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James Rorke.
Martin Kidd


Joined: 29 Aug 2017
Posts: 7
Location: Surrey
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Hello all,

Thanks for the add. I hope to learn a lot from this site. I have visited Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift and return in November.

My first post so go easy on me if you have answered this a thousand times. How did James Rorke die?. I have read that he shot himself as he had run out of gin and I have also read he died after a two day illness. If so what was the illness?

Thanks.

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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1530
Location: Wales
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Again, welcome Martin. I'm sure someone will give an answer.

I only have the first I heard which was that he killed himself when his supply of gin failed to materialise.

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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1530
Location: Wales
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According to �Who�s Who in the Zulu War 1879 � Volume 2� by Adrian Greaves and Ian Knight...

What we do know for certain is that James Rorke died on the 24th October 1875 aged 48.

What did he die of ? This is where there is far less certainty. Local legend has it that Rorke had
regular supplies of gin brought up from Greytown, and when one such shipment failed to arrive,
he shot himself with a revolver.

I'm sure there's a moral there somewhere.

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Martin Kidd


Joined: 29 Aug 2017
Posts: 7
Location: Surrey
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Thanks Alan,
Looks like I'm going to have to buy the who's who book. Two top authors I must say.
I visited Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift earlier this year and was taken around both sites by Anthony Coleman. Since my return I have been smitten by the experience ( They were places I have wanted to visit for many, many years ). I return there in November with my Son. We hope to have a lot more time to explore.

Thanks again.

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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
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Hope you both enjoy your visit. It's all too easy to be smitten.

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peterw


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 865
Location: UK
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Welcome to RDVC.

Peter
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The Answer.
Martin Kidd


Joined: 29 Aug 2017
Posts: 7
Location: Surrey
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I have found an answer to my question on this site.

Mr Johnny Hamman of Dundee NKZ. Joined 11/2/2006 and posted on 15th May 2010 at 12 53pm.

Quotes from a Rorke's family document. He died from an illness which by all accounts he had suffered from for many years.

It's a very good account and gives a few details of the funeral. The actual disease is still unknown but other threads discuss the subject.

Could any member give the exact location of his grave ? I visit in November and would very much like to see it. Its location seems difficult to find as it appears to be away from the mission.

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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1530
Location: Wales
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Martin, the grave isn't difficult to find nor is it far from the church(store room).
It's NE, only a couple of hundred yards. I'll see if I can dig out a pic.



There you go. It's from 2002 and the shrubbery is much more grown up.


Last edited by Alan on Mon Sep 11, 2017 3:23 pm; edited 1 time in total

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Martin Kidd


Joined: 29 Aug 2017
Posts: 7
Location: Surrey
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Thanks Alan.

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James Rorke.
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