TOPIC:

LOCATION: ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH,
MARKET PLACE,
CIRENCESTER,
GLOUCESTERSHIRE,
GL7 2PE,
ENGLAND.

ORDNANCE SURVEY GRID REFERENCE:SO0231402090.


St. John the Baptist Church.


Walk through the small entrance door to the church and then look to your right, where you will see the church shop in an open area to the left of the Weaver's Chapel. There are two brass plaques mounted on the wall to the east of the north door. The one on the left is dedicated to Private Barker.


The plaque is of brass construction mounted on an oak backplate. There is a simple single line margin surrounding the inscription. The regimental badge of the 12th Royal Lancers is above the inscription.
The inscription as follows:

"IN MEMORY OF
PRIVATE FREDERICK JOHN BARKER,
XII ROYAL LANCERS,
WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY
IN SOUTH AFRICA,
ON MAY 12TH 1900.
"THERE IS MERCY WITH THEE"
ERECTED BY THE XII ROYAL LANCERS
PAST AND PRESENT."

3097 Private Frederick John Barker died of disease at Bloemfontein on 18th May 1900 (Palmer (1999) and Watt (2000) both state date as 18th rather than the 12th as detailed in the plaque inscription. He is interred in President Avenue, Bloemfontein along with many other men who succumbed to disease at this place and his name can be found on monument 1.

He was entitled to the Queen's South Africa medal with clasps Cape Colony and Orange Free State.

He is further commemorated on a plaque beneath the east window at Gloucester Cathedral; the Royal Garrison Church, West End Plaque, 12th Lancers, Aldershot, Hampshire, England and on a plaque located at St. Swithun's Church, Cheswardine, Shropshire.

Hopefully, we can find images of these other three memorials to add to Frederick's story.

Wilts & Gloucester Standard, 19th May 1900

LOCATION: GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL,
12 COLLEGE GREEN,
GLOUCESTER,
GL1 2LX.


Fred Barker's name is about midway on the left hand panel.