Griffiths - Mitcheldean (General)

by HarryBrook , Wednesday, January 02, 2013, 14:07 (4345 days ago)

An interesting memorial inscription found in St. Michael and All Angels Churchyard, Mitcheldean:-

IN MEMORY OF/THOMAS GRIFFITHS/DIED SEPT. 25 1913 AGED 66/ALSO/MARIA/WIFE OF THE ABOVE/DIED FEB. 12 1922 AGED 67/JAMES HENRY/SON OF THE ABOVE/DIED JUNE 15 1901/WHILE ON ACTIVE SERVICE AT HARRISMITH SOUTH AFRICA/AGED 24/STANLEY EDWARD/SON OF THE ABOVE/DIED FEB. 12 1922/AGED 34

James Henry GRIFFITHS was Private 5740 2nd Battn. Grenadier Guards. His service in the 2nd Boer War would have entitled him to the Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps for Wittebergen, Cape Colony, Transvaal, and South Africa 1901. News of his death was quickly communicated to his parents since the following was published in The Gloucester Citizen on Thursday June 20 1901:-

DEATHS
GRIFFITHS-Private James Henry Griffiths, aged 24 years, 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards, eldest son of Thomas and Maria Griffiths, of Mitcheldean, who died of enteric fever at Harrismith, South Africa, on June 15th 1901.

It in also of note that Maria Griffiths and her son Stanley Edward Griffiths both died on the same day.

This may be of interest to anyone researhing the Griffiths family of Mitcheldean. The Mitcheldean Griffiths' deaths do not appear in the parish records on this site.