Roll of Honour- Cumberland - Penrith South African (Boer War) Memorial

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

PENRITH SOUTH AFRICAN (BOER WAR) MEMORIAL

Detailed information for Boer War
Compiled and copyright © Martin Edwards 2005

The monument consists of a large bronze figure of the Angel of Peace, with outstretched arms, holding forward a laurel wreath and is locally known as the Black Angel. It stands, 21 feet high, on an unpolished pillar of Shap granite erected on three granite steps. The captial of the column is very handsomely carved. On the South-West face of the shaft is the inscription with a further addition to the left hand side. There are 16 names listed. The sculptor was F W Doyle Jones of West Hartlepool, granite was worked by Mr. Arthur Taylor and Mr. Wm. Grisenthwaite, of Penrith, carried out the local work. Due to modrnisation work the memorial was moved to Castle Park in 1964 where it now resides. The memorial was originally unveiled by Lt. General Michael F. Rimington, K.C.B., C.V.O., on 1 March 1906. Monies for the memorial were raised by public events.

PRO PATRIA

IN MEMORY OF THE
MEN OF THIS TOWN AND
DISTRICT WHO FELL IN THE
SOUTH AFRCAN WAR
1899-1902

Extract from Penrith Observer - Tuesday 3rd December 1901, Monday 23 December 1901, and 30 December 1901, all page 4:

SOUTH AFRICAN MEMORIAL FOR
PENRITH.

HAZEL KIRKE

Will be Performed in AID of the ABOVE.
IN THE
DRILL HALL,
BY THE
PENRITH DRAMATIC SOCIETY,
on
Thursday, January 9th, and
Friday, January 10th, 1902.

Reserved Seats, 3s 6d. ; Family Tickets to admit Four, 12s 6d. ; Front Seats. 2s. ; Second Seats, 1s ; Admission, 6d.

Tickets and Plan at Mr. R. SCOTT'S, Observer Office.

Photographs from an old postcards

Extract from Cumberland & Westmorland Herald - Saturday 3 February 1906, page 5:

PENRITH WAR MEMORIAL
TO BE UNVEILED BY GENERAL M. F. RIMINGTON.

Yesterday the work was begun of erecting the memorial which has been subscribed for in Penrith and district in memory of the local soldiers who fell in the South African war. The memorial which will take the form of an angel in bronze, representing Peace, on the top of a granite column, will be erected in the centre of Corney-place.

Yesterday Mr G. Wainwright, secretary to the committee who have had the matter in hand, recived a letter from General M. F. Rimington accepting the committee's invitation to unveil the memorial. As is well known, General Rimington is a son of Mrs. Rimington, Tynesfield, Penrith, and achieved distinction during the war as the leader of the famous "Rimington's Tigers." On his return from the war it will be remembered that he received a great welcome from the towns people and his promise to unveil the memorial will be received with general satisfaction.

It is expected that the work will be completed within a fortnight, and the date of the unveiling will be fixed as early as possible afterwards.

