BALMORAL CAMP
Camp Details
Type:white / black Location:Transvaal Date closed:27/09/1902 Unique ID:154
A Short History
Balmoral camp was established relatively late, on 25 July 1901, coming into use a week later – a remarkably short time in which to set up a camp. It was created to take the overflow from the Middelburg and Belfast camps and was divided into the districts from which most of the inmates came – Balmoral, Lydenburg and, later, Ermelo. The move from Middelburg had been precipitated by the poor health in that very large camp and the people arrived unwell. Later arrivals included fugitives from the Bronkhorstspruit district, who were starving and exhausted. By November 1901 they were coming in from the Lydenburg and Barberton districts, in a very bedraggled state, it was noted, because they had been out on the veld for some time. Although by the end of 1901 Kitchener had ordered that no more families should be sent to the camps, his instructions were often ignored and some continued to trickle in. On 27 April 1902 125 people arrived, half of them men, in a pitiful state. ‘They were literally in rags and it was hard to discern the original material of the men’s clothing. When compared with the inmates of the camp they looked a very unkempt lot’, the superintendent noted.
The original site was an old military camp, just south of the railway station, and was strewn with refuse. E.R Harvey, the first superintendent, had hard work getting the area into a reasonable condition, as he was limited by lack of transport. This was often a problem for the camps when the military requisitioned all the available animals. The camp was unfenced as the entire area was protected by blockhouses. Within this vicinity camp inmates were allowed to wander freely. Because Balmoral was established so late, it was easy to pitch the camp with the mathematical tidiness favoured by the British officials. The tents had dung floors
Conditions were not comfortable. The new hospital was eventually occupied in April 1902. Despite all the work, it remained fairly primitive, with antheap floors, although these were supposed to be tarred. The marquees were not warm enough for chest cases, the MO complained, and a brick and iron ward of twelve beds was finally erected for such cases. Africans were regularly treated in the hospital, at least in 1902. In July 1902 a black man was brought in from a neighbouring farm with diphtheria and a tracheotomy was administered; in the same month another black man from outside died in the hospital of pneumonia. The following month two more men were admitted from the Repatriation Department, one with jaundice and the other with injuries after he had been run over by an ox wagon; two more were hurt by ox wagons in September while another outsider also died in the hospital.
Read more here:
http://www2.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/bccd/Histories/Balmoral/
AIM OF THE PROJECT
To add as many profiles that were in the Balmoral camp to the project. Seperate parts will be there for those who died in the camp, those who lived and in time those not on Geni that were there. Maybe you find a relative that was in your brick wall column here.
They Lived
A
B
- Adam Johannes Botha Aged 48 (5/5/1901-14/6/1902)
- Stayed on the farm Morgenstond, Roosenekal of which he owns a portion.
- Captured with wife and 2 children
- Unique ID 80620
- Joachim Petrus Botha (23) 4/6/1901-21/8/1902
- Came from the farm Ogjesfontein, Middelburg. S.o. Mrs Willem Christiaan Botha
C
D
- Maria Geertruyda Davis (Janeke) 10/10/1836-03/08/1922
- Unique ID 59740
- Elizabeth Susanna Davis 30/09/1880
- Unique ID 59741
- Maria Gertrude Doig (McCoy) 10/10/1874-11/08/1917
- Unique ID 59750
- Maria Geertruida Doig 15/09/1887
- Unique ID 59751
- Margaret Susanna Doig 03/10/1893-01/04/1984
- Unique ID 59752
- Susanna Elizabeth Doig
- Unique ID 59753
- John Duff Doig 20/01/1900-11/11/1979
- Unique ID 59755
- Jacomina Frederika Dreyer Age 52 (1852)
- Unique ID 60390
F
- Gertruida Susanna Fourie Age 59 (1837)
- Unique ID 110938
H
- Maria Gertruida Hendrika Henderson 07/06/1883
- Unique ID 59742
- Incorrectly transcribed as Anderson, should be Henderson. Shared tent 640 with her grandmother Maria Geertruyda Davis (Janeke) above.
J
- Charlotta Frederika Joubert Age 5 (1896)
- Unique ID 60400
- Cornelia Carolina Joubert (1896)
- Daniel Benjamin Joubert Age 13 (1887)
- Unique ID 60391
- Elizabeth Johanna Joubert Age 3 (1898)
- Unique ID 60396
- Hester Johanna Susanna Joubert Age 4 (1897)
- Unique ID 60395
- Isabella Johanna Joubert Age 25 (1876)
- Unique ID 110939
- Jacobus Petrus Joubert Age 3 (1898)
- Unique ID 60397
- Jacobus Petrus Joubert Age 30 (1870)
- Unique ID 60398
- Jacobus Petrus Joubert Age 62 (1842)
- Unique ID 60389
- Jacomina Frederika Joubert Age 7 (1893)
- Unique ID 60392
- Jacomina Frederika Joubert Age 3 (1898)
- Unique ID 60401
- Johanna Catharina Joubert Age 7 (1894)
- Unique ID 110940
- Johanna Hendrina Joubert (1898)
- Johannes Philippus Joubert Age 36 (1866)
- Unique ID 60393
- Maria Magdalena Joubert (1892)
- Rudolph Joubert Age 14 (1888)
- Unique ID 110941
- Susara Susanna Joubert Age 27 (1874)
- Unique ID 111004
K
- Catharina Levina Kruger 1901
- Maria Elizabeth Kruger 1873
- Petrus Stephanus Kruger 1893
- Stephanus Petrus Kruger 1898
M
- Abraham Marais born 1894
- Hester Gertruda Marais born 1896
- Barend Daniel Marais born 1897
- Albertina Magdalena Minnaar11
P
- Hester Johanna Susanna Porter Age 25 (1876)
- Unique ID 60394
- Albertina Magdalena Prinsloo Gertroud Minaar (49)
R
- Carel Christoffel Ruiter Age 14 (1887)
- Unique ID 61785
- Emma Ruiter Age 18 (1883)
- Unique ID 61784
- Jan Anna Ruiter Age 6 (1895)
- Unique ID 61786
- Sara Maria Ruiter Age 22 (1880)
- Unique ID 61783
S
- Rachael Margretha Smuts 1901-09-23 to 1902-02-15
- Franciska Wilhelmina Smuts 1901-09-23 to 1902-02-15
- Hendrika Johanna Smuts 1901-09-23 to 1902-02-15
- Elizabeth Magdalena Smit wife of Barend Daniel Marais. See children under Marais.
V
- Gertruida Susanna van Molendorf (43) 4/6/1901-21/8/1902
- Husband on Commando Mr. Willem Christiaan Botha
- With her two sons.
- Sara Maria Viljoen Age 49 (1852)
- Unique ID 61782
They Died
A
B
C
- Susanna Gertruida Cornelius 1857-1901
D
- Christina Elizabeth (Christina Johanna) Doig c.1898-1902
- Unique ID 59754
J
- Maria Elizabetha Joubert (1895 - 1901)
- Pieter Schalk Joubert (1901-1902)
M
- Cornelius Hermanus Marais (1899-1901)
- Willem Jacobus Marais (1901-1902)
- Cornelia Carolina Minnaar (1870-1901)
S
- Alida Elizabeth Johanna Smuts 1901-09-23 to 1901-12-16