Life and Death at the Old Drift, Victoria Falls 1898-1905

Life and Death at the Old Drift

Victoria Falls 1898-1905




The following text is adapted from 'Life and Death at the Old Drift, Victoria Falls (1898-1905)', researched and written by Peter Roberts and published in 2018 (third edition published September 2021). .



The Old Drift Cemetery


An unknown number of unlucky inhabitants were interred in a small cemetery close to the Old Drift - the cemetery is now all that remains of the settlement, although the names of many of those buried there have been lost. The earliest named grave is situated away from the main cemetery, close to the river.

“Nearby, but outside the cemetery, is another grave, that of a French missionary. An inscription on a cross has a touch of pathos. ‘Born 1874. Georges Mercier. Died of Blackwater Fever 18th November, 1900. Aged 26.’ Doubtless, Georges Mercier often walked in the garden stretching along the river bank. To him the Zambezi must have seemed savage indeed compared with the gentle Seine, the friendly river of Paris, headquarters of his Mission.” (Fuller, 1954)

Georges Mercier, a Swiss carpenter, and his wife, Madame M Mercier, entered Barotseland in 1897, travelling north to help establish the Paris Missionary Society station and school at Sefula. After this he presumably arrived at the Drift to assist with the construction of the mission station at the Drift.

Within the main cemetery are recorded to be the graves of many of the Old Drifters, some unnamed and unmarked. A sign records:

“This cemetery forms the last resting place of a number of the early settlers who died at the Old Drift between the year 1898 and the time of the removal to Livingstone.

Among those known to be buried here are:-
Georges Mercier, Paris Missionary d.1900
John Neil Wilson, d. 11 Jan 1903 aged 45
Alexander W. Findlay, d. 9th January 1904 aged 35
Ernest Collins, d. 25th March 1904 aged 34
Miss E. Elliot, d. 8th August 1904
Samuel Taylor Alexander, d. 11 Sept 1904 aged 68
David Smith, d. 7th April 1905
and fourteen others whose names are not known.”

Old Drift Cemetery

Sign at the Old Drift Cemetery

Dr John N Wilson, together with Nurse Chapman, arrived at the Drift in October 1902 and set up a private clinic. Three months later the Doctor had died of fever. Nurse Chapman lived at the Drift until 1905. The marble gravestone records:

“In Memory of John Neil Wilson, M.B.C.M, died at Victoria Falls, 11th Jan 1903 aged 45 Years 6 Months. Your name, your deeds, will be as legible on the hearts you left behind as the stars on the brow of evening. R.I.P.”

In late 1903 new arrivals at the Drift included two chemists, Findlay and Guthrie.

“Always needed at the Old Drift was a place where medicines could be obtained. The first chemists were Findlay and Guthrie, but they lasted only a short time, contracting black-water fever and dying.” (Watt, undated)

Guthrie’s grave is un-marked. Findlay’s gravestone records: “Erected in Memory of Alec, Alexander W. Findlay, Merchant, who died at the Drift, Livingstone, 9th Jan 1904, aged 35 years.”

The Bulawayo Chronicle of 13th February 1904 recorded:

“Livingstone has sustained a severe loss in the death of Mr A W Findlay, one of the permanent resident traders. Mr Andrew Laing of Umtali, his partner, is here winding up the deceased gentleman's estate. The Acting District Commissioner, Mr E Collins, has been an invalid for the past few days.” (Bulawayo Chronicle, 13th February 1904)

Mr Ernest Collins died in March 1904, his gravestone recording “Ernest Collins, died 25th March 1904, aged 34 years.”

Miss E Elliot was the daughter of resident Jim Elliott and his wife.

Samuel Taylor Alexander was a visiting tourist who died after being hit by a fall rock from the excavations for the Victoria Falls Bridge. His story is here.

Another name not mentioned on the memorial appears on a grave stone; “Percy C Wilde, died 16th July, 1904, aged 42.” Mr Wilde was the book-keeper with the Bechuanaland Trading Association.

“We regret to learn of the death at the early age of 44 of Mr Percy Wilde, accountant to the B.T.A. Ltd, at Livingstone, Victoria Falls, which occurred on Saturday evening last from pneumonia after an illness of 12 days... [The deceased] who was a native of Bath, England, came out to this country in 1892 to join the B.T.A, and was stationed at Palapye for nine years. Subsequent to that he was connected with the Bulawayo office until December of last year, when he proceeded to the Zambesi. Every male member of the Livingstone community attended the funeral, which took place on Sunday last, and many were the expressions of regret at the early demise of one who had become universally esteemed by the small population of Livingstone.” (Bulawayo Chronicle, 23rd July 1904)

Watt also identifies several other individuals, presumably from documents held in the archives of the Livingstone Museum:

“Other names are: Clifford du Bok, W Eythling (24/11/04), Guthrie, ...Mrs Jim Elliot, F Huge.” (Watt, undated)

To this list and based on the research and accounts published in 'Life and Death at the Old Drift' we can also add ‘Bellinzona’ Giacomo, an Italian labourer who died in January 1904 whilst under the care of Nurse Chapman; Mr Charles Friel, engineer with the Cleveland Bridge Company who died on 31st October 1904; the unfortunate chemist Mr Southurst; and two members of Bezuidenhout family, Mrs Nel and the unidentified girl of 12.

Mr Southurst appears to have died in late November/early December 1904. (Percy Clark describes his unfortunate end in his authobiography 'Autobiography of an Old Drifter,' published in 1936.) On 10th December 1904 the Bulawayo Chronicle recorded:

“Fever has commenced to take off its victims already, several deaths being reported from the Drift within the last fortnight. Among these, old Bulawayans will regret to hear, were Messrs Eyting and Southurst. The little cemetery at Livingstone is filling up rapidly, and conspicuous amongst the graves is the neat headstone recently erected to the memory of Dr Wilson, one of Bulawayo’s earliest pioneers, and one time medic, town councillor, and right good sportsman.” (Bulawayo Chronicle, 10th December 1904)

Mr Eyting is probably the same W Eythling recorded as dying on 24th November 1904 by Watt.

Percy Clark also records an un-named man who died at the Drift and is also likely to be buried at the cemetery (assuming he is not one of the above named individuals):

“It was not everybody that succeeded at the Old Drift. We had our failures. One enterprising fellow started a cotton-gin, but there was no cotton to keep the gin going and his venture failed. He was too proud to ask help from anyone, and he literally starved to death. This does not reflect on the good-heartedness of the Old Drifters. They would have grub-staked anybody, but they simply did not know the man was without resources.”

Nothing further is known of David Smith, Clifford du Bok or F Huge.




References

Bulawayo Chronicle (February 1904) Zambesi Notes, 13th February 1904.

Bulawayo Chronicle (July 1904) Death of Mr Percy Wilde, 23rd July 1904.

Bulawayo Chronicle (December 1904) Victoria Falls Notes. 10th December 1904.

Clark, P. M. (1936) Autobiography of an Old Drifter. Harrap, London.

Fuller, B. (1954) Bid Time Return. De Bussy, Cape Town.

Watt, A. (undated) History of Livingstone. Unpublished document held by Livingstone Museum, c1960s.




Further Reading

'Life and Death at the Old Drift, Victoria Falls (1898-1905)', researched and written by Peter Roberts, first published in 2018 (second edition October 2020).



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