TOPIC:

Hello
I am seeking information on a local young man named Evan Lewis Richards of the Royal Hussars Artillery. As far as I know, he died at Capetown in 1900 of disease and his gravestone is at Hephziban (graveyard?). I have tried to locate his gravestone to no avail and I hope you help with details and or advice.

Thank you

Royal Hussars Artillery?? Could be said to be a contradiction in terms as Hussars were Cavalry.

Local?? Based on your post 4 years ago re Arthur Adams I think "local" could be Monmouthshire.

An Evan Richards (born in Bedwas, Monmouthshire) served in the 30th (Pembrokeshire) Company, Imperial Yeomanry and died of enteric fever on 25 May 1900 in Cape Town. His attestation papers and short servie record can be found on Ancestry.

Trooper E Richards (15299)

There is more to Evan Lewis Richards than I at first realised.

He was born in Bedwas, Monmouthshire in the summer of 1872. His father was a prosperous farmer. In about 1896 he joined the Gloucestershire Yeomanry and I think that is the uniform he is wearing in the photo supplied by Elmarie.

The Gloucestershire Yeomanry were instrumental in raising the 3rd (Gloucestershire) Company of the Imperial Yeomanry and Evan duly attested for service with them on 30 December 1899. He was found fit and presumably did not have to take the horsemanship & shooting tests considering he was already a Yeoman. He was given the regimental number 5603. However before the 3rd Company proceeded to South Africa he was found wanting and was discharged 45 days after he attested being considered as “not likely to become an efficient soldier”.

Evan formulated a plan B – he headed for Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire having heard the 30th (Pembrokeshire) Company of the Imperial Yeomanry were still a man or two short. So, Evan attested for the second time on 2nd March 1900 at Haverfordwest and was found fit and acceptable. He did confess to 3 years in the Gloucestershire Yeomanry but not to being rejected by another Imperial Yeomanry Company, so I suspect he side-stepped the competency tests. The 30th Company became confused in awarding him a regimental number, firstly he was Trooper 4201 until they realised they already had a Trooper 4201, then he became Trooper 15299 but they had third thoughts and he went to South Africa as Trooper 15352.

He set sail with the 30th Company aboard the Montrose on 14th March 1900. They reached Cape Town on 6th April 1900 and proceeded to Maitland Camp where they stayed for a fortnight along with a mass of other Imperial Yeomen. Sanitary conditions at Maitland Camp were far from good and it would appear that whilst there Evan went down with a bad attack of dysentery. When the 30th Company left Maitland Camp heading for some eventual action Evan headed in a different direction to a hospital in Cape Town where he declined rather than recovered. He passed away on 25 May 1900 and on 1 June 1900 the South Wales Daily News carried the news as follows:

LOCAL LOSSES - DEATH OF A ST. MELLONS YEOMAN

We learn with regret of the death of Mr Evan Richards, son of Mr John Richards, Hendre Hall, St Mellons, which took place at Cape Town on the 25th inst. He belonged to the 30th draft of the Pembrokeshire Yeomanry, and was on his way to the front. The cause of death was dysentery.

His attestation papers and service record for both the 3rd and 30th Company of the Imperial Yeomanry can be found on Ancestry. On both he gave his father John as his next of kin and his address as Hendre Hall, St Mellons, near Cardiff.

His service record with the 30th Company agrees he died at Cape town on 25 May 1900 but gives the cause of death as enteric fever. His Record of Deceased Soldier’s Effects initially has his regimental number as 15299 but this has been crossed out and 15352 written underneath, it agrees with the date and place of death given above but does not give the cause. I cannot find him on a medal roll whichever regimental number I use.

Here is a fuller version of the photo supplied by Elmarie - note Cheltenham, where the photo was taken, is in Gloucestershire supporting the idea that the uniform is that of the Gloucestershire Yeomanry.

Forgot to mention Evan Lewis Richards is commemorated on the National Welsh Boer War Memorial in Cathays Park, Cardiff but can't find a photo of the part with his name on. He is also commemorated on the Pembrokeshire Boer War Memorial in Haverfordwest:



He can be seen - extreme left bottom row but one. Please note the original Celtic Cross memorial suffered from bad erosion and the photo depicts the modern (can't remember date) replacement.

Some excellent research here, thank you.