Delighted that over the next three weeks, author Robbie Cheadle will be sharing the rest of The York Chocolate story with us, following her recent trip to the UK.. And I will be featuring a different Sir Chocolate Story and Cookbook each week. You can find part two HERE
The York Chocolate Series – Part Three – Chocolate in wartime Second Anglo Boer War 1899 – 1902
In 1899, war broke out for the second time between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics in South Africa. In advance of Christmas 1899, Queen Victoria asked Cadbury, which held a Royal Warrant as suppliers of cocoa and chocolate products, to produce tins of chocolate to send to the British men fighting in South Africa as a gift. This would be the first time during a British war that chocolate, a great comfort food and an excellent source of energy, would be sent to soldiers in large quantities.
This request posed an ethical conundrum for George and Richard Cadbury who were Quakers and pacifists and opposed the war. They did not want to appear to be profiting from a conflict situation, but they did not want to say no to the Queen.
The Cadbury’s formed a temporary alliance with their rivals, Fry’s and Rountree’s, who were also Quakers, whereby they agreed to produce the chocolate in special unbranded tins and donate them free of charge to the war effort. Queen Victoria was not happy with the lack of branding as she wanted the soldiers to know that she was sending them the finest quality British chocolate. It was then agreed that the chocolate itself would be branded but the tins would not.
The above photograph is from an article in the Express on-line news website and features one of these chocolate bars that was found intact. The article is from June 2018 and you can read the full article here: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/984377/Queen-Victoria-chocolate-bar-british-soldiers-Boer-War-sale-auction-south-africa
The chocolate tin containing Queen Victoria’s chocolate gift was ornate. This is a photograph of it from York360.co.uk:
The Second Anglo Boer War degenerated into guerrilla warfare when the Burghers [citizens of the two Boer Republics] refused to accept defeat after the British Empire annexed the two Boer states.
The Burghers implemented a plan to use hit and run guerrilla tactics to cause as much damage as possible to the British administration with great success and the war dragged on, causing the British administration, under Lord Kitchener, to respond with their controversial scorched earth policy. This policy was a military strategy aimed at destroying anything which might be useful to the Boer commandos in the bushveld and devastating the rural population which supported them. The Boer farms were burned to the ground, the livestock killed and the crops burned and the wives and children living on the farms were interned in concentration camps.
A ghost and his gold
I am finalising a novella about the Second Anglo Boer War, told from the perspective on one Afrikaaner family called A ghost and his gold.
This is a short extract from my current WIP:
“Mrs van Tonder, her snow white hair and deeply lined face defying her indefatigable spirit and faith in God, helped Marta to obtain a couple of extra British military blankets from the supplies tent to supplement the blankets they had brought with them. The blankets were old and thin and the two women and four children, as well as Ardrina and Dorthea, would have to share them but her success in wrangling them from the camp staff, with the help of Mrs van Tonder, felt like a small victory to Marta.
Mrs van Tonder, or Ouma* Lettie, was seventy five years old and had been living in a women’s laager@ before it was attacked by the Khakis. “I was with my husband, who was one of twenty men, too old to undertake military duty, who had been appointed to protect the women and children.
“We were travelling with thirty wagons and carts and two hundred cattle and had been living on the veld for seven months before the attack that landed me here. Various Boer commandos had been providing us with weapons, tents, food and clothing.
“About a month ago, a convoy of Khakis# came across our laager and attacked it. They burned all the wagons, food and tents and we were forced to watch.”
A distant look came into the older woman’s eyes as she remembered that day. The soldiers had set fire to the wagons first. The yellow and orange flames had fanned out delicately, tasting the dry tinder of the frames. Bright sparks flew upwards, fanned by puffs of the bitter wind, and settled on the canvas wagon covers which instantly burst into flames. As the wagons and tents burned, black smoke billowed upwards, rising upwards to a tremendous height where it was whipped to shreds by the wind.
“What happened next?” asked Marta, forcing Mrs van Tonder to return her wandering mind to the present time. “When they destruction was complete, they marched our elderly guards and the few boys of twelve years and older away as prisoners of war. The women and the rest of the children were brought here.”
“Were you scared?” Marta asked.
“No,” Mrs van Tonder’s lips formed a thin, straight line and she pushed back her shoulders as if in defiance. “The Lord has always preserved me until now and He will continue to do so.””
