Edward's Story.
Corporal Edward Mendes of the 4th Btn Cheshire Regiment died on 3rd February 1901 at Burghersdorp, South Africa. He was 20 years old. His regimental number was 4317 but was reported in some casualty lists as 4372.
NB Regimental number wrongly shown here as 4372, and Cpl Mendes is listed as 2nd Btn.
What do we know about Edward?
Edward Mendes was born on 12th August 1880, in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. He was the second son of Godfrey Mendes (1854 - 1918) and Mary Anne McAuliffe (1857 - 1902) and brother to John, Mary, Lilian, James, Francis and Albert. His father was a soldier, and the family had been posted from Ireland to Dorset, Jersey, and Cheshire. In April 1891, they were living in the Militia Barracks, near Preston Street, Macclesfield, where his father was a Colour Sergeant. (Although on only one UK census was his father listed as having been born in New York, USA, this seems to be the case. His parents were English, from Spitalfields in London. On other censuses, Godfrey stated that he too came from London.)
Edward enlisted into the Macclesfield Regiment, as the 4th Btn were known, and sailed to South Africa in February 1900 aboard the SS Orotava.
The Orotava arrived at Queenstown Saturday (24th Feb 1900) and embarked 23 officers and 516 men of the 3/Norfolk Regiment, and 26 officers and 627 men of the 4/Cheshire Regiment. (London Times Feb 1900)
The Orotava reached Cape Town on 16th March 1900. By February 1st 1901, Edward was dangerously ill with typhoid, and died two days later on 3rd February, aged 20.
He is remembered in the cemetery at Burghersdorp, on the Boer War memorial at Chester Cathedral, and also on a brass plaque in the south porch of St Michael and All Angels Church in Macclesfield.
Burghersdorp Cemetery inscription
St Michael and All Angels Church in Macclesfield
At the time of Edward's death, his parents were based in Stockport, as this notice from the Manchester Evening News indicates:
Manchester Evening News 12th February 1901
By 31st March 1901, the census shows the family at 13 Kate Avenue, Stockport. His mother Mary Ann died in 1902. His father retired from the army in 1903, and died in 1918.
Edward's medal entitlement listing shows his regimental number as 4317, and records also his date of death:
Researched by S. Lewington (July 2025)