“Poor South Africa! Will no nice English people ever come out here?”—The South African Constabulary of the Second South African War
Stellenbosch Working Paper Series No. WP04/2015Publication date: 2015
Author(s):
[protected email address] (Department of History,University of Stellenbosch)
[protected email address]
Using newly digitized and transcribed attestation records, we provide a detailed description of the composition of the South African Constabulary, a volunteer force of mostly English recruits during and after the Second South African War. These records contain personal particulars, such as age, country of origin, occupation and religion, for 10 399 service terms. We also match these attestation records to the delistment records for each recruit, providing evidence about cause of exit and length of service. The records not only provide a wealth of genealogical data, but also inform our understanding of comparative living standards in the colonies.
JEL Classification:N30, N37
Keywords:Anglo-Boer War, South African War, soldiers, recruits, attestation forms, stature
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Upcoming Seminars
Monday 28 July 202512:00-13:00
Dr Neil Rankin: Ceo Of Predictive Insights & Stellenbosch University
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12:00-13:00
Prof Willem Boshoff
Topic: "Two competing approaches in South African competition policy: merger control and anti-cartel enforcement over the past 30 years"
12:00-13:00
Prof Derek Yu: University Of The Western Cape
Topic: "Examining the teaching, assessment and research activities of the South African Economics Departments"
BER Weekly
6 Jun 2025 SA GDP barely expands in Q1, while BCI and PMI suggest that Q2 remained weakIt was a busy week for local data releases, much of which painted a bleak picture of SA’s economy. Not only was first-quarter GDP growth dismal, but 2024 growth was also revised lower to just 0.5%. , The RMB/BER Business Confidence Index (BCI) showed sentiment remained shaky in the second quarter...
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