TOPIC:

Joseph James Rudman

Private, Kimberley Town Guard (N Company, No. 1 Redoubt)
Trooper, Scott’s Railway Guards – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasp Defence of Kimberley to Pte. J. Rudman, Kimberley Town Gd.
- Mayor’s Kimberley Star with “a” hallmark – unnamed as issued.

Joe Rudman was born in Ladybrand in about 1881, the son of Francis Benjamin Rudman, a Farmer by occupation and his wife, Jane (born Pratley). The Rudman’s had tied the knot at St Cyprian’s in Kimberley on 22 May 1879. Mr Rudman farmed “The Grove” in Clocolan in the Ladybrand district of the Orange Free State which is where he and his bride repaired to once the nuptials were over. Over the next decade or so he was joined by a number of siblings in the forms of Francis Edward, Herbert Henry, Thomas Stanley and the only rose among the thorns – Alice Mary.

Despite the deep roots the Rudman family had in the Orange Free State, Mrs Rudman’s family, the Pratley’s, lived in Graham Street in Kimberley and a young Joe would have had occasion to visit his grandparents there. His grandmother had passed away in June 1895 but his grandfather, also named Joseph, was a Diamond Digger by occupation and would have been the source of endless stories for the young boy and his brothers. When his rudimentary schooling had been completed, he would have sought employment on the De Beers diamond mines or diggings, this being the reason why, when the Anglo Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899, he was in the city and willing to serve.

Life in Kimberley from the start of the 1870’s was one of hustle and bustle – as a result of the discovery of diamonds in the area there had been an unceasing influx of humankind to “try their luck” and “seek their fortune”. It was a rough and ready place with elements of sophisticated society in the form of the members of the Kimberley Club combined with, and sometimes mingling with, those from the wrong side of the tracks. Of prospectors there were many and, with them, came the flotsam and jetsam of life as well.

With the war a reality, Kimberley was one of the jewels in the crown that the Boers set their sights on. An added attraction was the fact that Cecil John Rhodes, arch imperialist and sworn enemy of the Boers, was known to be holed-up in the Sanatorium in town. The Boers lost no time in investing Kimberley - the Boer Forces under General Cronje commenced, officially, on 14th October 1899 to cut off communications – Kimberley was under siege! At its commencement there were in existence and stationed at Kimberley the following volunteers:—

• Diamond Fields Horse, strength 178
• Diamond Fields Artillery, strength 97 and 6 guns
• Kimberley Regiment, strength 352
• Kimberley Town Guard, strength 1303

It was to this last, the Kimberley Town Guard, that an 18 year old Rudman gravitated, joining “N” Company on the No. 1 Redoubt stationed at the Kimberley Mine. The only other regular troops in the garrison were the 23rd Company, 93 all ranks, Royal Garrison Artillery, with six 7-pounder RML guns; 1 section, 1 officer, and 50 men of the 7th Field Company Royal Engineers; 5 non-commissioned officers and men of the Army Service Corps; and 1 officer and 5 non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Army Medical Corps.

By 26th November the strength of the Town Guard, which was to perform valuable service, had been increased to 130 officers and 2520 non-commissioned officers and men. “N” Company was under the command of Captain Grimmer and comprised 100 men in total.

There were, from almost the outset, two big mines in Kimberley - The De Beers Mine, discovered in May 1871, and the Kimberley Mine in July of the same year. The latter, initially known as New Rush (then Kimberley Mine, and now the Big Hole), would become the world’s richest mine for nearly a century and it was here that Rudman and his comrades saw service.

The Kimberley Town Guard, in all its various guises, were to form the mainstay of any defence undertaken should the Boers be so bold as to try a direct attack on Kimberley. As it so happened the Boers, in the main, contented themselves with a bombardment of Kimberley from afar – although the K.T.G. had to remain vigilant throughout and was subject to the same discomforts and privations the general populace had to endure.

Kimberley was finally relieved on 15 February 1900 and Rudman, his part in the defence now over, could quite easily have returned to his civilian employment. He was, however, made of sterner stuff and, admittedly after a long hiatus, turned his attention to Scott’s Railway Guards, attesting for service with them on 11 February 1901 (the date he signed the Oath of Allegiance to King Edward VII) as a Trooper with no. 117 and for an initial period of 3 months which was extended by a further 3 months. It was whilst serving with them that his grandfather passed away in their Graham Street home on 23 July 1901 from a cerebral haemorrhage.

Scott’s Railway Guard, with an eventual strength of about 500, under Lieutenant Colonel R G Scott, VC, DSO, did work on the Orange River - Kimberley line not unlike what the Railway Pioneer Regiment did on the Central Railway. Although the Kimberley railway was not in the centre of the theatre of operations, still the west of the Orange River Colony, and that portion of Cape Colony bordering on it, was infested by roving bands bent on destruction; and Scott's Railway Guards often had skirmishes involving losses, and had much dangerous patrol work to undertake.

The Shields Daily Gazette of 29 June 1901 carried the story, under the banner “Raiders’ attacks’ on the railway” – Cape Town, Friday. One hundred Boers attacked Biesjespoort Station to the south of Victoria West on Wednesday, and after looting the goods sheds decamped.

A patrol of Colonel Scott’s Railway Guards has been attacked at Honeynest Kloof.”

On 20th August Lieutenant A V Harvey and 1 man were killed and several wounded at Devondale and at Lillifontein on 19th October they had again several casualties, and at the various posts where the corps were stationed — Devondale, Brussels, Content etc, they often had a few losses.

For his efforts in both units Rudman was awarded the Queens Medal with the sought after and, in his case, well-earned Defence of Kimberley medal; along with the highly-prized Kimberley Star, a medal struck at the request of the Mayor to thank those who helped fend off the aggressors.

Joe Rudman stayed on in the Kimberley area after the war, marrying a local lass, Alice Mary Hutchinson, in 1907. On 25th March 1908 when daughter, Hazel Natalie was born the Rudman family resided at 24 Waterloo Road. Rudman was employed as a Clerk. Four years later, when Oliver Francis was born on 7 May 1912, the family lived at 6 Crossways in Beaconsfield, just outside Kimberley.

Rudman returned to his roots prior to his death on 30 November 1958 at the age of 77. He went back to the family farm at Clocolan which is where he ended his days.

Rory,

When so many of the men of the KTG have not been researched, it is great to see some of the biographies come to light.

Thank You Rory......

Your hard work is appreciated greatly.....

Mike