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Trooper George Watt's name was added to the Great War memorial, which is in St Lawrence's churchyard, Morland. All the inscriptions became eroded, but the side with the names of the 1914-1918 dead has been restored.
www.angloboerwar.com/forum/2-introductio...ny-imperial-yeomanry







Private W. Woof, of the 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers, writes home to his father, Mr. J. Woof, gardener, Crossrigg Hall, from Springfield, and says: - We have got a nice way up the Orange Free State now. Where we are camped is only about 80 miles from Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State. We soon will be in Pretoria if we keep going on as we are now. We got to Bethulie on a Sunday. It is a town just over the river. The enemy managed to blow up the railway bridge and were trying the road bridge as well, but we got up in time to save it. We had to go at full gallop across the plain until we got under cover. They shelled us pretty heavily for the first day or so. There were the Scouts, Cape Police, Derby's, Scotch, Royal Irish Rifles, and the good old Fighting Fifth (Northumberland Fusiliers), and the artillery covered us. The Free Staters are delivering up their arms now, and returning to their homes. No doubt you would see how they welcomed Lord Roberts into Bloemfontein with his forces. You can see the people wearing our colours; they are flying all over, and if things keep going on as they are now, I think I shall be home in May; that is, of course, if they don't keep me out here until my three years are up. old Kruger is applying to America. He is just finding out his mistake when it is too late. I dare say there will be another battle before it is really all finished. It is the rebels chiefly who are making the trouble. Soap and matches are very scarce where we are, and the village is about deserted. The railway line was broken up in several places as we were marching up the country. I passed Stormberg, the place where General Gatacre had his reverse, before I came out here. It was where a lot of our battalion was cut up and taken prisoners. It is a very precipitous country. We passed two or three farms where they had left furniture and everything else. I went through two or three of them as we were advancing. How are things about Bolton and Kirkbythorpe? I think we are going to get the Queen's gift of a box of chocolates. I shall send the box home, but I can't promise the chocolate.

Mid-Cumberland and North Westmorland Herald, Saturday 21st April 1900

The son of Morland's vicar also served in South Africa.


Private George Knight, son of the Rev. J. Knight, vicar of Morland, arrived in Penrith on Monday night by the 5.25 train. Pvt. Knight has been out at the front with the Army Medical Corps, having volunteered from the East Ham Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. He was met at Penrith station by his sister and several friends, and the same night left for home by the North Eastern Railway to Cliburn. At Morland there was great excitement. A large crowd assembled about 7 p.m. in the vicinity of the Vicarage, and gave the young hero a most enthusiastic reception. Private Knight, who seemed in excellent health, was met at Cliburn Station by his father, by whom he was driven to Morland, his sister and Miss Hemsley also occupying seats in the trap. On arriving at the foot of Low Hall road the horse was unyoked, and the occupants of the trap were drawn in triumph by a number of villagers to the Vicarage. A large crowd followed, and gave vent to their feelings by rounds of enthusiastic cheering, the bells of the parish church meanwhile sending forth a merry peal. On alighting from the trap, Private Knight was almost overwhelmed with congratulations from old friends and acquaintances. In the course of a brief speech he expressed his thanks for the hearty welcome accorded him, and testified to the pleasure it afforded him to see so many familiar faces once more; as at one time he never expected to see Morland again. The Rev. J. Knight also made a few remarks, and thanked his parishioners for their kind and gratifying reception of his son. Further cheering was indulged in, and the crowd rapidly dispersed.

The Mid Cumberland and North Westmorland Herald, Saturday 12th January 1901

That's quite a home-coming reception. I am picturing the excitement as they unyoked the horse and conveyed him to the reception themselves.

It was a January evening, so the only illumination would have been torchlight (lit brands?), lamplight, or, possibly, the moon. Very atmospheric.

Berenice
Palmer tells us that one "3958 Pte. G.Watt" of 8th Imperial Yeomanry was wounded at Faber's Put on 30/5/00 and Died of Disease at Kimberley on 20/8/00. Palmer shows no other "G.Watt" as a mortal casualty. My useful IY CD shows "3598 Pte George Watt" was with 24th Coy of 8th IY. My BBM 7th Edition shows the 24th Coy of the 8th IY Bn as coming from Westmoreland and Cumberland.
The terms "Tpr" and "Private" appear to have both been used for IY men.
Best regards
IL.

It is perhaps ironic that George Watt had been rejected by the Army on a prior occasion because of his teeth.