Scotland, Glasgow City Volunteers, Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902

You should find information on:

• First name
• Last name
• Date appointed burgess of the City of Glasgow
• Occupation
• Address
• Company
• Regiment or unit

The political privileges enjoyed by the burgesses were removed by the Reform Act in 1832 and their ancient exclusive trading rights were abolished in 1846. Thereafter admission as a burgess in Glasgow became a civic honour with archaic historic rights and privileges.

When volunteer soldiers departed for the 2nd Anglo-Boer War, local Cities and Burghs held public ceremonies with a dinner, patriotic speeches, prayers and songs. Many of these Cities and Burghs presented burgess tickets to the departing soldiers.

One such event was held by the Glasgow Corporation in St Andrew’s Hall, Glasgow on 2nd February 1900 for volunteers belonging to the various rifle battalions in the City of Glasgow and the County of Lanark and the members of the Queen's Own Yeomanry who had enlisted for active service in South Africa.

Subsequently, there was a public campaign to grant burgess tickets to the detachment of Lanarkshire Engineers who volunteered for service in South Africa. On 20th February 1900, Glasgow Corporation presented burgess tickets to these men in the Council Chamber. The Corporation also agreed to confer a similar honour on the Glasgow Company of the Medical Staff Corps. The Corporation sent their burgess tickets to them in camp in Aldershot.

Glasgow Corporation gave burgess tickets to volunteers on subsequent departures.

Although these burgesses appear in sources elsewhere, the transcriptions of these records include the home address of each man, and full details of his regiment, battalion and unit.

These records are published courtesy of and with thanks to the Glasgow & West of Scotland Family History Society.