rorkesdriftvc.com Forum Index


rorkesdriftvc.com
Discussions related to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879
Reply to topic
[b]Zulu farm in Wiltshire![/b]
Ed Coan


Joined: 26 Sep 2005
Posts: 18
Reply with quote
Bit of an odd one this. I was in Wiltshire over the weekend - just down from the Uffington White Horse and came across a farm called 'Zulu Farm'. It's marked on the OS map as 'Zulu Buildings'.

On the front of the farm is a nameplate saying 'Zulu Farm - Named after the Zulu War of 1879'.

A lady who works there was on site at the time, so I asked her if she knew what the connection was. She told me the farm was owned by a Richard Green (or could be Greene) and she thought his forebears may have fought in the Zulu War.

Anyone throw any light on this?

Cheers

Ed Coan
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Garen


Joined: 07 Sep 2005
Posts: 34
Location: UK
Reply with quote
This is very interesting, Ed, and a phenomenon I have an interest in too. My area of research is the 2nd Afghan war and I have come across old soldiers who have named their houses 'Kandahar' and even a soldier who gave his son the middle name of Kandahar!

Are there other examples of this happening with the Zulu war? I wonder if anyone named their son in honour of the battle - I'm sure it must have happened...

Don't mean to interrupt Ed's original request for info on the farm.

_________________
http://www.angloafghanwar.info
View user's profileSend private messageVisit poster's website
Ed Coan


Joined: 26 Sep 2005
Posts: 18
Reply with quote
Just as an aside on this subject, there's a house called 'Rorke's Drift' not far from where I live in Hertfordshire.

Intrigued, I knocked on the door and asked the owner why the house was thus named.

"Because I had one hell of a battle getting it," came the reply!
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
Reply with quote
Ed/Garen

Interesting, Ed. Near here, there is a prominent sign facing the Sandwich-Deal road proclaiming "Rorke's Drift Farm" - although it now occurs to me I haven't noticed it in recent months so it may have been taken down. My sons always ask me what is behind the farm's name so I suppose I ought to find out.

Garen, place names and middle or christian names bestowed in honour of military events or personalities was certainly a fashion in Victorian times and afterwards, as you probably know. I was able to tell an astonished acquaintance of mine the year of his grandfather's birth (1900) simply from my friend's middle name (Redvers) as I guessed it was neither he nor his father who'd received the original honour, so it didn't really take much working out. It was very commonly used at the time, then rapidly died out. Births around 1900, 1901 & 1902 show Roberts (rather than Robert) as a very popular (although usually middle) name for boys. Mafeking was certainly popular as a middle name as well.

Battles too. One of my wife's kinsmen gave his daughter the middle name of Mons and his son received Douglas Haig as his 2nd and 3rd christian names, so their years of birth aren't difficult to calculate, any more than was a client of mine whose middle name was Verdun. "I was born in 1916" he said. "Yes, I know" was all I could think of saying!

Now, is there a cottage somewhere called Myer's Drift or perhaps a bungalow known as Inyezane? (Reminds me, I used to pass daily a house called "Zulu Cottage" in Sellindge, nr Ashford). Or is there anyone walking around bearing a "family name" passed down such as, say, Coghill, Dartnell or Thesiger? Or Ulundi (that one's for certain) Kambula or even Ginghindlovu??? There is no question Garnet will have ben used - and what about Chelmsford and Dalton of modern Isandlwana fame, or are they just coincidences?

Peter
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Ed Coan


Joined: 26 Sep 2005
Posts: 18
Reply with quote
Thanks Peter - nice to hear from you again.

Also made me think there are street names with Zulu War connections - Ulundi Road in Blackheath, London, comes to mind. A friend of mine once lived in the road and told me the original house-builder had a relative who fought at Ulundi.

Also recall reading an article somewhere about various Zulu War-related street names in Nottingham.

Upon reflection on my original topic, I wonder whether I was in Berkshire, not Wiltshire, at the time - the area around Uffington is right on the border.

Ed
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Mel


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 345
Reply with quote
I was in Dorset last week. In the village of Langton Matravers is a street called Durnfords Drove. (Yes, Drove) Just wondered if there was a connection there.

_________________
Mel
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Garen


Joined: 07 Sep 2005
Posts: 34
Location: UK
Reply with quote

_________________
http://www.angloafghanwar.info
View user's profileSend private messageVisit poster's website
[b]Zulu farm in Wiltshire![/b]
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
All times are GMT  
Page 1 of 1  

  
  
 Reply to topic