Introduction

George Henry Hull wrote a letter to his sister Sophy Carson in Cape Town a few days after the Relief of Kimberley in February 1900. He had already written to his elder sister, Gertrude (that letter has not survived - or has it, somewhere?); now writing to his younger sister, probably in much the same vein, he wished to share "a few details" of his family's "experiences of a siege". The Hulls farmed at Riet Pan (it features on contemporary maps as "Hull's Farm"), outside Kimberley, just over the Free State border. At the outbreak of war the family moved hurriedly to town (family silver was buried on the werf), to take up residence at The Lodge as guests of De Beers. Hull's granddaughter, Olive McIntyre, was given her first birthday party there on 19 February 1900.

George Hull (1828-1916) had come to the Diamond Fields in 1870, and owned claims right near the centre of Colesberg Kopje, later Kimberley Mine. These he still held, in the partnership of Hull, Carr and Brown, in 1876. His more important enterprise, however, was not mining per se, but rather as a local agent for a range of hydraulic and general engineering equipment and materials, and dynamite. His home, "Gladstone", reputed to have been the first burnt brick dwelling in town, was situated off what would become Hull Street. At the end of 1893 Hull retired and leased the farm Riet Pan from De Beers, and went into dairy production. The family lived there until his death in 1916, when they moved to 22 Elsmere Road, in Belgravia, a block away from where they resided during the Siege.

David Morris, January 2000
******

The Lodge
Kimberley
28 Feb 1900

My dear Sophy(1)

As soon as communication opened(2) I wrote to Gertrude(3) and the Tyger Hoeks.(4)Gertrude would let you, as well as the others(5) know that we were all right, but I know that you would like to hear from me direct with a few details of our experiences of a siege.

We have all been exceptionally well during the five months, this being a particularly healthy part of the town - in fact you may call it suburban.(6) I don't remember if the Currey's house was built when you were here. It stands on the high ground halfway between Kimberley and Beaconsfield. Jolly nice quarters for us, well furnished and all, but we quite had our share of the shelling as our abode is in close proximity to the Sanatorium(7) where Rhodes lives and I need not tell you that they showed the greatest attention to that building, which however remains untouched as does this, though all the big houses in our neighbourhood have marks of the 100 lb shells.(8)The Kimberley Light and Diamond Fields Horse are camped within a stones throw of us and no less than five shells fell and burst in that camp within an hour doing not the slightest damage.(9) A large piece of schrapnel (sic) casing however flew over into the rear of our building not many yards from where Netty(10) was standing looking at our cart being spanned in and she and Johnny(11) secured the trophy, it weighs with its contents 45 lb, a murderous looking mass. On that same afternoon Mrs R. Solomon and her baby were killed and two men down town, and several buildings badly damaged.(12) The thing was becoming very serious and the women & children all scooted into the mines for safety(13) barring a few who had good splinter proof undergrounds. We trusted to Providence & remained above ground but whilst the shelling went on, kept the nurses & children(14) on the lee side of the house where there was some chance of safety as the 100 pounder would have to penetrate seven walls to reach them - though I believe nothing would stop such a big shell. Anyway here we are over it all and in fairly good condition, gee gee diet notwithstanding. It was a splendid piece of good luck Rhodes being here though I believe he purposely came to Kimberley to see us through. He has been the saving of the place during the siege. The military may be all very well in their line, but utterly unbusinesslike. Rhodes' first suggestion to them was to fix price of provisions and prevent dealers charging famine prices then to prevent anarchy among the out-of-work natives and [? .... ] population he started extensive street works &c at his own expense. All the De Beers Company employees have had full pay during the siege, though no work was doing, all of them being in the Town Guard. He started the soup racket and a great boon it was to the entire community, the vegetables being all supplied from the Kenilworth gardens. He distributed fruit from the above to the military as well as the various forts all round the town, fifteen miles circumference, mind you. Fortunately the orchards and vines bore splendidly this season & produced tons upon tons of peaches and grapes. Finding that Cronje & Co were holding out at Paardeberg longer than was expected, Rhodes sent out fifty De Beers wagons with mule teams loaded with forage & provisions (this only three days ago). He rides all over the country seeing to everybody's comfort. On Saturday last he found the Australians and New Zealanders camped on a wretched flat without tents or blankets - this was a contingent of French's relief column who had to stay here because their horses were knocked up on the forced march - Rhodes immediately sent them all down to Kenilworth where there are a lot of vacant houses and put all their horses into the big stables.

