A note on Captain Norris Edward Davey, Natal Volunteer Staff.

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Norris Davey was born in Romford, Essex, in August 1848, the son of a prominent doctor, Norris Fasham Davey and was one of ten children. According to family tradition, he started on a career as a doctor, like his father, and began his studies in medicine. However, for some reason -  suggested as a family dispute - he abandoned those studies shortly before taking his final exams and took himself off to South Africa, arriving in Cape Town in 1868 and leaving for ‘Port Natal’ on 19 June aboard the Natal Star.

Since there were so few medically-trained people in the colony - and little professional regulation - it seems that Davey was able to practise as a doctor, even without full qualifications, and built up a decent business in Natal, based at Umzinto, south-west of Durban. Soon afterwards, on 1 March 1871, he is listed as being licensed to practise as a Chemist and Druggist in Natal.

His life was soon to take a very different turn. Davey is recorded as being commissioned as Lieutenant in the Alexandra Mounted Rifles (AMR) on 21st July or 2nd October 1873 (dates within the AMR records vary).

Shortly afterwards, in November 1873, at St. Patrick’s, Umzinto he married Susan Arbuthnot of Umzinto, part of an established family of British settlers in Natal, and is recorded as a 'planter', living in Ikwifa. He may well have had something to do with the sugar plantations round Umzinto but further research is needed - he was certainly not claiming himself to be a medical professional, chemist or druggist, though he is known to have remained in some sort of medical practice at least late into 1875.

There was also a Lewis Davey in the AMR - not known/found to be a relative. This resulted in the fascinating situation where no less than six members of the same family were serving in the same small unit - Norris Davey and his five relatives in the Arbuthnot family. This must be something of a record! All served in the Anglo-Zulu War and received the medal and 1879 clasp.

Things developed quickly in terms of Davey's new(ish) military career. In January 1874 he was appointed Drill Instructor to (all) the Natal Volunteers (resigning from the AMR as a result) and on 17 Aug 1877 appointed Captain and Adjutant, and additionally as Staff Clerk on 7 February 1878 - i.e. he served as part of an over-arching administrative structure covering all the various Natal volunteer units rather than serving in one regiment.These appointments were on the personal recommendation of Major John Dartnell, commanding the Natal Mounted Police and Inspector of Volunteers. Various Army Lists and Colonial Lists show Norris Davey as the only Staff Officer under ‘Natal’ or ‘Natal Volunteers’ apart from Major Dartnell as Commandant.

Over the next few years, Davey appears with great regularity in the pages of the Natal papers, like the Natal Mercury. He is frequently mentioned as an inspector and/or drill instructor - and apparently had a ‘harsh but fair’ reputation, known for sparing no efforts (or his men’s feelings) in putting them through their paces and earning the nick-name ‘the beast’. His presence as Inspector is also recorded at the regular Volunteer camps of the various mounted units in the colony, or in shooting and sports’ competitions or at social functions. He seems to have been popular and well-regarded. It would be interesting to know where - with his very different background - he learned the skills to qualify him as an expert drill instructor for mounted troops, which he certainly seemed to be.

In January 1879, Davey was one of the Natal Volunteers who accompanied Lord Chelmsford’s column into Zululand. He may have attached himself to the Natal Mounted Police or Natal Carbineers, but there is no clear evidence of this. At any rate, on 21 January he was part of Major Dartnell’s force which reconnoitred eastwards towards the Mangeni Falls area and the Phindo Hills and was out skirmishing that day.

As is well-known, Dartnell encountered large parties of Zulus in the hills and decided, contrary to his orders, not to return to camp at Isandlwana that night but to remain out overnight, along with Captain Lonsdale’s Natal Native Contingent, and to renew the scouting and/or contact next day. Over the course of the afternoon and evening, it is known that Dartnell sent back to the camp three messengers. The following sequence has been suggested and much of this is based on Major Francis Clery's report in February 1879 [WO32 7726, National Archives, Kew]:

1. Message via Major Gosset in the afternoon; to inform the General that Dartnell had encountered significant numbers of Zulus and was going to bivouac overnight before continuing in action against them next day; he also requested food to be sent out, since his men carried no blankets or rations, as they had expected to be back in camp that night. Some rations - clearly insufficient - were sent to Dartnell with Lt. Henry Walsh, along with permission granted to remain out.

