TOPIC:

David,
Thank you for posting this, most interesting

Paul

djb wrote: From The Graphic, Saturday, December 23, 1899:

David

Thank you for posting the story of Harry and Lady Smith. It has been retold many times and remains a fact exceeding the most romantic of fictions. Given the trends in the New Democratic South Africa, Harrismith, Ladysmith (& Ladismith), and Aliwal may yet disappear from its maps, but there is a more subtle connection with the Smiths that, hopefully, will escape the attention of the thought police.

In South Africa, and perhaps elsewhere, there is a popular breakfast melon named 'spaanspek'. The word can be translated as 'Spanish bacon'. While the Smiths lived in the Cape, this melon was Lady Smith's preferred breakfast treat, and so it came to be referred to as 'Spanish bacon' in honour of this lovely lady's patronage of the fruit.

Regards
Brett

PS I do not accept any other theories about the origin of the name, 'spaanspek'.

Gentlemen,
As a Peninsular War collector, the story has always fasinated me, I did read "The Spanish Bride" whilst still at school.
Juana Maria de los Delores de leon, the future Lady Smith was just 14 years old when she met her very soon to be husband, they married within a few days!
This must have been a great step forward for, a perhaps, not so little girl, who was a poor orphan in a smashed home, Badajoz lay in ruins, I think she was very lucky indeed that the bloody fighting 95th contained such decent officers, many would have just taken advantage of the poor girl.
I always wondered what would have happened if Harry had just brought her home and imposed her onto his family and London society, if it were today, I suspect the police child protection unit and social services would have something to say about it, put on the register, to be examined at regular intervals!
Anyway, it was all 200 years ago, but again, quite fasinating!

Panoramas of Ladysmith from Woolls-Sampson's book

'The anniversary of the relief of Ladysmith: A labour of love in the Intombi Cemetery

A branch of the Loyal Women's Guild has lately been formed in Ladysmith, and at one of their earliest meetings decided to have all the graves of the soldiers who gave their lives in the defence of Ladysmith decorated with flowers. It was decided that the fittest time to decorate the graves would be on the anniversary of the Relief of Ladysmith, February 28, so contributions of flowers were asked for from all parts of Natal. A very large and beautiful collection of flowers and wreaths was received and he ladies of the Guild laid them reverently in the cemeteries of Ladysmith, Intombi, Surprise Hill, Nicholson's Nek, Waggon Hill and Caesar's Camp. All of these resting places are fenced and well cared for.'

The Graphic, 20 April 1901

For more on Intombe look here...….

www.angloboerwar.com/forum/6-places/3004-intombi?start=0

Mike