A Painful Journey and More

Charles Wilson and his wife, Mabel Sarah had a small diamond claim in Klipdam when the Anglo-Boer War commenced in October 1899. The area was occupied by Boer Army soon after and eventually in December 1899, the family was forced to leave everything behind and move to The British Army controlled area south of the Modder River or face internment. Hours after the family left their home, tragedy struck. This is a true story about a woman who is forced to travel from her home, near Barkly West and north of Kimberley, with five young children two months after the outbreak of the Boer War. She undertakes a journey of 1000 kilometres partly through a war torn country and mostly semi desert area of South Africa in the heat of summer to reach the safety of Cape Town. This story covers the background to Mabel Sarah’s family and relatives from the time her grandfather arrived in South Africa. The story includes various journeys her parents undertook while she was growing up, her marriage and events leading up to the time she was forced to leave Klipdam.