company as a mark of respect and esteem, 1901." This is the inscription on the brass tablet which has been erected in the chancel of St. John's Church, Troedyrhiw, to the memory of the late Private Ball, Merthyr Vale. The deceased - the son of Colour-Sergeant Ball, a well-known marksman - was a member of the Merthyr Vale Detachment, and served in the first active service company of Welsh Volunteers. He died from pneumonia at Pretoria. The memorial was unveiled on Sunday morning in the presence of a large congregation, which included contingents of the Merthyr, Dowlais and Merthyr Vale Volunteers, Col. D. Rees Lewis, V.D., Merthyr, being in command, other officers present being Major and Adjutant E. H. Orlebar, of the 1st V.B. Battalion, Welsh, Major Dowdeswell, Merthyr Vale; Major L. P. Jones, Merthyr; and Lieut. Dowdeswell, Merthyr Vale. A strong representation of the deceased's comrades of the 1st Active Service Company in khaki, as well as other service men - Trooper Lawrence, S.W.B., Trooper W. T. Jones, Merthyr; and Sergeant Strickland, Aberdare - were also on parade. The service was impressively conducted by the Vicar, Rev. Pedr Williams, and the tablet was unveiled by Col. D. rees Lewis, V.D., who paid a warm tribute to the courage and self-sacrifice of their departed comrade. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Llewellyn Williams, R.D., Dowlais.
The Cardiff Times, Saturday 15th February 1902

I think the photographs are okay, but, you were "hassled" why?
Regards Frank

He cornered me for 10 minutes and I hadn't the heart him to tell that I'd only visited his church to photograph the Ball plaque. Too polite, that's me.

How shocking, is Troed Y Rhiw still in diocese of Llandaff?
Ten minutes is actually quite a long time, rather you than me, did you appease him?
It is , again, a truly superb plaque, these days, I think it would be a struggle to make something as well as that.

Yes, still in Llandaff Diocese. I pretty much let him have his say, it was all in one ear and out the other for me. He lost me when he asked why I'd visited the church, and I replied that I'd come to see John Ball's plaque - he had no interest in it. Shocking!

Whilst that is very disappointing, I dare say he is kept quite busy with other matters and old memorials within his church, remain just that, he will be more interested in the present and hopefully, the future, in these very hard times.