rorkesdriftvc.com Forum Index


rorkesdriftvc.com
Discussions related to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879
Reply to topic
Phil Pearce


Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 37
Location: Pyle South Wales
Reply with quote
hi there , although I've never seen it , but as a girl mum has, there is a huge oil painting of Rorke's in my family. It hung for years on the wall of the family farmhouse in peterchurch and is still to my knowledge within the family. No idea who the artist is but if something like this exists of my great grandfather then there must be other such artifacts of other RDVC awardees including posibly your plate.
View user's profileSend private message
Peter Ewart


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

I'm not sure whether Lummis's Corporal Schiess, the Swiss VC was ever published but it was apparently due for publication in, perhaps, c1979/1980, either as a book or as an article.

He had certainly completed some genealogical and biographical research on Schiess by the late 1970s. If this never saw the light of day I suspect it would have been due to Lummis's great age - he was nearing 90 at the time, although perhaps his son, Lt-Col ET Lummis, might possibly have arranged it posthumously? The research benefited from contact with a relative of Schiess in Switzerland and included some of his military service in Europe. Lummis, too, states categorically that no photograph of Schiess was ever taken - a bold statement to make, but it would seem that Schiess's living relatives in the 1970s knew of no likeness.

Phil

It would seem highly likely that the huge painting of Rorke's Drift in a branch of your family was an example of the de Neuville effort, as a number of the defenders appear to have owned a copy at one time. There were certainly a few large copies about and a number of proofs or "engravings" (not necessarily accurately so described) were around in Victorian times. Chaplain Smith, whom I believe assisted the artist, gave away at least one huge copy in the 1890s and still there remained at least one (possibly two) examples surviving in Preston for many years into the 20th century. Yet another survived in his family until relatively recently. It would not surprise me at all if a number of defenders acquired - or were presented with - one of these.

Peter
View user's profileSend private messageSend e-mail
Lady Butler's depiction of Corporal Schiess
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 2 of 2  

  
  
 Reply to topic