2. A message via Captain Davey, who left in the dark, asking for further clarification since Dartnell was clearly in doubt about his power to act - i.e. was Dartnell, who was by now aware of the greater size of the Zulu forces opposing him, actually at liberty to attack the Zulus based on his own assessment of the situation? Or should he withdraw? Or wait for reinforcements?

3. A note brought by Lt. Walsh (who was clearly having a busy time!) from Dartnell in reply to Chelmsford's permission, but asking that reinforcements in the form of three companies of the 24th be sent to strengthen his force. It may have been this message which determined Lord Chelmsford to take out a strong force in person and join Dartnell on the 22nd to confront what he may have considered to be the main Zulu army heading for Isandlwana.

At any rate, Davey came into Isandlwana camp late at night having ridden in the dark after an already tiring day. According to Major Clery's report, at about 9 o'clock p.m. on the night of the 21st, Major Gosset came to Colonel Glyn's tent to say that ‘Lt. Davy’ [sc. Capt. Davey] had brought in information that led Chelmsford to fear that Dartnell was under the impression that he was not at liberty to attack the enemy in the morning without further instructions and that the General therefore wished that ‘Lt. Davy’ would be found and directed to start as early as possible in the morning to inform Major Dartnell that he was indeed at liberty to act on his own judgment as to whether he should engage/attack or not.

By the same account, Davey had been told by Clery on arrival to return to his tent and get some sleep - which he presumably didn’t need telling twice after a long day and a night ride. However, later that night or very early in the morning, Clery states that he sought out Davey - apparently having some trouble locating him among the mass of tents - and asked him to return to Dartnell with Lord Chelsmford’s response; it was an understandable choice - Davey would know better than some random dispatch rider where to find Dartnell. Davey then rode out of the camp and reported to Dartnell.

Next day, 22 January, as Dartnell and his combined command continued their scouting and skirmishing in the hills and Lord Chelmsford marched out of camp to join them, Davey is recorded as being out on patrol with Major J. C. Russell towards Siphezi and was one of two officers (the other being the ubiquitous Lieut. Walsh) sent by Russell separately to inform Lord Chelmsford, who by then had arrived with his reinforcements, that he (Russell) had received reports that large numbers of Zulus had been seen attacking the camp.

What happened to Davey next is not well recorded. He would have returned to the devastated camp with Chelmsford's column, spending an unpleasant night on the battlefield and returned with the column to Rorke's Drift early next day (23rd Jan.). It was a great relief to find that the garrison had fended off the Zulu attacks (especially as they had seen the light of the burning hospital in the distance during the night) but hugely disappointing to find that there were no large numbers of survivors from Isandlwana; but the nightmare of a Zulu descent into Natal, with all that that implied, had not happened. Davey then proceeded to the nearby depot at Helpmekaar, where his early presence is recorded.  

Remarkably, there survives a note from Captain Davey to his wife Susan, written at Rorke’s Drift on 23rd January. It is roughly scrawled in pencil on a small scrap of paper - it is well-known that paper and writing materials were very hard to find.

"Rorke's Drift
Jany 24th

[added] Jack [?] was in the camp & lost as ... all except what I have on my back.
Howarth [?] all right.

Dear Susan,
We have had a sad reverse as you may have heard & lost many men who were left in the camp while we were out. The Zulus took the camp yesterday afternoon & we found all in confusion when we got there in the evening & they had left. We got safely across into Natal this morning. All who you know are safe. Ever... NED"

The note is dated 24th January but presumably was written on the 23rd , since he refers to the attack ‘yesterday afternoon’. Perhaps he was simply confusing dates (hardly surprisingly) or he actually sent the note on the 24th having written it the day before.

After Isandlwana, Davey is reported at Helpmekaar in the immediate aftermath of the disaster but what he did throughout the rest of the war is unresearched. He is known to have been involved in the summer of 1879 in the administration of the compensation claims for colonial volunteers who survived or were killed at Isandlwana and in the assembling and training of new recruits for the Natal volunteers at Pietermaritzburg and Durban - understandably enough, given his background and position - and it might reasonably be expected that this was his job for the rest of the war, without re-entering Zululand. He does not seem, for example, to have gone out under Lord Chelmsford with the newly-raised Natal Volunteer Guides, though he may well have had something to do with their organisation and training, given his position in the volunteer service..

