Hello,

I'm trying to find more information regarding the Hampshire family who lived in Northern Rhodesia, near the Old Drift and Livingstone, sometime between 1902 - 1920. They had traveled up from Cape Town through Kimberley.

The father's name may have been Alfred Hampshire and his wife Eva. Alfred apparently owned a butcher shop on the opposite side of Victoria Falls Village and was a friend of Percy M. Clark, author of "An Autobiography of an Old Drifter".

At least four of their sons died young, including one named Harold, and were apparently all buried in a pioneer grave in Livingstone among 10 other people. I'm told this event is mentioned in Clark's book but I do not have a copy so I can't say for certain.

After living some years in Northern Rhodesia they eventually moved back to Cape Town.

Any help you might be able to provide would be greatly appreciated.

I lived in Livingstone 1954,55,56, My father was in the NRP.I can,t directly help you asI have no ecollection of the Hampshire name.I do remember my parents Phillip and Hazel Field were friendly with a family called McKillop.My mother told me that Jock Mckkillop who was in his 80,s then, had come up from the Cape as a teenager and settled is left Freidl aged about 3 yrs. The bodies were taken home and laid on the kitchen table and a policeman waited at the front door to warn Jock when he got home but he went in by the backdoor.Jock then married Aileen and had 2 sons and a daughter, Meriel.The sons farmed in the area. Then I believe the family except for Aileen moved to Southern Rhodesia.Aileen died in Livingstone in the late 70s.I am only telling you all this as the Mckillops were part of Livingstone from very early on.I have no addresses but if you came across their name in your research, they might be able to help you.I went back to Livingstone a few years ago and it is so unchanged I could find my way around easily.Anyway, good luck , let me know if I can help any more. Jane Osborne

Hi

I know your message is many years old regarding this family but I have only recently seen it as I've become interested in tracing my family tree.

I'm not sure if my family fits into this but my maiden name is Hampshire and my father has told me stories of his family in Rhodesia in the early years. They are based in Cape Town now but I think there may be a connection. If you would like to get in touch with my father (Robert Clive Hampshire, born 1937) please contact me and I will give you his contact details.

On my mother's side, her grandfather was one of the early pioneers to Rhodesia with a surname of Wolhuter. I have no immediate details yet but I know my mother has a certificate naming her as the granddaughter of a pioneer.

Anyway, I'm not sure if you're still interested but if so, I would be happy to give you any details I can.

Best Regards

Louise Dykes (nee Hampshire)

Hi Louise,

We are indeed related - your father is my great uncle; I'm a grandson of Gordon Hampshire, "Uncle Al"; my mother is Marianne.

We've already done a fair amount of work on the family tree since I originally post that message in 2008, though we are still no closer to determining what exactly happened in Rhodesia.

Please send me an e-mail at cgsheldon@gmail.com so that I might in turn send you an e-mail invitation to the tree we've been building up.

All the best,
Craig Sheldon

Craig,
Just a suggestion from an "old colonial". Firstly if you google "Northern Rhodesia" there are quite a few sites which might throw up something. Secondly, remember Northern Rhodesia was a "Protectorate" under British rule - Southern Rhodesia was a "Self-Governing Colony" - which means that many official records would have been the responsibility of the Colonial Office (now extinct!) so it might be worth writing to the Library of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and asking what, if any, records exist. Good luck.