THE DATABASE

Information available

The following information is provided in the database:

• Surname. The spelling of surnames varies greatly and it may be necessary to search under a number of variants. One such example is Coetzee, Coetsee, Coetzer, Coetser, Coetsen. Kotze, Kotzee. Where variant forms are known to exist, they are entered under Other names.
• First names. The same problem exists as above, of variant spellings. In addition, first names may be entered only under initials or they may be abbreviated. Where variant forms are known, they are entered under Other names. In the case of the black camp inmates, it should be noted that the terminology used in the registers is sometimes offensive.
• Title. The use of the title may seem somewhat odd, especially in its English form, but it was introduced for the convenience of the research project. We have retained it on the website since it continues to have some value. Please note that the term 'Master' applies only to boys of 15 years and younger. The term 'Ms' was used when we were not sure whether or not adult women were married.
• Gender. Where known, inmates are entered as male or female. In a few cases women are given male names. This is usually noted under Other names.
• Race. The main reason for retaining this category arose because we wished to identify black camp inmates.
• Nationality. Nationality is rarely given in the registers if the inmates came from the Boer Republics. It is assumed, unless other information is provided, that the inmates were residents of the republic with which the camp administration was associated. British, Russian (Jewish), Dutch, German or other subjects are occasionally listed.
• Civilian occupation. Many registers mention the occupation of the head of household, the great majority being farmers, landowners or bywoners.
• Status. The registers frequently mention the position of the adult males of the family, whether or not they are in the camps. This includes men on commando, prisoners-of-war (pow) and men who had taken the oath of neutrality. Occasionally other information is provided.
• Farm or family. The farm, or district from which inmates came, is almost invariably listed. There are, however, many variants in the spelling of farm names. In some cases families owned more than one farm and there are also many cases, especially with deaths, where inmates are associated with several different farms.
• Births and deaths. Where provided, as much detail as possible is given. The government gazettes usually published the causes of deaths, although diagnoses varied greatly and are not always reliable.
• Camps associated. The information on the camps includes, where available, the dates of arrival and departure, and the age of arrival. In addition, the final destination is also sometimes listed. Camp inmates were transferred regularly from camp to camp, as individuals, as families or in groups. Where possible these movements are traced and included. It should be noted, however, that the information is not always internally consistent. It is likely, as with Pietersburg camp, for instance, that some individuals went to reside in the local town for a time and would later return to the camp. In many cases the husband joined the family after some months, often after he had been taken prisoner and sent to Green Point in Cape Town.
• Sources associated. All the sources associated with an individual entry are listed.

Acknowledgments: The project was funded by the Wellcome Trust, which is not responsible for the contents of the database. The help of the following research assistants is gratefully acknowledged: Ryna Boshoff, Murray Gorman, Janie Grobler, Marelize Grobler, Luke Humby, Clare O’Reilly Jacomina Roose, Elsa Strydom, Mary van Blerk. Thanks also go to Peter Dennis for the design of the original database and to Dr Iain Smith, co-grantholder.