Population of Ladysmith

The 1899 Natal Almanac lists the population as 1800 Europeans, 1200 Indians and 1500 Natives.

A Natal police Officer Chas Ketsendorf gives the following: people 21 156 comprising 572 officers, 12924 men, 

2000 civilians, 750 Cape Boys, 2440 natives and 2470 Indians. Animals he states as being 2080 horses and 2500 mules. 

I favour Chas' version because his training would have given him an attention to detail that others might not have had.

GW Lines the Town Clerk kept very detailed records and his figures were, 2200 Europeans, 1200 Indians and about 1500 natives. Animals: 5309 horses, 4539 mules and 1701 oxen. GW Lines also gives accurate details of the military presence as well as other interesting notes on various aspects of the siege.

I am currently compiling a list of residents of Ladysmith from the earliest records around 1845 to 1901. Analysing the trades of these people makes interesting reading particularly as the railway line begins to move up country towards from Pietermaritzburg during the 1880′s. Obviously the first arrivals were the carriers and farmers closely followed by blacksmiths and churchmen then the surveyors, builders, wagon builders, gunsmiths, police and merchants. Brian Kaighin.