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Charles Davie

Burgher, Harrismith Commando
Trooper, Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal (O.F.S./South Africa 1901/1902) to 56 TPR. C. DAVIE. HARRISMITH VOL.L.H.

Charles Davie was one of those rare individuals who, being a Burgher of one of the Boer Republics, was conscripted to fight on their side and who, after the tide had turned and the British forces had occupied his home town, then turned out for a locally-raised colonial unit. Such cases are normally only found where a man was living in the Boer Republics before the advent of war.


Charles Davie in later years.

Born in Watton, Hertfordshire on 26 October 1868 he was the son of Frederick Jones Davie, a Wheelwright by trade and his wife Sarah. At the time of the 1871 England census the family were living on Village Street, Watton. Aside from his parents, a 2 year old Charles was in the house with siblings Frederick (4) and baby Robert (4 months).

Ten years later, at the time of the 1881 England census, the family had moved down to Stoke Newington in Hackney where they lived at no. 32 in the High Street. Charles, now a 12 year old schoolboy, was at home with siblings Julia (16 and away from home in 1871); Frederick (14); Robert (10) and newcomer May (7). It was here that Davie was to receive most of his schooling, at the West Hackney School.


Davie Wedding 1892

Not long after this the family made the move to South Africa, landing at Port Elizabeth. He then journeyed to the remote Eastern Cape town of Somerset East where he joined the Cape Civil Service as a clerk in the Postal and Telegraph department there. Here he remained for the next twelve months, then entering the banking business with the Bank of Africa till the closing of the branch in 1885. He then entered the service of Messrs. H. Barnet at Somerset East, and on that firm taking over a concern in Kimberley, he started there as manager, subsequently proceeding to Harrismith in 1889 where he opened a produce store on behalf of Mr Thomas Oats. He next joined Barret & Brayshaw and became one of the partners when Edmund Brayshaw, one of the Rand Lords, moved to Johannesburg.

On 26 October 1892 - his birthday - when 24 years old, he wed 21 year old Martha Maria Liddell in her parent’s home. He was described as a Clerk by occupation, the ceremony being conducted by the Presbyterian Minister. The couple were to have a number of children – before, during, and after the war ended - Frederick Jesse Davie, born on 5 November 1893; Robert George Davie, born on 30 April 1896; Charles Redvers Davie, born on 30 September 1899; Annie Margaret Davie; (Henry)Arthur Davie, born on 10 January 1901; Edmond Hamilton Davie, born on 11 October 1905; William Ellis Davie, born on 4 February 1909; Lilly Davie, born on 11 February 1911; Doris Elsie Davie and Harry Charles Davie.

In about 1898 the Harrismith Building Society No.2 was established and Charles was one of the founding members. This Society was sold to the Johannesburg Building Society in 1936 and he was involved with the transaction.

Life was reasonably uneventful for the married couple until, on 11 October 1899, the Free State and Transvaal Republics found themselves at war with the might of the British Empire. Davie had, by this time, been resident in Harrismith for almost ten years and had become, officially, an Orange Free State Burgher. This came back to haunt him as, with his country at war, he was conscripted to take up arms against those of his own culture and inclination – English speakers in the adjoining colonies of Natal and the Cape.


Davie on coffee break near Swinburn with the Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse - he is the one on haunches, second from the left.

According to his great grandson, Leon Strachan, he did the honourable thing by reporting for commando duty when called up. “Probably somewhat long-faced (he referred to himself as a Britisher), with horse, rifle, and a supply of rusks and biltong for seven days.”

Nothing is known of whether or not Davie was put into a combat role, most conscripted Burghers who were English-speaking were sent to the nearby Basuto border where they were deployed on guard duty – guarding against any attempt from the British forces to mount an attack from the direction of the Drakensberg Mountains – the mountain range that formed a natural barrier between Colonial Natal and the Orange Free State

After Bloemfontein fell in March 1900, Charles laid down arms and went back to the business. It was speculated that, prompted by wholesale Boer surrenders in the Eastern Free State, he and other members of his family left their posts – deserted, if you like. At around this time, during a meeting on 17 March 1900 to recruit more Burghers for active military duty with the Boer Commandos, some 50 English speaking Burghers refused to fight. In June 1900, after being commandeered again, a formal protest was signed by 59 Englishmen.