And this is the man a lot of misguided people would like to make mince meat of. Nothing would make me believe that the military who have been with us through the siege (I mean of course the Officers) could be so small minded as they have since proved to be. Of course you know that when our pop gun ammunition began to run short, poor Labram who was killed by a shell, undertook to make shells and was laughed at and poopood. He made them, though, and not a failure among the lot. But the military outburst when he proposed to make a 4 inch gun was something to be remembered. He made it though and the 28 lb shells to match and a perfect success it has proved, and a lasting memorial to poor George Labram. O if it had only been a failure how delighted the other chaps would have been. I could not have believed in such pettiness until it was brought home to me. What great exceptions Lord Roberts and Gen French are. Didn't French go for the Col of the Lancs when he arrived for his not [asking more?] than he did with a man of Rhodes' calibre. We hear that Kitchener has hemmed in another lot (5000) boers not far from where Roberts copped the 3000. I hope it is true. These successes on our border will probably bring the war to a close in another month or two.

We are still being rationed, but another week will see free trade again. We kept Olive's birthday(15) on 19th last and had gee gee soup and lard oil cookies.

I was glad to hear from Johanna(16) who was the first to write that you were all alive and well. The Tyger Hoeks(17) write that their uncle Tom Peter(18) died in November. Vancouver was his habitat (over 80 years). Also old Mrs Thomas the old gardener's wife.(19)

I hope we shall see Tom and Billy up here. Perhaps George too may find his way here. Eddie too is among the fighters. More power to all four of them.(20)

We, the Buffs, are disbanded tonight after nearly five months of twice a day roll call and sentry go, now and again only for me. No glory though the beggars would not attempt to storm.

With our united love to you all.

Ever yours affectionately

G.H. Hull


Notes
1. Sophia Bourhill Carson, nee Hull, was George Hull's youngest sibling.
2. The relief column entered Kimberley at about 17:00 on 15 February 1900, ending the 124-day siege, which had begun with the cutting of telegraph lines out of the town on the night of 14 October 1899.
3. Gertrude Hull, George's elder sister.
4. Sisters-in-law of George Henry Hull, Frances and Edith Susan Vigne, on the farm Tyger Hoek, Caledon.
5. In addition to Gertrude Hull and Sophy, there resided in Cape Town his sister Janet Spengler, his sister-in-law Johanna Hull (nee Richards, a first cousin of Sir J.H. Brand, late President of the Orange Free State), and nephews and nieces including members of the Hull, Bourhill, Brooke, McIntyre and Morris families.
6. The Lodge, built for J.B. Currey, was then on the outskirts of Belgravia.
7. The Sanatorium was built in 1897. Rhodes occupied rooms there during the Siege.
8. The Boer gun "Long Tom" began firing shells into Kimberley on 7 February 1900. In Belgravia both Rudd House and Dunluce sustained direct hits.
9. 12 February 1900
10. Henrietta Mary Hull, nee Vigne, wife of George Henry Hull.
11. John Peter, Mrs Hull's uncle's son.
12. 9 February 1900. It was also that evening that George Labram was killed when Long Tom scored a direct hit on the Grand Hotel.
13. On 11 February 1900 nearly 3000 people, mainly women and children, were lowered to safety in Kimberley and De Beers Mines.
14. The Hulls' only surviving child, Edith Susan Vigne Hull, had married Kenneth Grant McIntyre in 1895, and they had daughters Mavis and Olive McIntyre.
15. Olive McIntyre, writer's granddaughter, born 19 Feb 1899.
16. Hull's sister-in-law, married to Thomas Sparke Hull. She was a first cousin of the late President of the Orange Free State, Sir J.H. Brand.
17. The Misses Vigne.
18. Maternal uncle of Mrs Henrietta Hull.
19. John Thomas accompanied the Vigne family when they emigrated from London in 1844.
20. All nephews of the writer, sons of Thomas Sparke and Johanna Hull.