TOPIC:

Greetings, I am researching my South African family history and I have traced a family story to the Anglo Boer War. My great great uncle apparently had a trading store in the town of Mafeking during the period 1890 - 1928. I do not know much about him except that he was an Anglo Indian (born in Isipingo South Africa) of an Indentured Indian mother and a Englishman from Cornwall England in 1861. His name was Charles Michael WILLIAMS. I only recently became aware of him after my father passed away and his memoires made references to this Charles M Williams and his close association with Robert Baden Powell. Indeed as I type this I have an old and rather smelly brass pair of binoculars sitting on my desk, that is said to have been given to my great Uncle by Robert Baden Powell. It is possible that Charles' close association with Baden Powell during the Anglo Boer war may have caused a schism in the family, with Charles very much supporting the British and my grandfather (Francis) who also ran a store, siding with the Boer families and indeed feeding the wives & children of interned Boer farmers; something that the Afrikaners did not forget, honouring him in 1936. Anyway hopefully someone can give me some indication as whether Charles Michael WILLIAMS appears in the Records somewhere. Cheers

KLANman
Some time ago one Colin Walker assembled "The Mafeking Siege Register"; put together from various sources including the Siege Slips published during the siege. His work is very useful regarding the siege. I had a look for a Charles Michael WILLIAMS and there is no entry for a person with precisely that name. The closest is one Charles N Williams who served in the Town Guard. No mention of him running a store.
Regards
IL.

Thank you for the information. Much appreciated. At the very least it gives me a basis to start my search. I have noted that a few things appear in my fathers memoires - references to a "55 Sheppards St (Mafeking?)", and the family doctor being a Dr Molema [or is it Moleman??] I will attempt to trawl through for any references to these.Cheers KLANman

Klansman,

Here's the entry from the Mafeking Town Guard that Ian mentioned.



The scribbled note on the left (Retd) suggests this medal dir not find its way to the recipient.

Kind regards
David

Presume you have this reference:
www.geni.com/people/Charles-Williams/6000000001941830752

Thank you for your information. I very much appreciate your input; I'm aware of this website and the entries, Cheers