Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana

Posts : 3458 Join date : 2021-01-04

They are often mentioned when RD is discussed.
However does anyone have any ideas how many biscuit boxes would have been present at iSandlwana?
Would they have been on the wagons or piled up by the tents?
Sime you might know with your previous experience.
Kate

Subject: Re: Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana Fri Nov 10, 2023 2:20 pm

Sorry Kate, my knowledge of biscuits doesn't quite stretch that far

The amount of supplies at Isandlwana was something I thought about a while ago to try to work out how long Lord C intended to be on the go for and did he intend to use supply camps along his route and more importantly did it tie in with the possible order sent to HBP to pack up/send out the 2nd Battalion kit and fortify the camp but I largely drew a blank.

I suspect they would have mainly been on wagons with some near at hand for immediate use but that's just conjecture

Subject: Re: Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana Fri Nov 10, 2023 4:26 pm

I would estimate 63 for a 2-week supply for both battalions.

Subject: Re: Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana Fri Nov 10, 2023 4:37 pm

I assume, that estimate is based on the weight of each box and the daily ration per person etc.

Any ideas how many biscuit boxes would fit on a wagon....?

Thanks a lot

Subject: Re: Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana Fri Nov 10, 2023 5:33 pm

Hi Kate

I would assume they would have been kept on the wagon, as I don't believe the intention would be to stay to long.

Posts : 3458 Join date : 2021-01-04

You are right Sime most of the 63 that Julian has suggested were probably left on the wagons as they are cumbersome and bloomin heavy. I've seen a few in various museums.

Does anyone know how many biscuits there were in a box?
It probably varied especially as if like our biscuit barrel the bottom was probably full of scranchins.

I'm wondering how many would have been needed to feed the troops after their arrival and therefore would have been on the ground.
I have an image in my head of small desperate groups of survivors huddled round piles of supplies using them as basic cover.
Didn't someone say, commenting on their toughness, a British army biscuit would stop anything.
Be good for dunkin' though as they would never collapse into a sludgy goo in the bottom of your brew.
Kate Very Happy

Subject: Re: Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana Sat Nov 11, 2023 8:44 am

Many years ago, probably in the 1990s the company I used to work for made MAF biscuits (it may have been been MAFF - it was before my time, I was still 'archaeologing' at thst time) for the MOD.

Wrapped and sealed in tins probably still stuck iin stores ready to be unleashed on the enemy.

I suspect that anything that would provide a bit of protection for (or an obstruction to) one's butt would have been 'defended'

Never heard of scranchins.....I can quess what they are but its a nice word.

Posts : 3458 Join date : 2021-01-04

Sorry Sime slipped into Geordie speak there.
Scranchins are the broken bits of anything left in the bottom.
So when we used to get newspaper cones of chips (remember those) the lass behind the counter would put some scranchins in which were the crunchy bits of old chips and batter coated in fat.
Or in this case bits of broken biscuits.
Pub dwelllers also used the word for pork scratchings but in our house it just meant the broken bits of something in the bottom of something.
Kate

Subject: Re: Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana Sat Nov 11, 2023 9:24 am

Funny enough a mate of mine bought me back some stotties last week, when I was a kid I used to live in NoT for a few short months and picked up a bit of a stottie habit.

My memory increased their size....its either that have shrunk in the intervening 40 odd years.

We just used to call the batter bits -"bits" if we were skint and fancied some, they would just give you them in our local chippie.

Where I used to live was a scratching making factory - when the wind was in the direction, you could smell them cooking. In Uttoxeter we have a biscuit factory and a crisp one....so (with my blood hound type nose) I can tell what biscuits are being baked or what flavour crisps are bring fried (depending on the wind)

Subject: Re: Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana Sat Nov 11, 2023 9:45 am

What a talent! Crumbs!

Posts : 3458 Join date : 2021-01-04

Ooh stotties.
There was a little cafe on the Westgate Road that used to do breakfast stotties which had a bit of everything and after a cold ride would really hit the spot.
Real stotties are made with the olive oil of the north (lard)

Greggs still do Stotties I think but the last time I had one from there it did appear smaller.
Or is that just the wagon wheel effect.

With the smell of biscuits and crisps every day how do you control your snacking?
It must be hell every time you have a brew controlling the urge to reach for the biscuit barrel.

Subject: Re: Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana Sat Nov 11, 2023 9:51 am

Julian Whybra wrote:: What a talent! Crumbs!

Noses run in my family....as well as legs

My kids could tell what 'Line' (plant) I had been working on that day, depending on the particular biscuit smell on me when I got home.

Subject: Re: Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana Sat Nov 11, 2023 9:54 am

Kate

I have an iron like resolve and superb discipline....plus I can never beat the kids to the crisp tub or snack drawer.

I don't eat a lot of biscuits....well - not now I have to pay for them... .

Subject: Re: Biscuit boxes at iSandlwana Sat Nov 11, 2023 12:53 pm

There is a thread on this forum, that says the gross weight of a biscuit box was 50kgs.

Brecon museum (reproduction) examples are - 21" tall, 16.5" square

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