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Date	Original Topic
13th December 2003	John Zulu By sandy John Zulu one time leader of the Edendale's, Natal Native Horse, biography off anyone please, ie, date of birth, record of service,ect.
Date	Replies
18th December 2003	A.Burke sorry,if this has been dealt with before, or is this question to time consuming,is there a book i could read to find him myself.
19th December 2003	John Young Prior to his umtimely death earlier this year, John Radburn was endeavouring to complete biographic details of men who served in the Anglo-Zulu War. Under the entry for John Zulu he has the following: 'Source Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository: John Zulu Mtinkulu, leader of the Edendale Troop complains that he has not received a uniform, also that the medal he received for the Zulu War does not give his designation as Chief of the troop asks that these matters may be put right.' Try www.national.archives.gov.za/ for possible further information. According to John's records John Zulu served in the Natal Native Horse, and Captain Shepstone's Native Horse, and received a campaign medal which gave his rank as 'Trooper'. For some background information on the Edendale men see 'The Zulu War & the Colony of Natal', in the chapter headed 'They Fought for the Great White Queen'. Also see 'The Natal Native Contingent in the Anglo-Zulu War 1879', by P.S. Thompson. Hope this is of some use. John Y.
19th December 2003	A.Burke thanks john that was very interesting and informative,are the books you mentioned still available in reprint,nice to see you gave an old comrade a mention.sandy
21st December 2003	Peter Ewart Sandy Further biographical info (non military) includes his fraternal kinship with Langalibalele. His Hlubi descent apparently enabled him to arrange marriages of female relatives of Langalibalele (after the Bushman's River affair) to suitable Christian men. John Zulu/Mtinkulu was, of course, a Methodist. Don't know his birthplace (nor age) but before the Edendale period many of these Hlubi had lived for a few years up in New Scotland (in Swaziland) and, before that, at Mpharane in what became the Orange Free State (near modern Ficksburg) where they had eventually drifted to after flight from Shaka. When their Methodist pastor, James Allison, whom they had followed since the 1830s, moved again from Swaziland to Natal, many of his adherents followed him in their thousands. As more than one authority traces John Zulu/Mtinkulu to Mpharane, I take it he also lived for a period up in Swaziland, before moving to Edendale. It seems likely that many of the Edendale Horse of 1879 were second or third generation Methodists. John, I think we may also have another cricketer here. The Edendale mission was a bit of a cricketing centre, certainly by John Zulu/Mtinkulu's time and probably before that. They played fixtures against sides as far away as New Scotland and, included in their batting line-up, were a Mtimkulu (sic - don't know if John Zulu) a Msimang (preaching family and later ANC activists) and a Khumalo (a John Khumalo assisted Rev George Smith at Estcourt, though was probably someone else as he was an Anglican). A Don Mtinkulu/Mtimkulu apparently introduced cricket at Adams College, nr Durban around 1930. Don't know his connection (if any) with John Zulu but I would think someone does. Earlier than all this, Colenso had them playing cricket at Ekukanyeni in the mid-50s. Given that this set-up was shortlived and very small in numbers, we must presume this includes Sikotha, Sikhunga & Mkhungu, Cetshwayo's half-brothers, although the last of those three might have been limited to spectating, given that he was a lot larger than, say, Colin Milburn. Colenso visited Mpande, showing him Mkhungu's handwriting and appraising the King of his sons' activities in Natal, reducing him to tears (I'm sure this was at the thought of his absent sons rather than the latest score) but it seems perfectly feasible that Mpande & Cetshwayo learned of the game without leaving Zululand (although didn't Cetshwayo visit PMB as a youngster?) but I won't go down that road again! (It DOES seem, however, that scions of the Royal House were playing the game a quarter of a century before Isandlwana and before some of the officers of 1879 were even born. Could the single errant batting pad have been marked "Usuthu CC" I wonder? The above is culled from a variety of published sources, which I'll share with anyone interested. Peter