Anglican Church
The All Saints Church was built in 1882 and originally called St.Johns. During the siege it became very popular with the military, due in the main to the sermons given by Archdeacon Barker. On the 10thNovember 1899, a Boer Long Tom Silent Susan fire a shell that hit the porch roof and went right through to demolish the opposite wall. The hole in the iron roof sheet can still be seen today and the base of that shell is in the wall for all to see.
Barker arrived in Ladysmith in 1857 as a curate and was vicar from 1887 until 1906 and remained “at his post” throughout the siege.
On one occasion, the Archdeacon, with the utmost presence of mind, picked up a shell just prior to it exploding and plunged it into a tub of water probably saving many lives.
In one particular sermon he told the congregation that it was “through ignorance and total disregard for justice that the Dutchman had landed, not only himself but also half the civilised world, in the state of war which currently existed”. He went on to mention “the supposed misuse of the white flag and of bullets tipped with poison and that the military should give no quarter and that he was in no doubt who the victors would be”. The congregation then sang National Anthem and followed it with a call for “three cheers for Her Majesty the Queen”.
On November 4th meetings were held at the Railway Station and Town Hall with a view of forming a neutral camp at Intombi Spruit about 3 miles from Ladysmith south. Majority of Railway meeting in favour of this but the feeling among those at the Town Hall meeting was unanimously against it. Archdeacon Barker and a Mr. Walter made patriotic speeches declaring their intentions of remaining in town having every confidence in General White. Mr Walter called for volunteers among the Town Guard and others to build a laager for the women & children near the culvert in Poort road, bags of sand and bales of straw being obtained the laager was formed.
The inside walls of the church bear testimony to the 3037 British soldiers and 54 civilians that died either in the Siege or Relief of the town.
Barker arrived in Ladysmith in 1857 as a curate and was vicar from 1887 until 1906 and remained “at his post” throughout the siege.
On one occasion, the Archdeacon, with the utmost presence of mind, picked up a shell just prior to it exploding and plunged it into a tub of water probably saving many lives.
In one particular sermon he told the congregation that it was “through ignorance and total disregard for justice that the Dutchman had landed, not only himself but also half the civilised world, in the state of war which currently existed”. He went on to mention “the supposed misuse of the white flag and of bullets tipped with poison and that the military should give no quarter and that he was in no doubt who the victors would be”. The congregation then sang National Anthem and followed it with a call for “three cheers for Her Majesty the Queen”. On November 4th meetings were held at the Railway Station and Town Hall with a view of forming a neutral camp at Intombi Spruit about 3 miles from Ladysmith south. Majority of Railway meeting in favour of this but the feeling among those at the Town Hall meeting was unanimously against it. Archdeacon Barker and a Mr. Walter made patriotic speeches declaring their intentions of remaining in town having every confidence in General White. Mr Walter called for volunteers among the Town Guard and others to build a laager for the women & children near the culvert in Poort road, bags of sand and bales of straw being obtained the laager was formed.
The inside walls of the church bear testimony to the 3037 British soldiers and 54 civilians that died either in the Siege or Relief of the town.
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