A rare and remarkable pair of diaries written by a British soldier during the Second Boer War are set to go under the hammer in Stonehouse, offering a fascinating first-hand glimpse into one of history’s most significant conflicts.
Kept by Lieutenant Douglas Marriott of Wootton Rectory, Woodstock, Oxford, the diaries provide a fascinating insight into the experiences of a soldier at the turn of the 20th century. Sadly, Marriott fell victim to Enteric – intestinal disease – in March 1901, dying a few weeks later; despite the assumption being that soldiers were usually killed in action, disease was actually the biggest killer of British soldiers during the Boer Wars.
Director of Quire Auctions, Caitlin Riley said: “These diaries offer a remarkable insight into Marriott’s experiences, and reading them gives a personal sense of his time during the war and in the lead up to his untimely demise. Being able to read and tell his story again over 120 years later feels terribly important.
“Marriott describes marching, strikes and military activity, recounting conversations with prominent soldiers and leaders, but a good portion of his diary is filled with descriptions of interactions with locals, the flora, fauna, and African landscape, as well as occasional escapades with comrades. His final entry, dated sometime around the 7th of March 1901, is a simple yet sobering list of the flowers and fruits growing in the garden of the farm he is recuperating at. He died weeks later on the 26th.”
The diaries form part of a small archive, including a letter written about Marriott’s death from one of his comrades, an original portrait photograph of Marriott taken the year prior to his death, and a photograph of the desert.
The archive carries a pre-sale estimate of £400- £600, and will be going under the hammer in Quire Auctions’ Books and Works on Paper auction, finishing on the 5th of August.
