Boer War – The Gray/Grey One-Name Study

Introduction

[Source: Wikipedia]

The Boer wars (also known as the Freedom Wars by the Afrikaans) were two wars fought between the British and the two Boer republics – the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Republic

The first war (1880-1881) was a rebellion of Boers against the British rule in the Transvaal and re-established their independence. The second (1899-1902) was a longer war, involving large numbers of troops from the British Empire, and resulting in the republics becoming British colonies which later formed part of the Union of South Africa.

Data

The data shown here comprises the casualties from the British side as well as a letter from Peter Court to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission about his relations Edmund, William and Lumley Gray.

Boer War Casualties

Sources:

Military-Genealogy.com, comp. UK, Casualties of the Boer War, 1899-1902 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Original data: Military-Genealogy.com, comp. Boer War Casualties 1899-1902. The Naval and Military Press Ltd. www.military-genealogy.com.

Surname	First Name	Casualty Type	Date	Place	Regiment
Gray	A G	Wounded	28 May 1900	Lindley	Imperial Yeomanry
Gray	A G	Wounded	20 Dec 1901	Tafelkop	Imperial Yeomanry
Gray	A	Wounded	11 Dec 1899	Magersfontein	Highland Light Infantry
Gray	A	Prisoner	31 May 1900	Lindley	Imperial Yeomanry
Gray	A	Prisoner	23 Nov 1900	Dewetsdorp	Highland Light Infantry
Gray	A	Died	8 Aug 1900	Kroonstad	Highland Light Infantry
Gray	A	Died	12 Jan 1902	Johannesburg	Scottish Horse
Grey	A J	Wounded	21 Apr 1900	Wepener	South African Contingents
Grey	A P W	Died	19 Nov 1900	Pretoria	New South Wales Contingents
Gray	Archibald	Wounded	11 Dec 1899	Magersofntein	Black Watch
Gray	B	Died	19 Dec 1899	Ladysmith	Gloucester Regiment
Gray	B	Prisoner	31 Mar 1900	Sanna’s Post	10th Hussars
Gray	B	Prisoner	16 Jul 1900	Bethlehem	10th Hussars
Gray	C	Killed	15 Dec 1899	Colenso	Devonshire Regiment
Gray	C	Died	27 Jul 1900	Kimberley	Bedfordshire Regiment
Gray	C	Wounded	4 Jun 1900	Pretoria	Essex Regiment
Gray	C	Suicide	1 Sep 1901	Kimberley	Kimberley Regiment
Gray	C	Died	31 Jan 1902	Kroonstad	Royal Army Medical Corps
Gray	C J	Prisoner	30 Oct 1899	Farquars Farm	Gloucester Regiment
Gray	D M	Killed	15 Dec 1899	Colenso	Natal Carabiniers
Gray	E	Wounded	18 Feb 1900	Paardeberg	Welsh Regiment
Gray	E	Wounded	18 Feb 1902	Springs	2nd Dragoons
Grey	E	Wounded	29 Mar 1900	Karee	South Wales Borderers
Gray	E W	Died	31 Oct 1899	Glencoe	Royal Army Medical Corps
Gray	F C	Wounded	19 Nov 1900	Harrismith	Imperial Yeomanry
Gray	F	Wounded	29 Mar 1900	Karee	Norfolk Regiment
Gray	F	Wounded	26 Aug 1900	Belfast	Grenadier Guards
Gray	F	Died	5 May 1901	Thaba Nchu	Royal Irish Rifles
Gray	F W	Prisoner	31 Jan 1901	Modderfontein	South Wales Borderers
Gray	G E	Wounded	25 Dec 1901	Tweefontein	Imperial Yeomanry
Gray	G	Died	17 May 1900	Kimberley	Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Gray	G	Died	26 Mar 1900	P M Burg	South Lancashire Regiment
Gray	G	Killed	30 Mar 1902	Barberton	Hampshire Regiment
Grey	G	Died	16 Jun 1900	Pretoria	Northumberland Fusiliers
Grey	G	Died	24 May 1900	Bloemfontein	Bedfordshire Regiment
Grey	G	Died	27 Dec 1900	Mooi River	Scots Guards
Gray	G M H	Prisoner	9 Nov 1901	Katplaats	South African Constabulary
Gray		Wounded	14 Jun 1900	Brandfort	Royal Lancaster Regiment
Gray		Prisoner	4 Apr 1900	Reddersburg	Northumberland Fusiliers
Grey		Prisoner	25 Jul 1900	Klerksdorp	Kimberley Mounted Corps
Grey		Prisoner	23 Nov 1900	Dewersdorp	Royal Field Artillery
Gray	H De	Prisoner	29 Dec 1900	Helvetia	Royal Garrison Artillery
Gray	H De	Prisoner	29 Dec 1900	Helvetia	Royal Garrison Artillery
Gray	H G S	Wounded	31 Mar 1902	Boschbult	Imperial Yeomanry
Gray	H	Died	20 Dec 1899	Colenso	Border Regiment
Gray	H	Died	10 May 1900	Orange River	Bedfordshire Regiment
Gray	H	Died	6 Aug 1900	Kimberley	Bedfordshire Regiment
Gray	H	Died	20 May 1900	Chieveley	Royal Army Medical Corps
Gray	H	Died	22 Mar 1902	Lindley	Royal West Surrey Regiment
Gray	H J	Died	15 Jan 1901	Rustenburg	Royal Engineers
