TOPIC:

Neville, this is a photographs of State Secretary Reitz, slightly chopped off on the right side.

Thank you Everhard. Wrongly captioned in the album.

Carrying on with the peace negotiations theme, this postcard was printed/published by Sallo Epstein & Co., Durban.
Acknowledgement for the photograph reads: "Original Photograph lent by S.M. Maxwell-Lyte Esq." [Ed. according to a caption in "The 2nd Bn Scots Guards in South Africa", this photograph was taken by Major Alexander Walter Frederic Baird, 2nd Bn Gordon Highlanders, and on Kitchener's staff].

"The six Boer Generals, who signed the treaty of Peace, May 31st, 1902. 1. De la Rey. 2. Lucas Meyer. 3. Schalk Burger. 4. Louis Botha. 5. J.C. Krogh. 6. F.W. Reitz."

This photograph appears to have been taken in front of the same building as Everhard's picture of Botha and his son. Could this indicate that all the photographs were taken by S.M. Maxwell-Lyte Esq? [Ed. no, they were all taken by Major Alexander Walter Frederic Baird, 2nd Bn Gordon Highlanders, and on Kitchener's staff].



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Err - is there not a word missing on the above postcard and the caption should read "The six Transvaal Boer Generals, who signed the the treaty of Peace, May 31st 1902"?




Nothing really to do with the Boer War but the name Maxwell-Lyte is one to play with - Farnham Maxwell-Lyte (1828-1906) was one of the pioneers of photography - he had a son named Cecil Henry but I cannot find a near relation answering to the initials S. M. Farnham's father was the Rev Henry Francis Lyte who was the author of "Abide with me" & "Praise my soul, the King of Heaven", to name but the best two.

Gentlemen, herewith a slight variation on Neville's postcard as well as the original. According to the caption at the back the photograph was taken at Pretoria. If this not an error than it must have been taken in the days after the signing of the treaty at Melrose House.

This is the building behind the Boer peace delegation in the photographs and postcards above. It is described as "where the peace treaty was signed, Pretoria", but it is not Melrose House.

Melrose House is quite different, as the photograph of "The Residency", as it was referred to during the ABW, shows. Note the distinctive Dutch gables and complete lack of visible brickwork.

So, where was the brick mansion described as "where the treaty was signed", and why was the Boer delegation photographed in front of it?

SEE: Melrose House



"Where the peace treaty was signed"




Melrose House, or "The Residency".

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I am confused. Can any of the Pretoria members help us with the riddle? Brick house is perhaps where the Boer delegates stayed but why mentioned as venue for signing?