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Sergeant Maurice Richard CHURCH (7949)
40th (Oxfordshire) Company, 10th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry Date of birth: 19th January 1872 Date of death: 16th February 1901 Killed in action aged 29 Unknown
Maurice Richard Church was born at Wells, Somerset on the 19th of January 1872 the elder son of the Reverend Canon Charles Marcus Church MA, Canon of Wells, and Elizabeth Mary (nee Bonnett) Church of 21 East Liberty, Wells. He was educated at Oxford Preparatory School and at Lancing College where he won an Exhibition and was in School House from September 1886 to July 1890. He was a member of the Football XI from 1888 to 1890, where he played as a back, and was a member of the Cricket XI from 1888 to 1890. The Lancing College magazine wrote of his 1888 Cricket season: - "Promising bat with neat style: fair field." He was appointed as a Prefect in 1889. On the 11th of October 1890 he was admitted to Keble College, Oxford where he played for the College Cricket XI in 1892 and the Football XI from 1890 to 1894, being Captain in 1893 and 1894. He achieved a 3rd Class BA in history in 1894. Later that year he went to British Columbia returning in 1897. He then returned to his old school to become an assistant school master at the Oxford Preparatory School (now the Dragon School) in 1898. On the outbreak of the South African War he resigned his position and enlisted at Oxford as Trooper 7949 in the 40th (Oxfordshire) Company, 10th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry on the 6th of January 1900. At a medical examination, which was held at Oxford on the 18th of January, it was recorded that he was five feet ten inches tall, that he weighed 152lbs and that he had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He and his Company were drilled in Headington Park, often watched with interest by his pupils. He embarked for South Africa on the 3rd of February 1900 where he served with the South African Field Forces, seeing action in the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State and in the Transvaal. On the 16th of February 1901 the 40th Company, 10th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry was marching across the hill country to Klerksdorp as part of General Lord Methuen's column when they were confronted by a Boer force at Hartbeestefontein. The Imperial Yeomanry were sent forward to confront them but did not see the enemy until they opened fire. In the words of one Yeomanry Trooper: - "Suddenly without a word of warning, a hundred Mausers cracked, and a shower of bullets whistled past us." After quickly dismounting the men of the Yeomanry lay flat on the grass and returned the fire. At around the same time the British artillery joined them and this was followed by an infantry attack which swept away the Boer first line, causing them to withdraw. Seven members of the Imperial Yeomanry had been killed or died of wounds during the engagement. Following his death the boys at the Dragon School collected

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