Personal Details Name: Mrs S J [h] van der Merwe Born in camp? No Died in camp? No Gender: female Race: white Marital status: married Nationality: Free State Notes: 29/8/1901: RM Bethulie to Secy ORC Admin: Forwards letter from gaoler re Mrs vdM now confined in Bethulie gaol by order of the military authorities. This prisoner has now been detained in gaol and practically in solitary confinement since early in July, as a dangerous undesirable. Advises that the prisoner be removed to some gaol with proper accommodation for female prisoners. There is no such accommodation here and she has practically to be constantly confined in a cell as she cannot be allowed in the gaol court yard where there are male prisoners. 29/8/1902: Mrs vdM to Secy ORC Admin: Since her husband, SJ vd Merwer is now a POW at Bloemfontein, asks to be shifted to Bloemfontein camp, sincerely giving her word to abide by the rules of the camp. 7/9/1901: Telegram: RM Bethulie to Secy ORC Admin: DS has certified that it is dangerous to prisoner's brain and body to be confined longer under present circumstances. I consider it very advisable that she be removed to some suitable gaol for females. Can you get military authorities to take over prisoner and relieve me from the responsible [sic]. No definite charges has been preferred against prisoner. 10/9/1901: Reply: Provl Inspector of Prisons will arrange for accommodation of Mrs van der Merwe here [Bfn] and you should communicate with him on the subject. Notes on file: 3/9/1901: HFW to DA: Mr Grant told me about this woman when he was here last. She is a regular virago. Should we ask Capt Nelson to provide accommodation for her in the old gaol here? 10/9/1901: Will arrange for the accommodation of Mrs vdM if sent up from Bethulie; at the same time would point out that there is no separate prison accommodation for females either in new or old gaol, the latter being used for both sexes, which is very unsatisfactory. Unique ID: 18249 Sources Title: CO 32A Correspondence files Type: Secretary to the ORC Administration Location: Free State Archives Repository Reference No.: 32A Notes: 3135/01: 29/8/1901: RM Bethulie to Secy ORC Admin and related correspondence

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.