South Africa
1901 - 1903
Lord Milner, Lord High Commissioner of South Africa
appointed JB as a Personal Assistant in 1901
He sailed from Southampton to take up his appointment on
14th September 1901
JB together with three other members of Lord Milner’s staff,
G C Sellar, Hugh Wyndham and Basil Blackwood
set up home in “Wolffs House” in the Parktown
suburb of Johannesburg
After a settling in period during which JB drafted reports for the High Commissioner,
he was given two very different tasks and responsibilities. The first was to improve the
conditions in the “concentration camps” and secondly the business of land settlement
after the end of the Boer War.
These tasks involved a deal of travel throughout Southern Africa
Wolff’s House
The entrance to Wolff’s House
The garden
JB and Hugh Wyndham in the
garden
JB joined GC Sellar, Hugh Wyndham and
Basil Blackwood as tenant’s at Wolff’s House.
Charles, the Groom with “Alan Breck” at Wolff’s House
Hugh Wyndham with “Alan Breck” and “Major”
“Alan Breck” with GC Sellar and C H Ardwell
Hugh Wyndham on “Major”
Lord Milner portrait
Possibly Lord Milner’s Residence
Cape Cart at Wyndhamsdorp
Robert Henry Brand (RHB)
Lord Basil Blackwood - Milner’s
staff - killed in action 1917
The Hon Hugh Wyndham
Lt Leonard Brooke -ADC - later
killed in action 1918
Major the Hon. W Lambton
Military Secretary
Capt Henley ADC
H A Lester
C H Ardwell
E H Neal
F Peter Perry
The stoop of Wolff’s House
Wolff’s House
Lord Milner’s Headquarters
The Land Department
The Market Square, Johannesburg
The Market, Johannesburg
“Wyndhamsdorp”
JB, CHB and Mrs CHB
President Kruger
General Joubert
Portraits from JB’s Photo Album
Klerksdorp - first shop
Klerksdorp - circa late1890s
Three bush scenes near Komatipoort and a Corn field
Peebles, Scottish Borders
These are some of JB’s colleagues and members of Lord Milner’s staff who acquired the
nickname “the Kindergarten” which the members adopted as a badge of pride.
In August 1902, JB set off on a 10 day tour with 2 Cape carts,a spring wagon,
8 mules, 2 riding horses as well as a guide, 2 servants and a cook.
He trekked west from Johannesburg to Klerksdorf, Lichtenberg,
Malmani, Zeerust and Rustenberg ending up in Pretoria
