A handbook to the Victoria Falls

Mosi-oa-Tunya: A Handbook to the Victoria Falls Region Edited by D.W. Phillipson - Longman, Rhodesia, 1975

Nice mix of information on Livingstone area, including some history and wildlife. Here is the information of genealogical interest. Some nice old photos of Old Drift / Livingstone / Railway bridge.

1851, LIVINGSTONE and William Cotton OSWELL were in the area, but did not visit.

Notes that W.D. Cooley's map of 1852 already shows the falls in about the right place.

1857 LIVINGSTONE visits what is today known as Livingstone Island, but it is suggested that the "tree bearing indecipherable marks commonly thought to be the initials carved by the missionary cannot be the original".

William BALDWIN is the next European to visit the falls on 2 August 1860. Livingstone arrives 9th August with his brother Charles and Dr John Kirk. David and Charles remain to make a more detailed observation of the falls.

1862 James CHAPMAN and Thomas BAINES, Edward BARRY

1871 George WESTBEECH, English trader

1875 Emil HOLUB, followed by Francois COILLARD

1880 Jesuit mission at Mwemba's

1889 Harry WARE - South African mining syndicate - obtains concession from Lewanika, later bought by Cecil Rhodes for the BSA

1890 Frank LOCHNER (Lealui) concession

1890 Caprivi strip established to give German South-West Africa access to the Zambezi

1897 Robert CORYNDON (British) dispatched to Lealui; territory north of Zambezi becomes known as Northwestern Rhodesia, new concession 1900

1898 more settlers and traders arrive, BSA administrative post 'Victoria Falls station' is 5km above the falls.

1901 Administration moves offices to present site of Livingstone to avoid fever; plans to move town are not far behind

1903 there are 68 Europeans - including 17 women and 6 children

1905 Bridge officialy opened by Prof George DARWIN, old drift falls into disuse,
IMBAULT bridge engineer

1907 Livingstone is the capital of Northwestern Rhodesia (remains so until 1935)

1911 territory amalgamated with Northeastern Rhodesia (capital Chipata), population has reached 2000

BARAGWANATH, Orland, prospector, 1911 (BSA) find copper in Kafue Hook area
CHAPMAN, nurse with Wilson, 1902
CLARK, Percy M. lives at Old Drift but moves to south bank near present hotel, 1903, V. CLARK his son continues business
CLARKE, F.J. 'Mopane', has taken up residence in 1898
CODRINGTON, Robert has a motor bike, 1908
COISSON, Rev Giovanni Daniele Augusto and wife (Italian missionaries at Old Drift, 9km above falls). "For almost two years, Mrs Coisson was the only European woman in the settlement", 1898
FINDLAY, chemist 1902
FOLEY, (Constable) W.T.B.G. (Irish) - tombstone at Sijoba in Gwembe Valley, flooded by Lake Kariba (William Thompson Barron Galway are his names), 1902
GUTHRIE, chemist 1902
GIESE's ferry, map p.96
GRAETZ, Paul, drives a car into town, the first for many years, 1908
GREY, George, prospector, 1911
HUNT, B.L, works for government, 1906
KASAA, Petrose, Lesotho-trained, Lozi evangelist establishes a school at the Old Drift, 1898
LEWIS, Frank, prospector, 1911
MILLS, Fred, hotel, 1902, 1907 there are two hotels, one owned by Fred MILLS;
MOORE, Leopold arrives 1904 (from Bulwayo 1898, from Mafeking) nice photo of Moore's chemists...1906 Livingstone Mail - Moore's rival paper
PAULING, George railway contractor, 1904
POWELL, Miss Gladys opens private kindergarten, 1906
RANGELEY, Henry, appoined magistrate NW Rhodesia administration, comes once a month to the Old Drift, 1902
SOUTHURST, chemist, 1902
STONES,Rev T. 1904 Methodist missionary, leaves 8 months later due to ill health
SUSMAN, Harry and Elie from Lithuania,
SWEETLOVE, map, p.96
TRAYNER, William (employee of Mopane Clarke) establishes newspaper; 1904
TULLOCH, Mr and Mrs, attempt fruit growing, 1902
WHITE, J.W.B. visiting hunter, 1904
WILSON, Dr J.N. clinic, 1902
ZEEDERBERG, Doel,1898, coach service

References

'Autobiography of an Old Drifter' (see elsewhere on this blog'),

RANGELEY's memoirs (Northern Rhodesia Journal, 1965)

TRAYNER's memoirs (NRJ 1964),

WATT unpublished MS at Livingstone Musuem

Northern Rhodesia Journal (1950-1965) is recommended as a good source for those wanting to find out more