Situated next to the Brandon Hills Cemetery in the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis, two monuments at this site commemorate local residents killed during the First World War (erected in June 1919) and pioneers who first settled here in 1879. Behind the monuments is the building for Brandon Hills United Church. It replaced the former building, which had occupied the site from 1896 to 2004.
The church congregation was established in 1879 by Rev. George Roddick, but a formal building was not erected until 1896, under the pastorates of T. R. Shearer and John Lewis, on land donated by Roddick. The architect for the 40 foot by 28 foot building was W. H. Shillinglaw. It opened on 18 October 1896, with a service conducted by the Rev. J. M. King.
Among the other clerics who served at Brandon Hills Church were John William Ridd, Herbert Thomas Reynolds, and Robert James Harris (1950s).
Next to the church is the Brandon Hills Cemetery, and opposite it is Brandon Hills School No. 138.
Former Brandon Hills United Church (circa 2002)
Source: Doug Parsonage
Site of Brandon Hills monuments in front of the present Brandon Hills United Church (October 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Brandon Hills war memorial (October 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Brandon Hills pioneer monument (October 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Brandon Hills pioneer monument (July 2021)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.75299, W99.87136
denoted by symbol on the map above
Name
Occupation
Service
Rank
Birth Date
Death Date
David William Blackwell
Teamster
27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry
Private
1893
22 January 1916
Henry John Davis
[Armoury, Brandon College]Student
46th Battalion, Canadian Infantry
Private
7 April 1894
6 May 1917
Albert Vernon Hansford
[Wawanesa]Farmhand
8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry
Private
20 December 1896
6 December 1917
Harry Walker Kneeshaw
[Armoury]Farmer
44th Battalion, Canadian Infantry
Private
12 October 1893
1 November 1917
Albert George Palmer
Farmer
27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry
Private
1885
21 January 1916
Herbert Pettitt
Milk Carrier
2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
Private
1897
3 January 1916
Farmer
8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry
Private
28 April 1899
27 September 1918
For the names of First World War casualities from Manitoba who do not appear on any physical monument in the province, see the Manitoba Historical Society War Memorial. If you know of a name that is omitted from this list, please contact the MHS War Memorial Researcher Darryl Toews (darryl@mhs.mb.ca).
Soldiers of the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.
Canadian Virtual War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Canada.
Financial support for research reported on this page was provided by the Manitoba Heritage Grants Program (2015-2016).
The Brandon Hills Story by Murray McPherson, 1979.
We thank Darryl Toews, George Penner, and Nathan Kramer for providing information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 10 October 2024
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