A pioneer's life in Africa (Savory)

This is a very attractively produced, but brief (40 page) account by  Marylee Banyard of the life of TW Savory, 1861-1948, who spent many years in Zambia. It was published by Moorings Press (Canada and Zambia) in 2008.

One can piece together a part of the Savory family tree, but there is only slight mention of other names. On the other hand, the diaries and some other resources from which this publication are drawn are held by the family at Moorings farm, near Monze, and it seems they would be happy to share those with researchers.

The Savory family is said to be of Hugenot origin, and were of some note in Norfolk, where they owned Twyford Village hall. They are also associated there with the Landy Brown family.

Thomas Savory was born in London, England in 1861. His father, Henry James Savory worked in an import/export business, and Thomas encountered live animals shipped to local zoos, which seem to have made an impression on him. 

He travelled to Durban in 1882 via Cape Town, bringing silkworms with him. Later he spent time in Barberton, Johannesburg and Christiana (Transvaal) on gold, diamond and coal fields.

The Jameson raid precipitated a move to Bulawayo in 1897, but the family returned to Johannesburg some time later, before returning to Bulawayo again in 1907. Later the family were offered the Hartley farm in North Western Rhodesia (Zambia) and in 1914 had moved to the Choma area to manage the Moorings farm.

There are some nice photos...

The second one is of the Railway Pioneer Regiment, No. 1 Mess Troop, Bulawayo, during the Boer War. Thomas is in the centre.

Here are the few names...

Butts, Fred (Monze store owner)

Brown, Alice

Brown, G

Brown, Kate (Norwich)

Brown, Revd James

Baker, W.C. (Durban)

Elliot, Mrs (sister of W.C.Baker, Durban, 1880s)

Fitzgerald, Jim

Hajanza, Johannes Branchis (Tonga, Moorings farm worker)

Landy Brown, Charlotte m. TW Savory

Matthew, Dr (Johannesburg)

Maud, Arthur

Meikle, A.

Moreau, Fr. (Chikuni mission)

"Morris", farm messenger Choma

Murray, Mrs

Parker, Irene m. Lee

Raw, Harriet ("Harrie", "Dona") m. TW Savory 1886, first Raws in Natal

Savory, Catherine (?)

Savory, Harry, brother of TW

Savory, Henry James d.abt 1900, m. Landy Brown, Charlotte

Savory, Lee b.1890 (fought in France) m. Parker

Savory, Mary Molly b.1887 Barberton m. Salmon

Savory, Phyllis b.1901

Savory, Thomas b.1937, d.2008

Savory, Thomas Walter b.1861 m.1886 d.1948

Savory, Tommie d.1917, fought in East Africa, 2nd Rhodesia Regiment 

Savory, William, brother of HJ, William H Savory & Co

Scott, Flora Gladys (Kokstad, Salisbury) x Tommie 1917

Souter, Mr

Stephenson, Colonel