TOPIC:

Good day
I am trying to track down the name of the Britstown R.M. that would've instructed my great, great, great (?) grandfather to head out into the night with two dispatches.

I have a diary that covers from 21 Dec - 24 Dec 1900 and it's probably one of the few words that we are unable to decipher. We believe that the R.M. could've been a Mr. H........

Many Thanks
Erich

Hi Erich

Could it be Mr H.F.J . Borcherds ?
He was the RM at Britstown from April 5 1895.
The Chief Constable was Mr A. E. Hoy, from 1 February 1895.


Henry Francis James Borcherds, Clerk, customs, Cape Town, April 1889; magistrate's office, Port Elizabeth, February 1893;Worcester,November,1894;assisatnt magistrate,Carnarvon,18th March,1896;Calvinia,21st October,1896,reliieving officer,1st November 1897;assistant Magistrate, Unioindale, May 1899;Malmesbury,24th August,1900;Laingsburg 7th March 1902. Has acted as civ.comr. and resdt. magt. at Carnarvon, Calvinia, Uniondale and Clanwilliam, and as assistant magistrate at Beaufort West, Somerset West and De Aar; Queen's Medal, Anglo Boer War, 1899-1902.

From the Cape of Good Hope Civil Service List 1909. (In my Collection of Boer War Books)


Regards

Adrian (No2)

Interesting, although I think he had a habit of only speaking about a person's surname, such as Mr. Steyn, Mr Wagner etc. (there is an extract below)

I also see that Mr. Borcherds is (perhaps) located in Malmesbury,24th August,1900... would he have returned to Britstown in the December or would the Prieska R.M. come down in there wasn't a resident R.M.?

Thank you
Ep

Extract Below....

On entering the bar of the Britstown Hotel after having had dinner, the barman asked me if the rumours "that the Boers was just outside the town" were correct.

I told him that was the first I had heard about it. He then told me that Mr. Steyn of Donker Hoek was in town, looking for the R.M. (the police being under him). I met Mr. H-, the R.M. outside Mr. Wagner’s home about 8:30pm - it was a pitch dark night. He then told me to return with him to his office.

Hi Erich

Then I suggest it may be Mr Frederick Edward Lifford HARRIES.

Clerk, railway department (eastern system), 30th April 1890; customs, Port Elizabeth,1st July 1892;assistant examining officer, February 1895;3rd class examining officer, January 1896;East London,April 1897;clerk to civ. comr. and resdt. magt. East London, August 1897;Hope Town,February 1898;assistant magt., Kenhardt,October 1898; Herbert, May1898;has acted at Kenhardt , Herbert, Uitenhage, Wynberg, Britstown and Beaconsfield; assistant matt. (actg.) Petrusville, October 1903, Middledrift 13th Dec 1905; resdt. magt. collector of customs and port officer, Port Nolloth,4th April 1907; resdt. magt., Mount Frere, 14th July, 1908

This seems to be the only entry in the book , with a surname starting with an H, that mentions Britstown in the Boer War period .

Regards

Adrian (No2)

Hello

I've had a look at the medal rolls and Borcherds appears in the Attorney General's Magesterial Division rolls but no mention is made of service at Britstown. However on the page all periods of service for the names are for 1901 and 1902 - perhaps service in 1900 wasn't included?

The only FEL Harries is in the Douglas Town Guard - no mention of being a civil servant.

Regards
Meurig

Thank you for the information - another question, in his diary he makes mention of some names, however I have no idea if these men were important or just known to him... These are listed on that Friday 21, Dec. 1900
Do you have any information from your numerous sources : )

Mr. Steyn of Donker Hoek was in town, looking for the R.M.

Mr. Swan on Dr. Small's farm at Houwater

Commandant at de Aar

O.C. of the column marching on Britstown


Thank you