TOPIC:

Good day all, I hope your well.

I have recently bought a rifle that has S.S Vivier carved on the side of it. I'm really keen to try and find out as much about the owner as possible and his life.......... and a poss picture!!!!

Im new to this and dont know the tricks of the trade as some of you might. I have tried to reach out to Vivier family groups in SA but had no luck yet.

Any help would be extremely appreciated and thank you in advance for any time you spend with my request.

Kindest regards to all,

Nik



So far the information that I have uncovered is:

Stefanus Sebastiaan VIVIER came from the farm Welgeluk in Winburg, OVS. When he died at Kimberley age 47 on 20/02/1900 he was with the Bloemfontein Commando, I would expect him to have been with the Winburg Commando when in Natal in Jan 1900. He would have been in the Spioenkop campaign.

Stefanus was killed after the seige of Kimberly, and his brother Hendrik at the battle of Paardeberg a few weeks later. In 1901, after her farm at Winburg was burnt down his wife and young family was put in Winburg concentration camp. Even though she was able to keep her own children alive ............. 6 of the wider family group did not survive being in the camp.

Father's line goes back to Normandy and 1593. Wife's line goes back to Ruoen and 1028....... (before the battle of Hastings). Interestingly their family origins both started in the same part France and only 135km apart. The both families moved to SA in the late 1600’s, and were involved in "The Great Trek" from the cape in the mid 1800's. After the war, Stefanus’s wife remarried again at 48yrs old to 66yr old Burger Johannes Schalk on the 26 Jan 1904.

It appears and yet to be confirmed this might possibly be the Grand Father of Springboks Captain "Basie Vivier".

It looks as if this rifle was used at the battle of SpioenKop and then travelled with the owner to Kimberely in Feb where he and his brother died in seperate battles.







His brother's death cert