This is a transcription of a column in South Africa Magazine entitled Domestic Announcements. The date is October 24, 1896

 

BIRTHS

 

SONS

 

HARGER, Mrs. F. A., Johannesburg, September 18

HART, Mrs. J. C., Johannesburg, September 18.

MULCASTER, Mrs. W. W., Kimberley, Sept. 22

 

DAUGHTERS

 

BRAND, Mrs. E. C. J., Beaconsfield, September 17.

BLAKENEY, Mrs. W. L., Pretoria, September 17.

FRANK, Mrs. L., Prieska, September 23.

GEURSEN, Mrs. G. J., Pretoria, September 21.

JARDINE, Mrs. D., Johannesburg, September 19.

KLERCK, Mrs. J., Beaconsfield, September 17.

ROGERS—On September 22, at Greytown, Natal, the wife of S. A. Rogers.

 

MARRIAGES

 

DAVISON, T. M.-JAMES, E., Whittlesea, Sept. 16.

DUNCUM, F.—Hellegren, G., Johannesburg, September 16.

FINCH—HUMFREY—On September 16, at Wynberg, by the Rev. Rice Thomas, Chaplain to the Forces, Hamilton W. E. Finch, Lieutenant Middlesex Regiment, son of the late Captain C. W. Finch, Royal Engineers, to Edith Hamilton, daughter of Major J. Campbell Humfrey, A.P.D., late Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment, of Perran Lodge, Woolwich.

HERBERT, G. M.—WATERMEYER, A. M. E., Potchefstroom, September 16.

RANDALL—JOHNSON—On October 17, at St. Edward’s, Romford, by the Rev. Francis E. Allen, Vicar, Alfred B. Randall, late of Kimberley, to Eleanor Chilver, only daughter of the late Louis Johnson, Esq., Romford.

ROBINS—HARRISON—On October 14 (by special licence), at St. George’s Cathedral, Cape Town, by the Rev. Reginald Smith, precentor, Frederick Sanderson Robins, C.E., of Blackheath, only surviving son of the late Frederick Robins, Esq., of Bhopal, India, to Florence Annie Edith Eleanor, eldest daughter of Robert Temple Harrison, Esq., of Loughborough, Leicestershire.

THOMSON-BREWIS—On October 20, at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Newcastle-on-Tyne, by the Rev. N. A. Ross, LL.D., Wardlaw  Brown, second son of the late Rev. J. B. Thomson, of Central Africa, to Mary Ethel, second daughter of Andrew Brewis, Esq., Jesmond, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

WALKER, J.—RADFORD, B., Johannesburg, September 16.

WERMECKE-DENYSSEN—On October 19, at Woodford Parish Church, Essex, by the Rev. H. G. Bonavia Hunt, Mus. Doc., and the Rev. A., Hughes, Ernest, son of Caspar Wermecke, of Ludenscheid, Westphalia, to Grace Elizabeth, daughter of the late Honble. P. J. Denyssen, LL.D., Senior Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Cape Town.

 

DEATHS

 

ANDERSON, Mrs. D., Queenstown, September 17, aged 73.

CORDEROY—at Umtali, accidentally drowned in the Pungwe River, John, the third and dearly loved son of Mrs. Lydia Corderoy, 167, Camden Road, N.W., and the late Mr. George Corderoy, aged 34. (By cablegram.)

GREATHEAD—On the 21st inst., at Ravenscraig, Leigham Court Road, Streatham, James Henry Greathead, M.Inst.C.E., of Victoria Street, Westminster. Funeral will take place on Saturday, the 24th, at West Norwood Cemetery, at 2:30 p.m. Friends kindly accept this the only intimation.

MATTHEWS, Mrs. J., Port Elizabeth, September 19, aged 77.

SCHLEISS, D., Kimberley, September 22, aged 42.

SPIRES, Mrs. M., Johannesburg, September 19, aged 52.

 

Miscellaneous articles on same page:

 

WEDZA’S STRONGHOLD STORMED

 

THE SURRENDER IN THE MATOPPOS IS GENUINE.

 

BULAWAYO, October, 20

 

Lieutenant-Colonel Baden-Powell reports the capture of Wedza’s stronghold, which was taken on the 16th inst., after a fight which lasted two days and two nights. The position consisted of six granite heights, on which were eight large kraals. Working towards the stronghold from all sides, the Imperial troops drove the rebels from their kraals into the caves. These were shelled, and the enemy were dislodged. They fled into the mountains, and the pursuit being followed up, they gradually dispersed, retiring eastward and northward in small parties. All the kraals and the stronghold were destroyed. There were no casualties among the troops. A large number of cattle and sheep were captured. The column had previously attacked and driven the rebels from some small kraals, which were also destroyed. Orders have been sent to Colonel Baden-Powell to proceed to Gwelo to assist Colonel Paget in the reduction of Ndema’s district. Mr. Colenbrander, who is now in sole charge of the Matoppos, reports that the surrender of the natives is serious. He has received over four hundred guns.

 

GATZI’S KRAAL SURPRISED

 

SALISBURY, October 20.

 

Major Forester attacked and surprised Gatzi’s Kraal at Marandellas at daybreak yesterday. After a sharp engagement, in the course of which Trooper Earnshaw was killed and Trooper Siegert seriously wounded, the rebels were driven into the caves. Captain Pease is now endeavouring to blow up the caves with dynamite.

