Engelsman se Graf

Deeply moving; a poignant tale, and a perfect spot for bittersweet memories to unfold.
Poor lady!

I visited the Anglican church in Bishop’s Stortford in England where Cecil Rhodes was baptised. On the walls were plaques commemorating worthy departed parishoners. Although I have forgotten the name of the young soldier on it and his age, one plaque remained fixed in my memory. The young man, mourned by his grieving family, had died in a fight with the baSutho at Thaba’nchu in the late 1800’s and his body is buried there. I have been to Thaba’nchu. It is dry, harsh and wild. The same sense of poignancy I think you felt at this lonely grave in Wupperthal overcame me. This young man had grown up surrounded by the gentle green fields of Herfordshire and died on a hard, dry Lesotho mountain overlooking the endless sunburnt plains of the Orange Free State. Splendid as the skies are over that part of Africa, it seemed such a lonely alien place for an English boy to lie forever.

I felt exactly what David Allen describes – a lonely, dry place for a 21 yr old young man to be buried. How sad! And then I read Emily Hobhouse’s biography. Always 2 sides to every story – especsially WAR! All part of our history YES, but all those senseless deaths!
Driving through the Cedarberg Mountains, knowing the war that took place all those years ago! I actually stood on sacred ground, where many lives were lost! My goodness!!!

SAD, yes, on both sides. WAR is NOT ‘nice’ and it is sad reading entries like these – of any human who died unnecessary. The greediness of the British took over – how unnecessary was that! How many women and children died [unnecessary] in concentration camps. I can go on and on – even about British soldiers like this soldier. It must have been ‘n ‘boer’ who left the ‘sprig of fynbos’ – as it was said the Boers treated the English in a kind way during the war [and I assume after as well.] :)

Thank you for this post. Lt. Graham Vinicombe Winchester Clowes was my grand-father’s first cousin. I would’ve never have known about “Englishman’s Grave” without your information. Your beautifully written blog and photos really brought this story to life. Again thank you.

Tip’s post has renewed my interest in this case, and I immediately found a mystery of sorts; certainly an error in the common account.
The poor boy’s father had died in 1900, leaving a large estate for the period – £81,000.
But his wife had died in 1894, and he did not marry again.
Thus whoever it was who visited his grave was neither mother nor stepmother – a sister maybe?
Perhaps Tip, as a member of the family, can solve this little conundrum for us.