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A Natal Police and Mounted Rifles man - Alfred Rudge 7 years 1 month ago #58318
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Alfred Rudge
Trooper, Natal Police – Anglo Boer War Trooper, Natal Mounted Rifles – Bambatha Rebellion - Queens South Africa Medal with clasps South Africa 1901 & 1902 to 2520 Tpr. A. Rudge, Natal Police - Natal Rebellion Medal (Bambatha) with 1906 clasp to Tpr. A. Rudge, Natal Mtd. Rifles Alfred Rudge was born in about 1879 in East Dean, Gloucestershire, England the son of Amos Rudge, a Haulier and Farmer, and his wife Elizabeth. The 1881 England census, our first glimpse of a 2 year old Alfred, has him living with his parents in Bailey Lane End in the Parish of Westbury on Severn in East Dean. Siblings Charles (7), Sidney (4) and baby Arthur (2 months) completed what was an all-male household – with the exception of the mother of course. Ten years later at the time of the 1891 England census the family had grown exponentially – aside from the parents in Lea Village whence the family had moved, were Charles (17), Sydney (14), Alfred (12), Arthur (10) and new additions since the last census, Ann (7), Kate (6), Mabel (3) and Herbert (1). The Rudges had also taken in a Boarder, 83 year old Pauper Maria Baldwin. At some point, having completed whatever schooling he received, Alfred Rudge decided to head off to distant shores. Great Britain had been at war with the two Dutch Republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal in the southern tip of Africa since October 1899 and, despite the loss of both Boer capitals, the end of the conflict was nowhere in sight. On the contrary a guerrilla phase had been embarked on where, in place of pitched battles where you faced a known enemy, something the British were accustomed to, the Boers adopted a “hit and run” approach to warfare which involved small highly mobile commandos who would attack or ambush the stretched British lines of communication as well as isolated pockets of men and equipment, seize what it is they could put to use, and then flee before a column could be mobilised to counter them. The Colony of Natal, despite having “evicted” the Boers from Natal was under constant threat of these worthies re-entering the territory. The Natal Police had been called upon, since the outbreak of the war, to assist in more than just their normal policing duties and the call had gone out to the mother country for new recruits to bolster their numbers. Alfred Rudge was one of many who answered that call – he boarded the “Arundel Castle” bound for South Africa and, having made his way to the colonial capital Pietermaritzburg, he enlisted there on 15 March 1901 for service with the Natal Police at their barracks in Alexandra Road. As was required he arrived armed with testimonials – in his instance from a Dr Price and a Mr W. Wyatt along with a letter of recommendation from his father, Amos Rudge of Loquier’s Farm near Drybrook in Gloucestershire. Had the true facts about Amos Rudge and his family’s exploits been known to the authorities at the time Alfred may not have been considered eligible. The Echo of Saturday, 6 September 1902 reported under the heading “A curious transaction at Ross”:- “On Friday the Ross bench were occupied for six hours in dealing with an alleged case of horse theft. Amos Rudge, Loquier’s Farm, Drybrook, and his son, Edmund Rudge, Aston Ingham, Ross, were charged with stealing a horse, the property of Edmund Freeman, farmer on November 19. The prosecutor’s story was to the effect that the younger defendant agreed to sell him two horse for £40. Subsequently the horse in dispute was taken away by him, and later the receipt was also found to be missing. The father denied any felonious intent and said he knew nothing of the dispute between his son and Freeman.” Assigned no. 2520 and the rank of Trooper, Rudge commenced his service and, according to page 644 of the Natal Police Order Book:- “The undermentioned men will leave by the 10.20 p.m. train on the 27th instant (May 1901) for Ladysmith for duty in that district. No. 2499 Tpr. Theobald; 2573 Tpr. Reid and 2520 Tpr. Rudge. Upon arrival they will report to Inspector Dorehill, hand over copy of orders. Railway ticket order provided.” So Rudge was destined for service in Ladysmith – which was, of course, a year after the siege had been lifted, no longer the little town filled with squalor and pestilence that had in those dark earlier days been the case. On 15 March 1902 “having completed one year’s service in the Corps” Rudge was promoted to the rank and pay of 1st Class Trooper from that date. He would seem to have spent quite some time in Ladysmith before being transferred to the Gaol Department in Durban on 6 December 1904. Also, at some stage, he blotted his copybook – his Record of Service alluding to a Conviction by a Magistrate in Durban for which offence he was reduced to the rank of 2nd Class on 25 February 1906. This was to signal the end for Rudge’s Police career – on 5 March 1906 he was discharged “Services no longer required.”’ He had, on 16 May 1905 at St. Cyprian’s Parish in Durban, relinquished his claim to bachelorhood by wedding a 24 year old Helen Morrison Honeyman. He was a Warder aged 26 at the time. The dawn of 1906 brought not only Rudge’s departure from the Natal Police but also the Zulu Rebellion which was to follow. Natal had passed through ten difficult years: it had been inflicted with a plague of locusts; diseases (rinderpest, lung fever and East Coast Fever) had decimated its cattle, while successive years of drought had scorched its earth and stunted the growth of its crops. And then had come the expensive Anglo Boer War. The natives, no less than the Europeans, had suffered considerably. There was a wave of financial depression through the Colony and the Government’s coffers were empty. The powers-that-be hit upon a scheme to remedy this – they decided to impose a poll-tax of £1 on every unmarried male, irrespective of race over 18 years. This didn’t go well with some blacks although it was sullenly accepted by most. A young hot head named Bambatha of the Zondi tribe openly fomented opposition to the imposition and collection of this tax and agitated for rebellion amongst his people and all who listen. The first act of open rebellion occurred on 7 February 1906 when a party of men, including the Magistrate, went to Henley to collect the tax, some of the blacks were armed and adopted a threatening posture. The next day when a party of Natal Police were sent to arrest them shots were exchanged killing two members of the Police. A few days later Martial Law was declared and volunteer units in the district were mobilised. The Natal Mounted Rifles, 280 strong, were mobilised on 23 February 1906 forming part of what became known as Leuchar’s Column. After the initial disturbance was over the Militia were stood down and the N.M.R. returned home to Durban. But why is mention being made of the N.M.R.? Because it was to this unit that a recently discharged Rudge gravitated joining their ranks as a Trooper. Just when it was thought that disaffection was gradually disappearing a second and more vigorous phase of the Rebellion suddenly started – a phase wherein Bambatha played a pivotal role – he was described as a vicious type of man, with a violent temper and an insatiable appetite for kaffir beer” On 18 April 1906 the N.M.R. and other local units were called out and were mobilised on 1 May 1906 being split into two detachments – A and B Squadron bound for Mapumulo and the other, the remainder of the regiment, bound for Helpmekaar via Dundee for it was known that Bambatha had fled into the Nkandla Forest near that area. On 12 May there was a fight at Elandskraal involving about 100 of the N.M.R. The guns opened fire on a Chief Mveli’s kraal while the troops searched the bush in the area. The rebels were unable to withstand the fire for long and fled in every direction leaving 29 dead a number wounded. From then on it was a case of escorting wagons in the rebel-infested area until a directive was received ordering them to proceed by rail to Greytown and then Spitzkop to link up with the Umvoti Field Force. They left here on 7 June for Broeder’s Hoek having received intelligence that a large rebel force close to the Tugela River. After a night march on 12 June they crossed the Tugela into Zululand burning the kraals as they went, the object being to drive the enemy into the valley of the Mfongosi River. The drive proved unsuccessful – the rebel Chief Sigananda surrendered on 16 June while information was also received that Bambatha had been killed in an action at Mome Gorge. The N.M.R. also distinguished themselves in other actions during the Rebellion – the actions at Otimati, Peyana and Thring’s Post to name a few all of which involved vastly superior numbers of rebels who, however, proved no match for the well trained and well-led troops. On 30 July 1906 all Militia troops were ordered to demobilise and return home. For his efforts Rudge received the Natal Medal with 1906 clasp. For Rudge his time in uniform was over – he passed away at the ripe old age of 76 years 10 months at the Sanatorium in Pietermaritzburg on 5 July 1954 survived by his second wife, Violet Mary (his first wife having predeceased him in 1929) as well as his many children:- • Herbert Arthur Rudge • Helen Winifred Sydney Winkworth • June Violet Mary Usher • Denise Mary Sutherland born 16.6.1934 • Shirley Anne Rudge born 11.2. 1936 • Wendy Patricia Rudge born 2. 5. 1938 • Jacqueline Beverley Rudge born 2. 10. 1941 • Claire Beverley Rudge born 11. 6. 1943 and Keith George Rudge born 4.10.1945 He had been living at 471 Burgher Street, Pietermaritzburg at the time of his death. 
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A Natal Police and Mounted Rifles man - Alfred Rudge 7 years 1 month ago #58319
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A Natal Police and Mounted Rifles man - Alfred Rudge 7 years 1 month ago #58320
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