Durnford's watch.

Durnford's watch.

Greetings all. Have noted on Saleroom. com, Forum Auctions, Dr. James Thrupp's original copy of "The New Dance of Death." Although a novel, it has an account of Isandlwana and the Doctors recollection of the actual events as he saw them and his description of the body of Durnford.
Get your wallets out...£6,00-£8,00.

This from the saleroom.

Africa.- Issandlwana and aftermath (Durnford's Watch).- [Thrupp (James Godfrey, surgeon, member of the Royal College of Surgeons, author, served as civil surgeon with the 1-24th Regiment during the Zulu War in South Africa 1879, 1849-1913), "J.G. Lefebre" & A. Egmont Hake. The New Dance of Death, 3 vol., first edition, J.G. Thrupp's copy with his original signed pencil annotations on the piece in vol. II concerning the battle of Issandlwana and its aftermath, ink inscription torn away from corner of each title, vol. I lower free endpaper corner torn away, some other small tears, browned, original decorated cloth, worn, vol. I covers detached, lacks spine, vol. III lower cover loose, vol. II & III spines working loose, 8vo, 1884.

⁂ James Godfrey Thrupp was a surgeon at St. Thomas's Hospital in London and became for a short time, Civil Surgeon during the Zulu Wars in South Africa. Due to the illness of a colleague he was too late to attend the battle at Issandlwana but arrived shortly afterwards and was responsible for removing Colonel Durnford's pocket watch after the battle. Later, Thrupp under the pseudonym of J.G. Lefebre (his mother's maiden name) collaborated with Alfred Egmont Hake in writing The New Dance of Death, a novel, but with an account of the battle of Issandlwana (and Rorke's Drift) and Thrupp's recollection of the actual events as he saw them after the battle and with his notes identifying fictitious and accurate parts of the text. Durnford's Watch. "...Beaumont walked on slowly until he was arrested by ['finding' substituted for 'recognising' by the author] the body of an officer who had held a high command. It lay head downwards, and was only partially stripped; a mess waistcoat, and the shirt beneath it, had been torn open, and hanging from a slender chain, fixed into a button-hole, was a small gold watch and bunch of charms. The expression of the face was peaceful, and the corpse apparently disfigured by only one long deep wound. Beaumont knelt down and removed the watch and chain, then taking up one of the cold stiffened hands shook it warmly, murmuring: 'Good-bye, dear old friend, you've done your best, and died hard, I know. I feel I could almost gladly change places with you.' This man had been a brave soldier, a good example and kind friend to all the men under him. The watch had been stopped by blood trickling into the works, and the hands pointed to a quarter to three." - Thrupp. A New Dance of Death, 1884.

Some modern copies on abe. xhosa

Fascinating ! this was one of the topics that always interested me trying to read Thrupps account of how he found the watch.