The Boer War Memorial, Thomastown Park

by Barrie Jones

To mark 121st anniversary of the start of the Second Boer War, this article is a rewrite and update on Merthyr’s Boer War Memorial that was first published as part of an essay on Thomastown Park in Volume Twelve of the Merthyr Historian in 2001.

2001 was the 100th anniversary of the construction of Thomastown Park and the war memorial will reach its 116th anniversary in September this year.

Situated in the ‘western’ park the memorial is unique as the first memorial to Merthyr’s menfolk who gave their lives in the service of their country.

The Second Boer War

The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902 and was the first British conflict that depended heavily upon volunteers to boost the small and heavily stretched established army.  The war under conventional terms of fighting between formed armies was over by June 1900.  A guerrilla phase followed in which the worst aspects of warfare such as scorched earth actions and concentration camps were to inflict severe hardship and suffering upon the Boer people.  The war was concluded at the peace of Vereeniging in May 1902.

An indication that the war was over in all but name was that some four months before the signing of the peace treaty prominent Merthyr townsfolk were planning a memorial to those that had died in the service of their Queen, King and Country.

Memorial Committee

At a public meeting held on the 17 January 1902, a resolution was passed that a suitable memorial to perpetuate the memory of former townsmen who had fallen in the war in South Africa be erected.  An application for consent of the Council to erect a memorial on the Recreation Ground, later known as Thomastown Park, was made by the secretary of the Committee, Mr W. T. Jones.  Mr Jones of 25, Tudor Terrace, Merthyr Tydfil was an accountant practising from offices at 50 High Street.  His letter of application, dated 22 January was read at the Council meeting on the 5 February 1902 and was granted subject to a suitable site being available.

Chairman of the committee was Dr. C. Biddle and the vice-chairman was Mr. William Griffiths, High Constable of Merthyr Tydfil, and over the next two years the committee set out to raise the funds to build and erect the memorial.

Fund Raising

The overall cost of the memorial was £300, the majority of which was got by public subscription.  Fund raising was slow and by the spring of 1904 was somewhat off the fund’s target.  At which time the Police, Yeomanry and Volunteers came forward offering to organise an assault at arms and concert at the Drill Hall, Merthyr.

The event held on the night of Wednesday 11 May 1904 was well attended and raised £75 towards the memorial.  The evening’s proceedings demonstrated the strong military background of members of the police force and the overall strength of support towards the erection of a memorial to the men that had died in the war.

The District Council, at a total cost of £123 carried out the foundation work for the memorial.  They presented an account for the work, less the Council’s contribution of £25 towards the memorial, in the November following the unveiling ceremony.

The Memorial

The site chosen for the memorial was in the western park on the Thomastown Tips overlooking the town and with the memorial’s overall height of thirty five-foot it is clearly visible from the town below.  (George) Washington Morgan, a local sculptor and monumental mason of Penyard House, was commissioned to design and build the memorial.  Built from Aberdeen granite in the shape of an obelisk, fifteen feet tall, standing on a pedestal carved from the same material the memorial stands on a foundation designed by Mr C M Davies and Mr T F Harvey, District Council surveyor.  The foundation comprises a Pennant stone base twelve feet square upon which the granite pedestal rests.  The base surrounded by kerb and railing stands on a grass clod embankment giving added height to the memorial.  Application had been made to the War Office to have two South African guns to place each side of the obelisk but without success.

Thomastown Recreation Ground in the 1920s. Photo courtesy of Carl Llewellyn

The pillar has a wreath carved just above the front of the Pedestal, under which is the motto ‘Gwell Angau na Chywilydd’, (Better Death than Dishonour).  On the front of the four faces of the pedestal is carved the words ‘A tribute to Merthyr men who died in the South African war, 1899-1902.’  The other three sides contain the forty-two names of ‘Merthyr’ men who died in the war:

  1. Charles M Jenkins, Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry
  2. Trooper John Gray, 18th Hussars
  3. Trooper Dominick Dasey, 19th Hussars
  4. Gunner Thomas Williams, Field Artillery
  5. Thomas W Davies, Imperial, Yeomanry
  6. Trooper Evan J Williams, Imperial Yeomanry
  7. Trooper Caradoc I Evans, Protectorate Regiment
  8. Arthur J Jenkins, Grenadier Guards
  9. Evan Evans, Welsh Fusiliers
  10. Frederick Barnett, Welsh Fusiliers
  11. John J Davies, Welsh Fusiliers
  12. Edwin Mansell, South Wales Borderers
  13. William Reardon, South Wales Borderers
  14. William Lewis, South Wales Borderers
  15. David J Moses, South Wales Borderers
  16. J Walsh, South Wales Borderers
  17. Edward Davies, South Wales Borderers
  18. John Rees, South Wales Borderers
  19. Edward Owens, South Wales Borderers
  20. Daniel Sullivan, South Wales Borderers
  21. Sydney Rees, South Wales Borderers
  22. Thomas Davies, South Wales Borderers
  23. William James, South Wales Borderers
  24. Edwin Jones, South Wales Borderers
  25. William Wayt, South Wales Borderers
  26. Michael Flynn, South Wales Borderers
  27. Thomas Fouhy, Welsh Regiment
  28. Timothy O’Shea, Welsh Regiment
  29. Dennis Donovan, Welsh Regiment
  30. Samuel Thomas, Welsh Regiment
  31. Henry Pollard, Welsh Regiment
  32. Cornelius Mahoney, Welsh Regiment
  33. Henry Davies, Welsh Regiment
  34. Morgan Roberts, Welsh Regiment
  35. Thomas Rule, Welsh Regiment
  36. Lewis Williams, Welsh Regiment
  37. John M Ball, Welsh Regiment
  38. John Hayes, Welsh Regiment
  39. Samuel Broadstock, Gloucester Regiment
  40. Patrick Cronin, Manchester Regiment
  41. Daniel Jones, Imperial Light Infantry
  42. William F Howell, R.A.M.C.

Lieutenant C. M. Jenkins was the son of Thomas Jenkins J.P., farmer, of Pantscallog House, Pant.  Charles was a railway engineer and had been living in the Transvaal for eleven years before he enlisted in Major Thornycroft’s Imperial Mounted Infantry in October 1899; “All my pals are in it, and I must take a hand as well”.  Charles was killed at the battle of Colenso, Natal, on 15 December 1899, aged 32 years old.

The Unveiling Ceremony

After strenuous fund raising the memorial was complete and ready for its official unveiling on Thursday afternoon, 8 September 1904.  In keeping with military tradition the ceremony was planned to precision and comprised both military parade and music.  On the week leading up to the ceremony plans of the ground showing the entrance gates to be used by the various participating groups was on display in prominent office and shop windows about the town.

The ceremony must have looked most impressive with some six hundred officers and men of the volunteer detachments, South Wales Borderers, of Cefn Coed, Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil and Merthyr Vale and the Glamorgan Yeomanry.  Witnessing the event was a large assembly of the general public under the supervision of the local police.  Lord Windsor, in his capacity of Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan, accompanied by Mr Forest, Deputy Lieutenant, Mr. W. W. Meredith, High Constable, and Mr. J. M. Berry, Chairman of the Public Works Committee, arrived at the recreation ground in a brougham.  Lord Windsor was met at the entrance of the gates to the ground by the Memorial Committee and was afforded the honour of a guard of one hundred men under the command of Lieutenant D. C. Harris, Merthyr Tydfil Volunteer detachment of the South Wales Borderers.

After speeches from both the High Constable and Dr. Biddle the buglers of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion Welsh Regiment sounded ‘The Last Post’.  Lord Windsor then unveiled the obelisk to great applause and after an appropriate speech concluded by asking Councillor J. M. Berry to accept the memorial on behalf of the Parish of Merthyr.  Councillor Berry accepted the monument and assured Lord Windsor and subscribers that the town would do its utmost to keep it as a sacred trust.

The memorial still stands but is in much need of repair and refurbishment.

The Memorial shortly after it was unveiled.