* – Grandmother in Afrikaans
@ – ox wagons in a circle formation
# – name used by the Boer’s for the British soldiers in the Second Anglo Boer War
©Robbie Cheadle 2019
If you are visiting York then you cannot miss a visit to museum: https://www.yorkschocolatestory.com/
Robbie and her son Michael put chocolate to excellent use in their Sir Chocolate Series including in Sir Chocolate and the Fondant Five Story and Cookbook.
About the book
Number 6 in the Sir Chocolate series: Five zoo animals go missing and Sir Chocolate needs to find them. Includes five lovely new recipes.
One of the reviews for the book
Miriam HurdleBeautiful book to read with engaging parent-children activity
Robbie Cheadle and her son Michael, in the delightful book Sir Chocolate and the Fondant Five Story and Cookbook, combine children’s story, poetry and recipes together. The story is about a zoo in Chocolate Land with Fondant Five, namely the lion, king of the jungle, the gentle elephant, the elegant leopard, the bulky rhino, and the buffalo. Sir Chocolate cares for them. One day, these five fondant animals disappeared. Sir Chocolate found Fondant Cat who could help to find Fondant Five.
This fun story book includes recipes for Lady Sweet Rusks, Buffalo Coconut Cake, Rhino Soetkoekies, Cheetah Cheese Scones, and Sir Chocolate Peppermint Caramel Pudding.
The book has beautiful photograph of the fondant animals and desserts. Students in the classrooms will enjoy the story, poems and photos in this book. I will read this to my granddaughter. I also love the idea of parents doing the cooking with their children using these recipes.
A selection of other Sir Chocolate stories co-written with Michael Cheadle and other books by Robbie Cheadle
Read all the reviews and buy the books:https://www.amazon.com/Robbie-Cheadle/e/B01N9J62GQ
And on Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robbie-Cheadle/e/B01N9J62GQ
Read more reviews and follow Robbie on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
About Robbie Cheadle
Robbie, short for Roberta, is an author with five published children’s picture books in the Sir Chocolate books series for children aged 2 to 9 years old (co-authored with her son, Michael Cheadle), one published middle grade book in the Silly Willy series and one published preteen/young adult fictionalised biography about her mother’s life as a young girl growing up in an English town in Suffolk during World War II called While the Bombs Fell (co-authored with her mother, Elsie Hancy Eaton). All of Robbie’s children’s book are written under Robbie Cheadle and are published by TSL Publications. Robbie has recently branched into adult horror and supernatural writing and, in order to clearly differential her children’s books from her adult writing, these will be published under Roberta Eaton Cheadle. Robbie has two short stories in the horror/supernatural genre included in Dark Visions, a collection of 34 short stories by 27 different authors and edited by award winning author, Dan Alatorre. These short stories are published under Robbie Cheadle.
I have been drawn to the horror and supernatural genres of books all my life. At the age of ten years old I embarked on reading Stephen King’s books including The Shining and Salem’s Lot. These books scared me so much I had to put them aside by 6P.M. in the evening in order to get a good night’s sleep but they also fascinated me. I subsequently worked my way through all of Stephen King’s earlier books as well as those of Dean R. Koontz.
I have read a large number of classics, in particular, I enjoy Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Charles Dickens and the works of the Bronte sisters.
I am hugely interested in the history of the United Kingdom as well as the mythology and tales of the paranormal that are abundant on this intriguing European island.
Connect to Robbie Cheadle
Website/Blog Roberta Writes: https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/
Blog: https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
Website: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SirChocolateBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bakeandwrite
My thanks to Robbie for sharing this series with us and please join us again next Monday for Part Four of York’s Chocolate Story..
Thank you for sharing this interesting info about the Boer war and chocolate. I’ve learned something else today!
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Great to hear Stevie.. so pleased Robbie offered to share this series here. xx
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Thank you, Stevie, this came as a surprise to me too. I didn’t know that Queen Victoria had sent the British soldiers fighting in this war chocolate.
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Fascinating – looking forward to the next post.
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Thanks Mary..hugs
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Hi Mary, I was surprised at the role that chocolate played in the various wars. I also found it very interesting. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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The Boer War something I don’t know enough about. Interesting as always, Robbie.
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Interestingly enough, Jacqui, the two Boer wars were not well covered in my history syllabus and I took it to the end of high school. My research for this novella has been most intriguing for me.
