Trooper Silas Mendelssohn Evans of Mansel Street, Swansea

The Memorial at St James’ Church

Within St James’ Church, Uplands, stands a dignified brass memorial tablet commemorating Trooper S. M. Evans, a young Swansea volunteer who fell in action at Tafelkop, South Africa, on 20 December 1901 during the Second Boer War. His death was

Herald of Wales

noted in the Herald of Wales in 1902, which reported on a tablet to be erected in honour of “a Swansea Trooper’s memory.” Behind the initials on the plaque lies the story of Silas Mendelssohn Evans, whose life, shaped by family, music, and duty, ended far from home on the South African veldt.

Family Background and Early Life

Silas Mendelssohn Evans was born in Swansea in 1879, the son of Silas Evans and Ann (Annie) Parker, who had married in the town in 1870.

1881 Census

At the time of the 1881 Census, the family lived at 21 Mansel Street, where Aberdare‑born Silas, aged 41, worked as an accountant and was also known locally as a conductor of the Swansea Choral Society. His wife Annie, aged 29 and born in Briton Ferry, cared for their six children: Maude H. (9), Marion P. (8), Ivor (7), Haydn (5), Silas M. (2), and Handel (1). The father’s death in September 1881 left Annie widowed with a young family; he was buried at Babell Cemetery, Cwmbwrla.

1891 Census

By the 1891 Census, the family remained at Mansel Street. Annie, now 40, was recorded as a widow with no occupation, supported in part by her older children: Maud H. (19), a dressmaker; Marion R. (18), still in education; Ivor (17), a stores cashier; and Haydn (15), an office clerk. Silas M. (12) and Harold (11) were still at school. This is the final census in which Silas Mendelssohn Evans appears before his later enlistment.

The 30th (Pembrokeshire) Company, 9th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry

The 30th (Pembrokeshire) Company formed part of the 9th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry, one of several Welsh contingents raised in 1900 to reinforce the British Army during the Second Boer War. The Imperial Yeomanry was a mounted volunteer force composed largely of young men—clerks, farmers, tradesmen, and students—who enlisted for one year’s service overseas. The 9th Battalion drew recruits from across Wales, including Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Glamorgan, and operated as mounted infantry, expected to ride swiftly across the open veldt and fight dismounted, often in small, mobile columns tasked with pursuing Boer commandos.

The Action at Tafelkop – 20 December 1901

The 30th (Pembrokeshire) Company of the 9th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry was engaged in the action at Tafelkop on 20 December 1901, where Boer forces launched a sudden and overwhelming attack that resulted in heavy British losses, including the death of Trooper Silas Mendelssohn Evans. He had volunteered for service in South Africa during the Second Anglo‑Boer War, and he was killed in action when the guns he was escorting were attacked by a Boer force 300 strong at Tafelkop, east of Frankfort in the Orange River Colony.

The engagement took place during the guerrilla phase of the war, when Boer leaders such as General Louis Botha and General Ben Viljoen carried out rapid, highly mobile raids against isolated British detachments. On that December morning, a British column that included elements of the 30th Company was surprised by a large Boer force. The attack was swift and devastating: the Boers advanced with speed and precision, striking before the mounted troops could form a proper defensive line. The fighting was brief but fierce, and the Imperial Yeomanry suffered significant casualties.

Although detailed operational reports are scarce, the casualty rolls confirm that several men of the 30th Company were killed in this action, among them Trooper Evans, whose death was officially recorded at Tafelkop on that date. The action was a Boer victory, and the Imperial Yeomanry suffered both fatalities and captures as the raiding force swept through the British position.

Role of the 30th Company in the Engagement

While the surviving records do not provide a minute‑by‑minute account of the company’s movements, it is clear that the 30th (Pembrokeshire) Company was operating as part of a mounted detachment in the eastern Transvaal, engaged in anti‑guerrilla operations aimed at intercepting Boer commandos. The sudden attack at Tafelkop left the British force little time to react, and the company’s casualties reflect the intensity of the encounter. Trooper Evans’s service, preserved in medal rolls and memorial inscriptions, stands as a testament to the risks faced by these Welsh volunteers.

Commemoration

Frankfort Cemetery, South Africa
Memorial
credit - findagrave

Trooper Evans is commemorated not only in St James’ Church, Uplands, but also on the Swansea Boer War Memorial and the Haverfordwest Boer War Memorial, ensuring that his name endures among the Welshmen who did not return from South Africa. He is buried at Frankfort Cemetery, South Africa, close to the region where he fell. The memorial tablet, the newspaper tributes, and the surviving military records together preserve the story of a young Swansea man whose life was shaped by family, music, and a sense of duty that carried him across continents to the battlefields of the Boer War.