On the 18th June 1900 the signatories to this protest note had to appear in court. Some of them were fined £5 and others £10. They appealed to the Government, which at that stage had its seat at Vrede, but nothing more was done about the matter. Some weeks later, on the 4th August 1900, Harrismith surrendered to the British troops and, obviously, the fines were not paid.

Tragedy struck the Davie family later that year with the death of seven year old Frederick Jesse on 30 December 1900. He had taken one of his younger siblings for a walk in a pram and, upon returning home, he complained of a severe headache and not long after that died – succumbing either to heatstroke or, most likely, meningitis.


H.V.L.H. Patrol near Harrismith

On the 14th January 1901 Major C.J. Peacock (Imperial Yeomanry), a member of Sir Leslie Rundle’s staff, convened a public meeting during which he proposed that a volunteer corps should be raised. This corps would only do duty on the town’s commonage, no night duty would be required, and any member whose business prevented him from doing so would not have to do duty. The military authorities would provide rifle, horse, uniform, fodder etc.

On the 19th January 1901 the corps was formally raised with the name Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse. The corps was between 60 and 70 men and mainly consisted of English speaking inhabitants of Harrismith with a few surrendered Boers. 18 of the signatories to the June protest signed up for duty.

In spite of the original undertakings, the corps were informed after a few weeks that they would have to go wherever sent and not do duty only on the commonage. True to past performance they held a protest meeting but this time they had to hear that they were under Martial Law and that no excuses would be accepted.

Their major task was to serve as guides for the regular troops, usually the Yeomanry, and to do scouting duties. They first came under fire on the 7th April 1901 when the Black Watch, who did not know that the H.V.L.H. were returning from a patrol, assumed that they were Boers advancing on Harrismith and started firing. Four bombs burst among their ranks but nobody was hurt.

The only major fight in which the Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse was involved took place at daybreak on Sunday 28th July 1901 on the farm Zaaihoek near Witsieshoek where they and some 600 Yeomanry engaged a detachment of about 80 Boers under Commandant Jan Jacobz. Due to a misunderstanding the H.V.L.H. retreated at the height of the action but a detachment of the Yeomanry was surrounded by the Boers and lost 4 killed and 8 wounded. Although between 70 and 80 of the Yeomanry surrendered, two men escaped and reached the H.V.L.H. who were at that stage 1.5 kms from the scene of the battle. The Boers released their captives over the border in Basutoland, and they returned to Harrismith on foot a week later.

Charles Davie joined up along with the two youngest Liddell boys, William Alexander aged 17, and Wright Greaves aged 15 (his wife’s brothers). The unit was disbanded in May 1902.

The war over, Davie settled back into family life. When the last of the British Garrison left Harrismith in 1913 the buildings on Kings Hill that housed many of them were sold off and Charles bought the doctors house. All the other buildings were demolished except this one and after his death his daughter Doris teamed up with Sister Dugmore who was a midwife and turned it into a nursing home. They occupied the house until 1955 when the town council bought the property from them and demolished it.


Sons of England

He became a very active member of the Crown Lodge of the Sons of England in 1905 and was heavily involved with the establishment of a Butter factory in Harrismith with Sir Percy Fitzpatrick and other investors. Brayshaw closed the store in 1912 in anticipation of the Garrison in Harrismith being closed down. He became Grand President of the SOE in 1912 and also, according to family sources, was in the Government Forces used to quell the internal Rebellion which arose on the back of Louis Botha’s decision to send South Africa to war on the side of the British Empire. No medals were awarded for this service.

Six years later he was appointed first full time CEO (Grand Secretary) of the brotherhood and later became the Supreme Deputy President.

On 29 December 1946, one day before the anniversary of her son Frederick’s death, Martha Davie passed away. She was followed by Charles Davie who died at his residence, King’s Hill, Townlands, Harrismith, on Sunday, 24th December 1950 at the age of 82 years and 3 months. He was a Retired Secretary and General Farmer at the time of his death from Carcinoma of the Rectum.

Acknowledgements:
- A Henk Loots article on the H.L.V.H.
- Peter Davie - a relative
- Leon Strachan - a great grandson to Charles Davie
- Ancestry for census data and medal rolls

Rory
Apart from the fact that I have never seen (much less heard of) a medal to HVLH, your post illustrates the dilemma of many during the Boer invasions of the British colonies. As well, I very much liked the pics of his unit on coffee break and patrol. Good candid shots with gratifying detail.
Well done!
Regards
IL.

Thank you IL - as always your comments are appreciated

Rory