Boer War (O’Donnell, Lister and Jowett)

The memorial (“erected by the inhabitants of Shipley”) records the names of 3 soldiers killed in the 2nd Boer War (1899-1902): It was unveiled and dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Ripon at 4.45pm on Saturday 4th April 1903 . The ceremony was attended by the Band and members of the 2nd West Yorkshire (Prince of Wales’ Own) Rifle Volunteers in their scarlet jackets, and the Deputy Lieutenant of the County, as well as many inhabitants of Shipley.

Herbert O’Donnell was born in Shipley in 1880. His father was Bradford born Michael O’Donnell, his mother, Hannah, was from Norfolk and in 1881 he had two brothers, John and James. The family lived at 2 Albert Terrace. In 1901, O’Donnell was a Lance Corporal in the 3rd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regt, in the South Africa Field Force. Aged 21 when killed, his death is recorded as at Nonskraal, where on Christmas Day 1901 a baggage train was attacked and captured by the Boers. Four, including the Officer and O’Donnell were killed, 5 wounded and 57 taken prisoner. He is buried nearby to the battle.

Higson Lister was born in Shipley 1877 to Hannah and her husband George Lister, a butcher of 32 Briggate, Shipley. In 1891, Higson was the middle of three sons At some point he joined the Shipley Division of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade, and was posted to South Africa. He died of ‘Enteric’ or typhoid fever. (This was a problem in hot climates. In the Boer Wars more soldiers died of typhus than in battle). Pte Lister is buried in the Churchyard in St John the Baptist Church, Pinetown, a town in KwaZulu-Natal near to Durban, which contains 44 graves of soldiers who died in the nearby Princess Christian Hospital.

Albert Jowett was born in 1875 in Shipley and in 1891 was living at 152 George Street, Saltaire with his parents, Jesse Jowett (39) a dyer, Sarah Ann (42) a weaver and three siblings; Elizabeth (12), Arthur (8) and Wilfred (1) He joined the 2nd Battalion KOYLI as a private. The KOYLI was in South Africa when the second Boer war broke out, having been brought from Mauritius. Arthur too died of enteric and is buried at Elandsfontein where there was a hospital and where the Battalion may have been based for a while.