Wooden matchboxes made on St Helena by Boer prisoners and acquired by Captain Henry Jourdain, 1st Battalion, The Connaught Rangers, 1902 (c)

As neither Jourdain (1872-1968) nor his regiment served in St. Helena, it may be presumed that he obtained the boxes from burghers who returned to South Africa after the end of the Boer War (1899-1902). His battalion remained at Aliwal North after the end of hostilities and Jourdain would have had ample opportunity to acquire such items before sailing from Cape Town on 28 January 1903.

A report compiled in 1901 on the prisoner of war camps on St. Helena indicates that a total of 4,600 prisoners were held in two camps on the island. The prisoners were all accommodated under canvas, and guarded by no fewer than 1,100 infantry. The genuine Boer burghers were said to have behaved well, although the foreign element - Scandinavian, American, Irish and other supporters of the Boer Republics - did apparently cause some trouble. Many of the prisoners worked on the farms and gardens of the local residents, and made money by making and selling handicrafts.