SIEGE OF LADYSMITH: BRIAN KAIGHIN

Was your ancestor among the approximately 21 000 people besieged in Ladysmith during the Anglo-Boer War? If so, read on!

At the start of the Siege, troops under Sir George White numbered 572 officers and 12,924 men. In this total there were about 10 000 efficient combatants of the cavalry, artillery, irregulars, Natal volunteers and Naval Brigade. Over and above this were 2 000 civilians, 2 440 blacks, 750 people of mixed race, and 2 470 Indians. The total number of mouths to feed thus numbered over 21 000 - of whom no more than half were fighting men. (These statistics appear in 'With the Flag to Pretoria'; there may be slight variations in other sources.)

Brian Kaighin, a specialist in this phase of the Anglo-Boer War in Natal, has compiled two indexes which are an invaluable aid to anyone researching ancestors who were among the besieged in Ladysmith, or among the casualties, civilian or military. His databases consist of:

1. An index to those resident in Ladysmith up to 1900: over 16 000 names. Note that this also includes certain people from Dundee and Newcastle, since many of these names have Ladysmith connections. The database is an on-going project and Brian would welcome any additional information on the families mentioned.

2. An index to casualties: over 14 000 names covering the Siege and Relief of Ladysmith including all dead i.e. those Killed in Action, Died of Wounds, or Died of Disease. (This list slightly overlaps the list of residents but only in a few cases.)

Brian mentions that 'information is taken from the births, death, marriages, and deceased estates in Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository, Anglican Church, NGK and Voters' Rolls in Pietermaritzburg. In addition I have extracted details from the Methodist records at Grahamstown. There are also names that found in books, diaries, letters etc. I believe that I have captured almost all of the deaths for the Natal Campaign but there must be some that have escaped the net. That's where Steve Watt's book 'In Memoriam' comes in handy - it contains all known deaths of British soldiers during the Anglo-Boer war. My Siege and Relief casualty list has been compiled from various sources that include all of the memorials in Natal, Wally Hyde's register and the Municipal records.'

If your ancestor was among the besieged, whether civilian or military, Brian generously offers look-ups in his indexes at no charge, particularly if you can provide additional information on those in Ladysmith up to 1900, which is the cut-off point for his research. He is also prepared to do further in-depth research for a small fee.

Contact Brian at kaigs@telkomsa.net or by phone at +27 31 7622292

Visit Brian's web pages at www.ladysmithhistory.com

LADYSMITH TOWN HALL showing damage

LADYSMITH: PITT AND SCOTT CAESAR'S CAMP

PRICE LIST Articles Sold by Auction during Siege of Ladysmith

Rosemary Dixon-Smith