Boer War - South African Constabulary?

[girlbrain!]

I am also tracing a relative who apparently was in the South African Constabulary but I have been unable to find anything - any help would be greatly appreciated!

His name was Henry Walter Humby Brown, born Romsey, UK 1882, and was in South Africa somewhere between 1904 and 1935.

The family story is that he was quite a senior figure within the police, but who knows?!

With thanks in advance for any assistance...

[Dragoman]

I'm researching a great uncle, Edgar Etches, who fought in the Boer Wars with the 13th Hussars and then joined the South African Constabulary. It's the SAC that I'm mostly interested in.

I've discovered that he joined 1006 B Division and 54 Reserve Division and want to see what information is contained in his record of Service and Conduct. The NASA website shows the reference nos. but I can't seem to access them and NASA themselves don't seem to want to assist - even though I've said I'm prepared to pay for any copying/postage etc.

Can anyone out there help me please ?

[JillStatton]

I too am searching for an ex-Boer War veteran, Allan Henry BUSKIN born 1876 in India, who supposedly joined the South African Constabulary in Johannesburg in December 1900.

NAAIRS has been busy each time I've tried to search online.  Can anyone help please?  I would like to know what happened to him, whether he married, had issue and remained in South Africa.

Any help will be gratefully received.  Thanks.

Jill Statton, Adelaide, South Australia.

[Snoozi]

I was researching some cousins who both joined the SAC. The South African Constabulary records being available at the National Archives of South Africa held within the Free State Archives Repository in Bloemfontein, (www.national.archives.gov.za)  I decided to try and obtain the records and  I logged into the website for the Free State Provincial Archives and found them very easy to navigate (thankfully). I found the appropriate reference numbers and used the contact us page to enquire about an estimate for copies. There were a few emails back and forth to Donald van Wyk fsarch@sacr.fs.gov.za I paid for the copies and very quickly I received a very substantial package through the post with the service records.
Hope this helps

[Mole]

The Archives staff have limited time for helping with personal research, so you'd need a local researcher working regularly at Transvaal Archives to get the copies of the Record of Conduct and Service: see the list of Professional Freelance Researchers at Public Archives repositories on the NASA site.       

Regards
Mole

I'm researching a great uncle, Edgar Etches, who fought in the Boer Wars with the 13th Hussars and then joined the South African Constabulary. It's the SAC that I'm mostly interested in.

I've discovered that he joined 1006 B Division and 54 Reserve Division and want to see what information is contained in his record of Service and Conduct. The NASA website shows the reference nos. but I can't seem to access them and NASA themselves don't seem to want to assist - even though I've said I'm prepared to pay for any copying/postage etc.

Can anyone out there help me please ?

[Snoozi]

I had absolutely zero help from the national archives main office but once I got through to the local officer at Bloemfontein they were really helpful, as long as I had the reference numbers. At no time did I use a local researcher, but I was lucky enough to have the reference numbers.

[Mole]

It's not difficult to get the source references from NAAIRS. The problem is usually acquiring copies from the busy staff working at the various repositories, particularly if there are several pages e.g. in a Record of Conduct & Service.

Mole


 

I had absolutely zero help from the national archives main office but once I got through to the local officer at Bloemfontein they were really helpful, as long as I had the reference numbers. At no time did I use a local researcher, but I was lucky enough to have the reference numbers.

[les972]

I'm trying to help someone with their family research but there isn't a lot to go on. The relative she is interested in is Joseph Greenwood born 1883 at Sedbergh/West Riding of Yorkshire.I think he had a middle name of Edwin. In the 1901 census he was living and working in Liverpool/Lancashire. From now on it is only guess work. He joined the British army and went to the Boer war, he was then in the South African Mounted Police and lived at Napal. He also had a mealie farm [I don't even know what that is] She also thinks he got married in S.A. and that is all she can tell me except that every year he sent money to his niece to bet on the Grand National.Can anyone tell me where to start looking for this information please.
Les

[Mole]

There is a deceased estate file in the National Archives Transvaal for a Joseph Edwin Greenwood dated 1970 - surviving spouse Florence Beatrice born Lewis. If this is the Joseph you seek he would be 87 years at death. Not impossible.

Perhaps for 'Napal' read 'Natal'?
He could have been in the Natal Mounted Police - later called the Natal Police. This was a permanent regular force.
There were, however, numerous mounted colonial forces, both regular e.g. the British SA Police, and volunteer e.g. Natal Mounted Rifles etc , as well as special emergency corps raised at the beginning of the Anglo-Boer War, such as the South Africa Light Horse etc.

A mealie farm - mealie a SA term meaning maize.

Here is the relevant deceased estate file reference from NAAIRS at www.national.archives.gov.za/

DEPOT     TAB   
SOURCE    MHG                                                                   
TYPE      LEER                                                                 
SYSTEM    01                                                                   
REFERENCE 12961/70                                                             
PART      1                                                                     
DESCRIPTION          GREENWOOD, JOSEPH EDWIN.                                              STARTING  19700000                                                             
ENDING    19700000                                                             
REMARKS   SURVIVING SPOUSE FLORENCE BEATRICE GREENWOOD (BORN LEWIS).       

First step would be to access the deceased estate file.; the Death Notice should be informative.
If Greenwood was in the Natal Police, there are records of this corps held at Pietermaritzburg Archives, Natal. A search would require dedicated hours.

best,
Mole

     






Les wrote:
Joseph Greenwood born 1883 at Sedbergh/West Riding of Yorkshire.I think he had a middle name of Edwin. In the 1901 census he was living and working in Liverpool/Lancashire. From now on it is only guess work. He joined the British army and went to the Boer war, he was then in the South African Mounted Police and lived at Napal. He also had a mealie farm [I don't even know what that is] She also thinks he got married in S.A. and that is all she can tell me except that every year he sent money to his niece to bet on the Grand National.