Gray	H L R D	Died	10 Jun 1900	Johannesburg	6th Dragoons
Gray	H W	Wounded	09-24 Apr	Wepener	Cape Mounted Rifleman
Grey	I	Died	28 Jun 1900	Ladysmith	18th Hussars
Gray	J	Prisoner	10 Dec 1899	Stormberg	Northumberland Fusiliers
Gray	J	Prisoner	10 Dec 1899	Stormberg	Royal Irish Rifles
Gray	J	Died	23 Dec 1899	Ladysmith	Royal Field Artillery
Gray	J	Wounded	10 Mar 1900	Driefontein	Welsh Regiment
Gray	J	Wounded	31 Mar 1900	Sannas Post	Royal Horse Artillery
Gray	J	Died	30 Jul 1900	Heilbron	Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Gray	J	Killed	28 May 1900	Roodepoort	Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Gray	J	Wounded	13 Dec 1900	Nooitgedacht	Royal Horse Artillery
Gray	J	Wounded	6 Feb 1900	Vaal Krantz	Durban Light Infantry
Gray	J	Wounded	12 Jan 1901	Brugspruit	East Kent Regiment
Gray	J	Wounded	22 Aug 1901	Standerton	Imperial Yeomanry
Gray	J	Wounded	28 Jan 1902	Groot Olifants River	Royal Scots
Grey	J	Wounded	29 Jun 1900	Ameersfoort	19th Hussars
Gray	J M	Died	29 Jan 1902	Heilbron	New South Wales Contingents
Gray	J S	Wounded	29 Oct 1901	Lichtenburg	Imperial Yeomanry
Gray	James	Prisoner	11 Dec 1899	Magersofntein	Black Watch
Gray	L	Wounded	20 Oct 1899	Glencoe	Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Gray	L	Wounded	18 Aug 1901	Karroonfontn	Bedfordshire Regiment
Gray	L	Prisoner	9 Nov 1901	Katplaats	South African Constabulary
Grey	L	Died	9 Feb 1902	Kroonstad	Imperial Yeomanry
Gray	N	Wounded	27 Feb 1900	Paardeberg	Royal Canadian Regiment
Gray	N M N	Wounded	16 May 1900	Mafeking	Royal Horse Artillery
Gray	O	Wounded	29 Mar 1900	Karee	Scottish Borderers
Gray	P	Died	23 May 1901	Bloemfontein	Border Regiment
Gray	P W	Wounded	28 May 1900	Olifants River	Canadian Contingents
Gray	R	Wounded	28 Nov 1899	Modder River	Scots Guards
Gray	R	Prisoner	10 Dec 1899	Stormberg	Northumberland Fusiliers
Gray	R	Missing	24 Dec 1900	Edenskop	Devonshire Regiment
Gray	R	Died	29 Mar 1901	Mafeking	Army Service Corps
Gray	R	Wounded	1 Oct 1901	Weltervreden	Devonshire Regiment
Gray	R	Wounded	24 Oct 1901	Diepdraai	Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Gray	R	Died	30 Mar 1902	Middelburg	Intelligence Department
Grey	R	Wounded	28 Sep 1900	Doomfontn	Lovat’s Scouts
Grey	R	Drowned	19 Jan 1902	Mooi River	Scottish Borderers
Gray	R H	Died	24 Jan 1900	P M Burg	Rifle Brigade
Gray	R J	Wounded	31 Aug 1900	Kwaggafontein	Kaffrarian Rifles
Gray	R J	Died	17 Nov 1901	Kroonstad	Army Service Corps
Gray	Robert	Killed	11 Dec 1899	Magersofntein	Black Watch
Gray	T	Wounded	08-24 Apr	Wepener	Royal Scots
Gray	T	Killed	24 Jan 1900	Spion Kop	Scottish Rifles
Gray	T	Killed	24 Jan 1900	Spion Kop	Scottish Rifles
Gray	T	Killed	4 Jun 1901	Petrusburg	Royal Irish Rifles
Gray	Thomas	Died	7 Mar 1901	Cradock	1st Volunteers
Gray	W	Killed	17 Dec 1899	Colenso	Royal Field Artillery
Gray	W	Wounded	18 Feb 1900	Paardeberg	Welsh Regiment
Gray	W	Killed	18 Feb 1900	Paardeberg	Seaforth Highlanders
Gray	W	Died	23 May 1900	Wynberg	Norfolk Regiment
Gray	W	Died	1 Nov 1900	Pretoria	Coldstream Guards
Gray	W	Wounded	8 Sep 1900	Lydenburg	Devonshire Regiment
Gray	W	Died	19 Apr 1902	Heilbron	East Lancashire Regiment
Gray	W	Died	28 Feb 1902	Machadodorp	Civilian Conductors

Edmund, William and Lumley Gray

Peter Court wrote to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission about his grandfather Edmund Gray and his brothers William and Lumley Gray.

“Edmund, William and Lumley Gray, were volunteer South African troopers inside Ladysmith during the Siege of Ladysmith, a battle of the South African War (Anglo-Boer War). On occasions when the Boers were not shelling the town too fiercely they played cricket for their regimental team, the Border Mounted Rifles, regularly challenging other volunteer units and British regiments.

”The older brother, Captain William Gray, went on to take part in the First World War and was killed in 15 July 1916 at the Battle of Delville Wood in the Somme offensive, where South African soldiers held the wood in a particularly bloody fight.

“His grave is at the Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colin-Camp, France.”