TOPIC:

Ludwig Wronsky relocated to Kimberly where he met his future wife, Hedwig Neumann. They were married in Cape Town on the 30 March 1980.

Ludwig lived with his wife in Cape Town, Kimberly and other places in the Cape Colony from 1881 to 1891. Amongst others, Schoongezight, district Shweizer Reineke from 1891 - 1893. They had 5 children – all born on the farm Rhenosterput:
Walter (my grandfather), Rudolph, Ella, Lily and Julia. None of the three female children bore any children as adults. Only Julia ever married. Ludwig traveled to Cape Town due to ill health and was said to be very ill upon his departure. He died on the 23 April 1923.

During that time at the farm Rhenosterput, about 1899/1900, alone on the farm with her children and mother-in-law*, the “Tommies” came-a-calling. Hedwig must have been terrified seeing and hearing all the adjacent farms being burned down, the mayhem and tragedy that was the SCORCHED EARTH campaign.

As far as my search goes, and I MAY be mistaken, the New Zealand 1st, 2nd, 3rd 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th Contingents consisting of New Zealand Mounted Rifles and one Hotchkiss Gun Detachment, were active in the area at the time.

They warned Hedwig to pack a small suitcase for them all and leave the building. Trying desperately to save their homestead, she invited the “Tommies” inside, gave them a cup of tea and proceeded to play “God save the Queen” on her piano. It was to prove to be in vain – they allowed her to take her piano, which I have in my home today, proceeding to set the house alight.
As was common during that time, the “Tommies” would take a small souvenir from the home before setting it alight. From Hedwig, who knew many of the Boer Generals well, including Gen. de la Rey, they took her treasured Bible.

Now this was no ordinary Bible.

Even though they were Jewish, this Bible had great significance to Hedwig. I do not know the circumstance surrounding the incident but President Paul Kruger came to visit her to thank her for her support of the Boers and gave her a Bible, addressed to her with some fatherly advice and signed by him. This is the HOLY GRAIL of my search. I have mailed the New Zealand Mounted rifles, Boer War museums all over the world, placed adverts in newspapers in the UK but all for naut. All I have is a newspaper clipping that my Aunt Julia, Lily’s sister, kept in a scrap book.

If there is anyone who knows ANYTHING about the 2nd Boer War that might be of assistance in my quest, please contact me – [email protected]