 

A MASHONALAND CENSUS

 

SALISBURY, October 20

 

The white population at present is as follows: Melsetter 400, Umtali 350, Umtali Road 250, Salisbury 600, Victoria 270, Enkeldoorn 200, Alderson’s column 700, other posts 200. Total, 3000. The supplies here are very limited, and we are still living from hand to mouth. There has been no hitch so far. A rumour, based on statements made by a captured native woman, is circulating to the effect that Norton and another white man are alive, and prisoners in a Mashona cave.

 

MAJOR EVANS KILLED.

 

Lord Rosmead has communicated to the Colonial Office the following telegrams received from Sir F. Carrington:--

 

“October 21.—I deeply regret to report that news was received last night that Major F. S. Evans, of the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regiment), was shot dead in an attack on Gatzi’s kraal, near Marandellas, when in command of a patrol, which surprised the enemy at daybreak, and drove them into caves. Trooper Earnshaw, of the Umtali Volunteers, was also killed, and Trooper Siegert, M.R.F., very seriously wounded. Captain Pease, of the Umtali Volunteers, is blockading caves.”

 

“October 20.—Officer commanding at Salisbury reports that Private Grapes, of the 2nd Norfolk Regiment, died of his wounds on October 19.”

 

COLONEL BADEN-POWELL’S COLUMN

 

BULAWAYO, October 20.

 

Colonel Baden-Powell’s column achieved two very considerable successes on October 13 and 14. The column took four mountain kraals by assault, capturing a number of cattle and goats. The kraals in question were situated between the Umchengwe and Singweza rivers. Following up this success, Colonel Baden-Powell advanced against Mazeteza’s stronghold. The artillery was turned against it, and it was quickly destroyed. The rebels dispersed in all directions, but it is believed that the majority fled northwards. I am …column is of the very best. The men are badly off for boots. There is hardly a “whole” pair in the column, and some of the troopers are practically shoeless. The condition of the horses and mules is bad. The long marches have exhausted them. Yesterday Lieutenant Ferguson left here with orders from Baden-Powell to effect a junction with Paget at Gwelo, and proceed with him against Ndemas.

 

RHODESIAN JOTTINGS

 

It has been decided to erect a monument to the memory of those who were recently murdered in the Filabusi district.

 

A Californian named Douglas has painted some excellent pictures during the recent fighting. He served in the Belingwe Column.

 

The Bulawayo Chronicle of September 12 stated that a large number of ox-wagons were on the way up drawn by salted oxen, and that more of these useful beasts were saved than was at first hoped for.

 

Building speculators at Bulawayo have great faith in the future of Rhodesia. One Bulawayan architect alone is reported to have accepted plans for the erection of buildings in the town, the erection of which will cost over £200,000.

 

Postal arrangements in Bulawayo itself are evidently somewhat defective. At a recent meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce it was pointed out that letters addressed to inhabitants posted in the Bulawayo Post Office often took 48 hours to travel from the dispatch box to the delivery box.

 

It is quite an expensive matter to keep oneself alive in Bulawayo at the present time. Writing under date 10th ult., a correspondent of the Cape Times says:--“We are having rather hard times here. Everything is very dear. Whisky is 1s. 6d. per tot—a very small one at that—and brandy 2s. Board at the hotels costs £20 per month, and is not much at that. Condensed milk sells at 5s. 9d. per tin, eggs are 3s.6d. each, and so on.”

 

In an interview with Mr. Rhodes the other day, the native chief Umjan, who commanded the impi which killed Wilson, gave a graphic description of the last scene on the Shangani River. He said hundreds of natives were killed, and when they rushed in with the assegais only two men were even living, and they were hit all over. One of them did a lot of damage with his revolver before they stabbed him. The English, he said, died singing.

 

A Beira correspondent wired at the end of last month that trains on the Beira line were running well. Four hundred tons were forwarded during the previous week. The bridge over the Pungwe was progressing rapidly, and a steam pile-driver was expected the following week. Two new engines, three carriages, and three trucks had arrived from England. The Beira pier was expected to be completed within six weeks. The only difficulty was the scarcity of native labour.

 

On Thursday, the 17th inst., the Colonial Office authorities, in conformity with their announced intention, finally closed the list of candidates for enrolment in the Imperial Police Force being raised for Matabeleland and Mashonaland, and the applicants are officially stated to have exceeded 1200. As practically every candidate got one or more members of Parliament or private friends to recommend him, it will be at once seen what a mass of correspondence the officials have had to deal with. Only the successful candidates should expect to hear individually from the Colonial Office.

 

Het Dagsblad, a Paarl paper, representing a very large section of Afrikander opinion, discusses in a recent issue the future of Rhodesia. It comes to the conclusion that though Charter rule or government by capitalists has many evils, yet it remains the best solution of the question; for in time that large tract of country will have either to come under Colonial rule or responsible government. As a stepping-stone to either, rule by Charter is far more suitable. But, in addition, government by capitalists has these two advantages above a Crown Colony: (a) They must develop the country in order to satisfy the shareholders with decent dividends; (b) they must attend most carefully to the wants and desires of the settlers for the very least dissatisfaction, show of rebellion, or emigration from the country will cause the shares to fall.

 

Regards,

Ellen Stanton

Email: harprulz@bellsouth.net