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Hello Dave. We have no documentation about Walter serving in the Boer War. I feel I am the lead on Walter Slater on Ancestry (under the tree called Davis) since I have photos of him, newspaper clippings, original documents etc plus I am the only direct descendent Most trees have him still living and dying in England so clearly have the wrong Walter Slater. My grandmother, his daughter Muriel, was the sole source and I have in my tree that the Boer War information is only verbal. So accuracy is key for me! Now that we have determined the uniform in the photo as Masonic, you are correct that he either didn’t serve or served for a short time. To confirm the facts we do know, Muriel was born December 10, 1898 and baptized in April 1900 as confirmed by my documentation on Ancestry. The census in 1901 does show him as an employer in Wales (I believe he was self-employed given his subsequent history in California). So if he served it would have been for a short time. I am assuming he was too young (16) to be called for the 1st Boer war? Thank you for the date for Oxford of 1880. He would also have been 16 which seems young to be attending? I only found one registry for Oxford and it had a Walter Slater and I believe I rejected it because of age. It could be the same source you saw. Also, being the same year as the 1st Boer War, he could not have done both. Being from the US puts me at a real disadvantage as I am unfamiliar with what was customary for the place and time period so any light you all can shed is most appreciated!!

Dave, I just checked the 1881 census and Walter is listed as living at home with his father George in Cambridgeshire so his possible participation in the 1st Boer War (plus the unlikelihood that he would have served at age 16) is eliminated. The directory for Oxford referencing a Walter Slater as an Oxford student in 1880 is also not compatible with the 1881 census. So by process of elimination we have a few answers. Best regards, Kathy

Thanks again Arthur. I have contacted omsa.org. Appreciate the reference. Regards, Kathy

Hi Kathy
Cannot find your Ancestry details on the UK platform. No Davis shows.
Just a quick question , The 1910 US census has Walter and 1st wife Millicent living in California, he was aged 48 and DOB as 1862....? Is that correct?

I checked the Imperial Yeomanry records for a Walter Slater but no matches.
There are over 60 W Slaters ref medal rolls for South Africa. I thought there may be entries for the Oxford Light Infantry but no match, I checked the Welsh regiments with a possible Wrexham connection but again no match.
There are quite a few British and South African regiments with a W Slater serving, I think you mentioned the Leicesters? Alas, without a service number or some clue to search for an attestation paper we may not be able to prove if Walter served in S A. Have you any record that might indicate he had a connection to a U S regiment or milita during WW1?

Dave......

The reason for the question regarding the date of birth is that I checked the Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) for a W Slater and found a couple of entries for service in the Frontier Wars of 1879. If Walter was born in 1862 he would have been 17 and could have served......A long shot I know, but possible?

Thank you Dave. I re-checked birthdates on all census information I have and most point to a birthdate of 1864-1865 according to the age recorded. The 1910 and 1940 census point to 1862. However, his naturalization application for the US states birthdate as April 16,1864. His age when he emigrated also matches the 1864-1865 dates. And his Masons paperwork in Wales supports 1864.His tombstone has the year 1865. I would trust his naturalization petition papers to have it correctly as birth year 1864, especially because this is in his own hand and a sworn document. Depending on the census worker or who is giving the information I often find ages are not exactly compatible.

Since I wrote to you last, we have found that Oxford cannot confirm he attended, as he is not listed up until the year1892. He was in Wales shortly after that, working and married in 1893 so this Oxford connection may be family folklore. Since his obituary was written by his children, and since there are no documents to support the Oxford connection, I am afraid we have to end the Oxford line of investigation. I laugh because in the US and Oxford degree might have opened a few more doors and who would have had the means to check it out? ! I am beginning to think the Boer War history may go the same way. There is no documentation, no medals, nothing in the memorabilia left behind and you are not finding him on the rolls. I do thank you for all the work you have done! If anything does turn up I would so appreciate hearing about it! My best,
Kathy