Oxford Rifles and the Boer War
Oxford Rifles and the Boer War
The story behind the Boer War memorial located on the County Courthouse grounds.
By Liz Dommasch, Archivist
With the outbreak of war in the British colony of South Africa in 1899, Britain was forced to call upon her colonies for help. In Oxford County, ten men from the Oxford Rifles, under the command of Captain J. Ross, enlisted for service and set sail with the 1st Canadian Contingent on October 30, 1899. Although many of these men were enlisted with the Royal Canadian Rifles, a few saw action with the mounted infantry units formed to reduce the mobility of the Boers’ mounted commandos. 
Two men from Oxford would be killed while serving overseas. Colour-Sergeant George W. Leonard passed away from wounds inflicted while crossing the Zand River on May 10, 1901 and Corporal Myrtle Davidson would die of enteric fever (better known as typhoid fever today) on February 2, 1902 while serving with the South African Constabulary.
The Boer War was waged between 1899 and 1902 between British-led forces and the original Cape Colony Boer settlers in what is now the country of South Africa. By the end of the war 22,000 British-led troops, 25,000 Boers and 12,000 Black Africans had been killed.
On May 24, 1904 a memorial was erected, in front of the Court House, by the people of the City of Woodstock and the County of Oxford to honour these two men. Although the monument honours both men, the memorial includes a bust of Colour-Sergeant Leonard and was the work of a Beachville sculptor, Frederick C. Dunbar. The monument was unveiled during the visit of the 13th Regiment of Hamilton and Lord Aylmer, the adjutant General of the Canadian Militia officiated the ceremony. Sergeants Lane, Wiltshire and McGinnis of the Oxford Rifles were responsible for drawing aside the colours which were draped over the memorial. Canon Farthing, Rector of New St. Paul’s Church and the chaplain of the Oxford Rifles, participated in the service which was attend by a vast crowd.
The unveiling ceremony of Boer War memorial outside of the County Courthouse in Woodstock, Ontario.
(Photo courtesy of the Woodstock Museum, 1970.46.8)
The canons that flank each side of the monument are not related to the monument but date back to the 1840s. They were placed on the front lawn of the Court House in September 1900, thanks to the efforts of Hon. James Sutherland.