Earle of Chester's Imperial Yeomanry

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Earle of Chester's Imperial Yeomanry

This memorial is dedicated to the men who fell in the Boer War and it is in Chester Cathedral

In memory of comrades who died in South Africa.
This tablet is placed by the Earle of Chester's Imperial Yeomanry 1904
Extended Description
Lieutenant J W BROADHURST, 9th Battalion died 24th November 1901 at Gelgenfontein
Lieutenant Horace Foster SCHWABE 2nd Battalion died 25th October 1901 at Johannesburg (Wills and Probate On Ancestry.co.uk Have his death date as 21st October 1901 and his effects went to Herbert Priestly Schwabe, merchant
Private 1831 J C CRAMER-ROBERTS, 2nd Bn, died 25th April 1900 at Deefontein
Private 9023, GEoege FRederick FOX died 16th May 1900 at Cape Town. (Wills and Probate on Ancestry.co.uk have the following information. He lived at Castle Hill, Ewloe, Flintshire and he was Trooper, 21st Company, Imperial Yeomanry who died 18th May 1900 at the Woodstock Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. His effects went to Emma Fow, widow
Private F DAVIES, no information, it may be this soldier Private 1716, F DAVIS, 2nd Bn who died 15th June 1900 at Draghoender
Private 883, C E HUSKISSON, Cape Police, died 12th November 1900 at Vryburg
Private J J WHITE, no information found
Private 1811 G BRADSHAW, 2nd Bn, died 1st April 1900 at Draghoender
Private 1789, G WHITELEGGE, 2nd Bn, died 12th December 1900 at Maitland
Private W LISTER, no information found
Private H THORNTON, See comments below
Private 1721, E PRITCHARD, 2nd Bn, died 10th April 1900 at De Aar
Private 1709, A A CARRICK, 2nd Bn, died 13th May 1900 at Draghoender
Private 1767, P J PRESTON, 2nd Bn, died of wounds 10th May 1901 at Eensgevonden
Private H GOUGH, no information found
Private E HODSON, no record found. It may be this soldier Private 9036, E HODGSON, 2nd Bn died 21st May 1901 at Thabanchu
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Hoping to receive information and photo of Henry Thornton soon from his niece
Thank you Joyce :D
 
Received this information from Joyce


Henry was my father's brother. The Thornton family was a large Victorian working class family. They lived in Lower Bridge Street Chester. The brothers all went into the military the army or the navy.

At twenty one Henry, inspired by the Boer War joined the Cheshire Yeomanry as a Trooper. His photograph shows a good looking young man. Yeoman means free man but he gave up some of his freedom to join the army. The ‘smart’ regiments of the British Army were the cavalry regiments. The exploits of the cavalry under General Wellington in India, Spain and at Waterloo were the stuff men dreamt of. Tennyson’s Crimean War poem, ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ was a school favourite.
An account in The Cheshire Life Magazine 37 titled: "Men In Khaki" describes the duties of the Cheshire Yeomanry in South Africa. Henry Thornton is named in the account.
January 10th, 1900 Henry born 1878 enlisted in the 21st COY Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry. In South Africa according to the article the conditions were bad involving long hard horseback rides in rainstorms and sandstorms, shortage of food was common and more men died of disease than were killed by the enemy.
The Cape Mounted Police, anxious to gain men for the Force, sent recruiting officers to the townships. As the daily pay of a Police trooper was seven shillings compared with the one shilling and five pence of the Yeoman it is not surprising that during August and September, 1900, sixty one men, with their horses, including Henry from the two Companies joined the Police. In an action near Hoopstaad, Orange River Colony, on October 23 when he was part of the rear-guard of the Column which was ambushed he was killed.


Henry Thornton Cheshire Yeomanry

1900 The South African war medal with two bars for Cape Colony & Orange Free State. Henry Thornton Cape Mounted Police (Photo to follow)
.

Although the Boer War was still in progress, King Edward VII, on July 26 1901, presented medals to representatives, including next- of -kin from each of the eighty Imperial Yeomanry Companies, which had served in South Africa. Eighty five Officers and Men from the Cheshire Companies were present at the ceremony on Horse Guards Parade, London. For those unable attend such as my grandparents there was a presentation ceremony at Chester Town Hall on September 7 1901 at which they received their medals from Lord Egerton, Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire.
On January 14 1905, a Memorial Plaque to those of the Cheshire Companies who had lost their lives in the War was unveiled in the north transept of Chester Cathedral. It bears the names of two officers and fourteen men, including Henry, all troopers.

As a child visiting Grandma Thornton’s house I remember a large photograph of Henry in his army slouch hat and uniform near the front door.
 
Thanks for the info mate and thank you Joyce for sharing this information, great reading.

I will have to have a look at this book.
 
Henry Thorntons medal

south africa medal.PNG
 

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Pre WW1, WW2 War and Private Memorials to the fallen
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