TOPIC:

My Great Grandparents, on my mothers side, were proprietors of the Crown Hotel in Ladysmith during the siege. The hotel is still in business, but we have no connection with it now. Attached a photo of Mary Ann Chisnall (nee Lowcock, wife of Richard Chisnall) with three of her 5 daughters and her daughter-in-law, 'Cicy' (actually Sarah Martha) Chisnall (wife of William Chisnall) outside their bunker. I would be very interested to know more about them and the hotel during that time.

Thanks to all those who helped to identify the uniform and rifle of the mystery soldier posted recently. Still not sure who he was and from which regiment!

Hello Peter.....

My family at one time owned a pub within a stone's throw from Portobello Road..... I always say WHY DID YOU SELL IT!!!!!!.....

LOL - - LOL

I am sure that you would still like to have kept it.....

Enlarged your picture for you.....

Mike

Peter
My copy of the booklet "The Ladysmith Siege" by G.W.Lines shows "Chisnall, Richard as Hotel prop" as you say. The other Chisnalls in the list are "Mrs.R", "Beatrice", "Ada" and "William". This info is from the Alphabetical list of besieged Residents. I can see no entry for a "Chisnall" in the Town Guard, etc.
Doesn't help much, I guess!
Regards
IL.

Peter

I have the Boer War medal to Charles James Jones who was the proprietor of the Royal Hotel at the time of the siege.

What has always been a bit of a mystery is the Jones family claim to having owned the Crown at roughly the same time. Your post would tend to refute their claim. Are you able to shed clarity (light) on the matter conclusively?

Regards

Rory

Rory
Charles James JONES shown in the referred booklet as being a member of Ward 3 of the Ladysmith TG.
Regards
IL.

Hello IL

I have quite a bit - actually make that a lot - of information on the Jones family, having sourced the medal from them.

CJ was also the Deputy Mayor at the time. The family lived in Barlow House and, not surprisingly, they adopted the name and descendents thereafter are known as Barlow Jones!

Regards

Rory