Cradock Kloof Convict Station

[Deb$]

Hi everyone:

I'm new here! Looking for any information on Cradock Kloof Convict Station in South Africa, in particular, the constables who were employed there. Do you know if they were actually military personnel or were they hired from the citizenry to be constables? Trying to track down an elusive relative.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[pampoen]

Cradock is a place in the Cape Province. Kloof station is just outside Durban in Natal. Check on Google Maps.

[ShaunJ]

It's the Cradock's Kloof pass north of George in the Western Cape. Road building there was carried about by convict labour.

Have you searched for your relative's name on NAAIRS?

[Deb$]

Yes, I have, but no luck. That may be due to the number of ways that his name has been spelled though - sometimes McBain, McBean, McBane, MacBean. I'm going to have another look. I did find some interesting old books and reports on Archive.org, though none specifically related to this relative.

I'm thinking that the men they hired as constables may have been former military, but I've looked through the military records on ancestry and findmypast and I haven't been able to find anything yet. My Great Uncle left a brief family tree (though not completely accurate - some dates and spellings are incorrect) where he says he believes he was from Eatonborough Scotland.

Thanks for the tip,

[vangasser]

Hello, I remember there was a Mr. Bain in the South African Police Band, in Pretoria. He was one of the percussionist team. Three beats Mr. Bain. It might just be possible that the Mac or Mc ma have been left out of the surname. Just a thought. Thank you, Ed.

[Rena]

With reference to your mentioning "military".

I was wondering whether you knew of the Cape Colony volunteer units.

http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol014jh.html

[Deb$]

Thanks so much, I'll have a look there.

[Skoosh]

Edinburgh?

Skoosh.

[Deb$]

First of all  thank you Ed! I missed your comment. I'll have a look at the Bains as well.


Skoosh, I questioned the Eatonborough myself, but I'll give Edinburgh a try - it may very well be the answer. I couldn't find many references to an Eatonborough in Scotland, I thought perhaps it might be a reference to Eaton. My great uncle was elderly when he wrote is memoir. He was fairly close, but not totally accurate. Names and dates were slightly off.

Thanks to everyone here for taking the time to help.