James Percival
James Percival
Toronto Orangeman was Afghan and Indian Veteran
With Afghanistan having been prominent in the news for several years now (and with some of our current members having served in that theatre) a look is taken at a Toronto Orangeman who served there some hundred and thirty years ago.
James Percival was born in London, England in 1857 and at the age of twelve he joined the band of the 91st Highlanders and served six years with them. At the age of nineteen he enlisted in the 9th Queens Royal Lancers and was stationed with them in the Punjab, India. In 1878 the Afghan War broke out and his regiment was at the eight month Siege of Kabul. He fought with the Lancers against an enemy force of over 5,000, with the British force consisting of native troops and one squadron of Lancers.
In the heat of the battle Percival had there horses fall upon him, with the third one pinning him to the ground. Expecting to be killed he was rescued by Army Chaplain Reverend Adams who rode into the enemy firing his revolver and pulling Percival to safety. Reverend James William Adams was awarded a Victoria Cross on December 11th, 1879 for his bravery. Percival was on the march from Kabul to Kandahar through mountainous terrain and constantly harassed by enemy fire. They made the 350 mile trek in three weeks and he was present at the capture of Kandahar. He spent eleven years in India and was awarded the Afghan Medal with 2 clasps.
Percival moved to Toronto in 1886 and ran a grocery business before going to work for the Toronto Street Railway (forerunner of the TTC). He left the company because it worked seven days a week and Percival refused to work on the Sabbath. James Percival was a member of Toronto’s Lansdowne L.O.L.469.
Submitted by Alec Rough – Past County Master – May. 25th, 2010
Source: The “Methodist Churches of Toronto”, published 1899
← back