On the medal roll for the 1879 campaign, Captain Norris Davey has an entry to himself, listed as Adjutant, Natal Volunteer Force under the heading ‘Natal Volunteer Force/Volunteer Staff’.

After the war, Davey remained as Captain and Adjutant of the Natal Volunteers and resumed his round of inspections, drills and training over the next ten years. He died rather unexpectedly of ‘inflammation of the lungs’ in July 1889 in Pietermartizburg at the age of 40 and the local newspapers were filled with obituaries regretting his death and commending his character, not the least from Major Dartnell. As an example, a long and detailed obituary was published in Pietermaritzburg, showing his funeral attended by an impressive range of military units, the ‘great and good’ of Pietermaritzburg society, both military and civil, and with rows of spectators lining the route:

“DEATH OF CAPTAIN DAVEY:

Captain Davey, Staff Officer of Volunteers, died at his residence on the Town Lands on Tuesday afternoon, after a short but painful illness, resulting from the effects of a cold contracted about a week ago.

Deceased has resided in the Colony for a great many years, and since 1874 has held various appointments in connection with the volunteers, and when the new Volunteer Law was passed, on the recommendation of the Commandant, Colonel Dartnell, he was appointed Staff Officer and Adjutant, which appointment carried with it the rank of Captain.

He was of a very retiring disposition, and it was only in connection with his position in the volunteer force that he was known to the public.  He was a strict disciplinarian, as many a young officer at the encampment found out to his cost; but while being somewhat hard on the men one could not but help admiring the wonderful energy and splendid abilities of the man, for it is mainly due to the untiring efforts and zeal of the deceased that the volunteer force is in such a state as it is at the present moment. Deceased leaves behind him a widow and five children to mourn his loss.   

Deceased was buried with full military honours yesterday afternoon. The procession was timed to start from the Brigade Office in West St. at 4 o'clock, but it was fully half an hour after that time before the gun carriage bearing the remains, which had been escorted in from deceased's residence on the Town Lands by a party of Dragoons, appeared in sight. The cortege was then formed up in the following order:

Band of the 6th Dragoons, Band of the 64th Regiment, Firing Party of Natal Carbineers, gun carriage bearing the remains, deceased's charger, officers of the Natal Carbineers, Natal Royal Rifles and Natal Mounted Police, Natal Royal Rifles and representatives of the various branches of the Military Service, including Commissariat and Ordnance Corps, 64th, Artillery and Dragoons, while the rear was brought up by a number of private mourners, including Colonel Hime, Dr Sutherland and Mr J.F.E. Barnes.

The coffin, which was enveloped in a Union Jack, was literally embedded in a sea of floral tributes, and on either side of the gun carriage walked Major Menne and Captain MacFarlane, N.C. [Natal Carbineers], and Major Matterson and Captain Andrews, Natal Royal Rifles, as pall bearers.

The firing party, which consisted of 20 members of the Natal Carbineers, was under the command of Captain and Adjutant Weighton.

The procession started off to the solemn strains of the Dead March in Saul, played by the band of the Dragoons, and as it wended its way slowly along West Street and up Longmarket Street and over the Camp Hill to the Military Cemetery it formed an imposing spectacle. At the cemetery the remains were received by the Rev. W. Morrison, Military Chaplain, by whom they were committed to their last resting place.

The funeral was watched by a large concourse of people, the route of march being thronged with spectators.”

Davey’s impressive memorial in the old Military Cemetery in Pietermaritzburg still stands, though the iron railings surrounding it were stolen in 2012. Its inscription reads:

“In Memory of Captain Norris E Davey Staff Officer Natal Volunteer Force. Died July 30th 1889, Aged 40 years. This monument is erected by his comrades, the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Volunteer Force by whom he was much respected during a service extending over seventeen years in the Force.”

[my thanks to members of the Davey family and other descendants for some of the biographical information on Captain Davey]

Excellent summary John.