BYERS	Alfred William	Private 6290, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment. Died of disease on 9 November 1901 at Potchefstroom. In the 1891 census he was aged 11, born 1880 in Cumberland, a scholar, son of Robert and Jane Byers, resident Bowscar Lodge, Green Lane, Penrith, Cumberland.
CANNON	George	Private 5843, 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consorts Own). Died of enteric at Ladysmith 2 March 1900.
CLEMENTSON	Joseph William	Private 5217, 1st Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment). Died of enteric at Ladysmith 20 November 1899.
FENTON	Stanley	Private 2466, 4th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps. Drowned on 21 December 1901 at Middelburg.
HARRIMAN	Thomas	Private 5094, 1st Volunteer Company, Border Regiment served as 7192, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment. Died of enteric 29 July 1900 at Pretoria.
HINDSON	John	Private 3947, 24th (Westmoreland & Cumberland) Company, 8th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. Killed 30 May 1900 at Faber's Put. Note: Faber's Put is a farm in the Cape Colony (Herbert district; Northern Cape), 16 km north of Douglas. In Lt-Gen Sir C. Warren's attempts to clear the area of Cape rebels, his column reached the farm on 26 May 1900 and bivouacked there for several days whilst his forces regrouped and supplies were sent forward. Early on the morning of 30 May the farm and camp were attacked by three columns of burghers, some 500-600, from Campbell. A spirited defence led to the retreat of the burghers with considerable loss; on the British side 15 were killed and 30 wounded.
LAIDLOW	James	[Listed as LAIDLAW in some records] Private 4787, 1st Volunteer Company, Border Regiment served as 7201, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment. Died of enteric 29 June 1900 at Potchefstroom.
MOUNSEY	Thomas Watson aka Tom	Lance Corporal 5257, 1st Volunteer Company, Border Regiment served as 7248, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment. Died of disease 5 September 1900 at Pretoria.
SLEE	William S	Private 5983, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment. Died of enteric at Modder Spruit 8 April 1900.
STEPHENSON	Frederick	Private 20131, 48th (North Somerset) Company, 7th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. Killed 30 September 1901 at Moedwil.
TODD	William	Private 3947, 24th (Westmoreland & Cumberland) Company, 8th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. Killed 30 May 1900 at Faber's Put. Note: Faber's Put is a farm in the Cape Colony (Herbert district; Northern Cape), 16 km north of Douglas. In Lt-Gen Sir C. Warren's attempts to clear the area of Cape rebels, his column reached the farm on 26 May 1900 and bivouacked there for several days whilst his forces regrouped and supplies were sent forward. Early on the morning of 30 May the farm and camp were attacked by three columns of burghers, some 500-600, from Campbell. A spirited defence led to the retreat of the burghers with considerable loss; on the British side 15 were killed and 30 wounded.
WATSON	Thomas	Private 1445, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment. Died of disease 5December 1901 at Johannesburg.
WATT	George	Private 3958, 24th (Westmoreland & Cumberland) Company, 8th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. Killed 30 May 1900 at Faber's Put. Note: Faber's Put is a farm in the Cape Colony (Herbert district; Northern Cape), 16 km north of Douglas. In Lt-Gen Sir C. Warren's attempts to clear the area of Cape rebels, his column reached the farm on 26 May 1900 and bivouacked there for several days whilst his forces regrouped and supplies were sent forward. Early on the morning of 30 May the farm and camp were attacked by three columns of burghers, some 500-600, from Campbell. A spirited defence led to the retreat of the burghers with considerable loss; on the British side 15 were killed and 30 wounded.
WRIGHT	John	Private 3955, 24th (Westmoreland & Cumberland) Company, 8th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. Killed 30 May 1900 at Faber's Put. Note: Faber's Put is a farm in the Cape Colony (Herbert district; Northern Cape), 16 km north of Douglas. In Lt-Gen Sir C. Warren's attempts to clear the area of Cape rebels, his column reached the farm on 26 May 1900 and bivouacked there for several days whilst his forces regrouped and supplies were sent forward. Early on the morning of 30 May the farm and camp were attacked by three columns of burghers, some 500-600, from Campbell. A spirited defence led to the retreat of the burghers with considerable loss; on the British side 15 were killed and 30 wounded.
ALSO
DAWSON-SCOTT	Geoffrey Nicholl	Lieutenant, 14th Company (Southern Division), Royal Garrison Artillery. Died 31 December 1900, from atrophy of the liver. Aged 26. Born October 1874, educated at Wellington (Combermere, 1888-91). He entered the Royal Artillery from the RMA in June 1895, being promoted lieutenant in June 1898, and proceeded to South Africa in January 1900. Also listed on the Royal Artillery Memorial, London Extract from The Last Post by Mildred G. Dooner: Lieut. Geoffrey Nicholl Dawson-Scott, Royal Garrison Artllery, died Dec. 31st, 1900, from atrophy of the liver. He was born Oct., 1874, and educated at Wellington (Combermere, 1888-91). He entered the Royal Artillery from the R.M.A., June, 1898, and proceeded to South Africa in Jan., 1900.
DUNLOP	John Henry	Private 416, 48th (North Somerset) Company, 7th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. Wounded on 29 May 1901 at Vlakfontein and died of those wounds 2 July 1901 at Johannesburg.

Last updated 11 March, 2024

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