Inspector Clarke’s siege

These extracts are from Inspector Clarke’s diary in the Ladysmith Siege museum.

1.      Thomas Carbutt:

Inspector Clarkes diary (Ladysmith Museum) mentions a Company of soldiers operating in the Newcastle area called “Carbutt’s Rangers” raised and led by Thomas Carbutt who had a farm at Zaaifontein in the Berg between De Beers and Collin’s passes (page 21). Later in 22 December 1881 Clarke established a Natal police border post on Carbutt’s farm. Clarke describes the farm as a one room house, no kitchen and no stable (page 46).

2.      Bainbridge (assume John): In 1879 his farm was between Ladysmith and Zaaifontein (Clarkes diary page 47).

3.      Munger: on 19^th July his ‘old’ house was at Sundays River. (Clarkes diary page 48).

4.      Robert Allen, Mitchell Innes and Bainbridge: “I made a racecourse, one & a half miles in length, in front of the camp and continuously trained horses for the Ladysmith meetings where I rode for Mitchell Innes, Allen and Bainbridge and sometimes my own animals.

5.      Butler James: Lionel James relates in his book High Pressure that a Blacksmith was the first casualty diffusing a shell by drilling hole then inserting a hot poker;

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6.      RAILWAY ACCIDENT 31.12.1895: between Dannhauser and Glencoe station; total killed on the spot was 33. Others have since died of injuries and over 40 seriously injured. This entry by J Barker is in the Anglican death register.

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7.      Horace SHAW was a transport rider for Malcolm Ess of PMB who sold farming equipment. Wife Eva HERBERT started the Womans temperance movement in Ladysmith through the Methodist church. They lived at 76 Murchison st. Info supplied by Annettte Wilkinson 033 2392499 their granddaughter.