TOPIC:

Here's a bit of a poser for our erudite members...

I acquired the ABO to the above Burgher in last weeks City Coins auction. On commencing with the research into the man, I discovered (see below) that he had been an inmate of the Volksrust Concentration Camp until 13 December 1902. Everything fits - the name of his mother, the fact that he was 20 years old - all these details confirm that he is the same man - my question then is why was he interned in a Concentration Camp as opposed to being sent down if he was captured.



Regards

Rory

Rory
I see that he does not appear on the POW list, and it is not mentioned on his Vorm B.
I assume his family were either taken in to the camp or entered voluntary due to hardship faced on their farm.
After cessation of hostilities he probably joined his family, it being likely that heir farm was not in a fit state to return to at that time, as it was winter. Once the British authorities were able to provide transport and provisions, they decamped and returned to their farm in Volksrust, all leaving on the same day. The camp closed end of December once all occupants had left.
Jon

I think Jon has it.
If you go onto the concentration camp records and put in the farm, Oudehoutkloof / Oudhoutkloof, now called Oude Houtkloof, you will see a very large number of names, 46 in all, including 10 of familie Stoop. Most of the 46 are likely to have been bywoners (share croppers who lived a humble existence and owned no land). Some of the names appear on the Bloemfontein museum database as POWs, being captured at the end of the war. They all seem to have gone into the Volksrust camp at the end of the war, indeed some went there months after the war ended. Take for example Peterus (also spelled Petrus) Jacobus Stoop aged 21 or 22. He went into Volksrust camp in Nov 1902 and left when the whole group seem to have done in mid December 1902. There were 3 burghers of that name captured at the end of the war.
My impression that Oude Houtkloof was a large farm, probably burnt and all the livestock bayonetted some time earlier, with a considerable number of destitute families dependent on it, none of whom had any wealth to resume living on the farm.
If, then, you search within the Volksrust concentration camp records, you will see no less than 66 individuals named Stoop who were interned there. I haven't checked all 66, but those I did check all left the camp only in November or December 1902.
I think this is a glimpse into the abject poverty and terrible hardships of the rural Afrikaners during and after the war. Something we almost never remember.
I'd be very interested to hear what our colleagues in Bloemfontein make of all this.

Mr Stoop has finally reached home soil - Church Crookham is a bit far from Wakkerstroom - but certainly his home for now.

@RobD - I think we will die wondering apropos yoiur comment iro the concentration camps.

For now - I need to start the process of researching Mr Stoop who was less than forthcoming when listing the actions he participated in. On that note (refer to the copy Vorm B attached) - does anyone know what took place at Elansburg (Elandsburg)?

Regards

Rory

On 22nd September 1901 "a party of New Zealanders under Major Tucker (of the 6th contingent), belonging to Lieutenant Colonel Colvin's column (one of those under Plumer's direction), was engaged on the Elandsberg with 150 Boers under Field-Cornets Hugo and Bothnia, both of whom, with several other prisoners, were captured". On 27th September there was stiff fighting at a drift on the Caledon, in which the Queenslanders suffered most of the casualties. The despatch of 8th October further narrated that in conjunction with operations south of Thabanchu "General Plumer despatched 200 New Zealanders under Major Andrew (of the Indian Staff Corps, attached 6th contingent) from Wepener to hold Mokari Drift on the Caledon. This party reached the drift on the 27th September, just in time to anticipate some 300 to 400 Boers who were about to cross the river to the south-east. In some sharp fighting which followed, the enemy, who were driven westward, left 6 dead and 7 wounded on the field".

Thanks Dave - might I enquire the source of that summary?

A bit of further digging in Amery led me to page 175 and pages 454/455 of Volume V

I'm busy transcribing them now - I'll see how they dovetail.

Regards

Rory