Captain Leycester Francis Devenish-Meares
Number: 9389/ ..
Company: 46th (Belfast) Company, 13th Battalion, First Contingent/ 61st (Dublin) Company (New), 17th Battalion, Second Contingent/ 60th (Belfast) Company (New), 17th Battalion, Second Contingent
ENLISTMENT
Date: 8 January 1900
Place: Belfast
Age: 26 years 10 months (born 15 March 1873 in Bridge Street, Newry)
Trade or calling: Land agent
Place of birth: In the Parish of Newry, in or near the Town of Newry, in County Down
Address: Bridge Street, Newry
Family: Father Joseph Leycester Devenish-Meares, JP, land agent and civil engineer, mother Frances Georgina Devenish-Meares (nee Brook), of 10 Bridge Street, Newry.
Previous military service: No
Description: Height 5' 9 1/2". Complexion fresh, eyes blue, hair brown.
Religion: Church of England
ACTIVE SERVICE
Date to South Africa: 13 March 1900
Date home: __
Service medal, clasps and other awards: Queen's South Africa Medal, King's South Africa Medal. Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, 1901, 1902 clasps.
DISCHARGE
Date: 8 March 1901
Place: South Africa
Reason for discharge: To take up a commission in the Imperial Yeomanry
Devenish-Meares was among the 400 men captured by Boer forces at Lindley in May 1900. He was released on 30 August with the other members of the 13th Battalion when the British captured Nooitgedacht.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 9 March 1901. Ten days later he was promoted to lieutenant and posted to the 61st (Dublin) Company (New). He was subsequently promoted to captain and posted as commander of the 60th (Belfast) Company (New). He returned to the UK with his company in June 1902 and relinquished his commission on 29 August. Soon after he returned to South Africa.
Belfast Evening Telegraph, 2 May 1900
Evening Irish Times, 6 April 1901
First image, from The Navy and Army Illustrated, 30 August 1902, can be seen in its full context here. Last image sourced from Ancestry.com Public Member Trees - contributor Paul Roberts.
This page last updated 30 October 2025.