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Thanks Jacqui.
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And I thought I knew so much about chocolate and history… This is all so fascinating and a wonderful intro to your next historical fiction, Robbie! Your’e amazing! ❤
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Fantastic thank you Bette..hugsx
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Hi Bette, I am glad you are enjoying this series. You say the nicest things. Hugs.
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It’s been delightful, Robbie.. I love chocolate and learning about history through a great story–winning combination! 🙂 xo
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Thank you for sharing this post, Sally. I must say that I found the role of chocolate in the various wars the most interesting part of all.
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Something from home that they loved to eat, brought most of them brief comfort I am sure, but I know the role of cafe packages during the second world war where wonderful for morale. xx
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Unbelievable how valuable chocolate was in (war) history. A very adorable series, Robbie! Thank you for sharing, Sally! Best wishes, Michael
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Thank you, Michael. I am glad you find this history of chocolate interesting.
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Yes, i adore it. Your writing style is amazing. Thank you Robbie, and have a beautiful week! Michael
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You too, Michael. You are well into autumn now. Is you weather becoming cold now?
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Great information Michael I am learning loads..hugsx
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Me too Sally1 Never thought Great Britain was a such sweet country. 😉
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I think it ranks up there amongst the most obese in Europe Michael.. plenty of the sweet stuff..x
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Wow, who knew chocolate had such a rich history. Thanks Robbie. And good for you creating a book from all this knowledge. ❤
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Thanks Debby ♥
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Thank you, Debby. The Second Anglo Boer war is not that well covered in historical novels. I thought it might interest people to learn more about it.
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You have my attention. 🙂
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Amazing that things were done so much better so long ago. During my year in Vietnam, the US Army supplied us with chocolate from who knows who–but it didn’t taste much like chocolate and had this varying sheen on it–whitish powder-like or like what you see on gasoline on the highway. Probably had something to do with the climate–had to coat it in something to keep it from melting into liquid in tropical heat.
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Clearly the thought was there John but not the practicalities. My mother said that the American soldiers who were billeted on the outskirts of their village had more success with the chocolate that they had access to…that and silk stockings! The English climate is kinder to chocolate as well.. x
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That I am quite sure of!
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This is interesting information, John. I can appreciate the difficulties of keeping chocolate intact in a hot climate. I can’t work with chocolate at all during our December, Jan and Feb summer period as it melts and loses its shape. At least they tried although maybe a different form of candy would have been better.
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Different would no doubt have been better. 😎
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I enjoyed reading your informative post and concur with the comments of your other readers. I’d heard of the Boer War, but I don’t recall ever having studied it in school.
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Thanks Liz. x
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Thank you, Liz. The Boer war does not receive a lot of coverage by teachers. I found this titbit of information very interesting.
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Reblogged this on Robbie's inspiration and commented:
I am over at Sally Cronin’s delightful blog, Smorgasbord, with Part III of the York Chocolate Story series of posts. This week, the role of chocolate in the Second Anglo Boer war is featured – a most interesting piece of information. Thank you, Sally, for hosting me.
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Thanks for reblogging Robbie..a fantastic series..hugsx
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My pleasure, Sally
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Interesting facts on the war. The excerpt left me wanting to know more.
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It is fascinating.. x
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Thank you, Denise. I have lived in South Africa most of my life and yet I only knew the bare basics about these two wars.
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I’m sure the soldiers appreciated the queen’s gift, but would have been happier home with their families. Enjoyed the excerpt, Robbie, and feeling blessed I don’t live in a wartorn country!
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With you on that Jacquie..hugsx
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Goodness, yes, Jacqui. War destroys families and creates so much heartbreak and destruction. Thanks for reading 🤗
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Thanks Sally for this excerpt from Robbie’s story. As a South African I have a vested interest in our history, much of it unknown to many of us …
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Thanks Susan. I was lucky enough to have two years in the South African education system at age 10 to 12 for 1963- 1965 and learnt about the Boer wars then. I also met a grandmother of one of my friends at school who had been 20 at the time of the second Boer war. I came away with a better understanding. This did cause some issues when the Boer war was covered in history when I came back to school in England and I voiced my opinion!
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I must admit, Susan, that the research for this book has been challenging. There is a strong British view and a strong Boer view and I am sure the truth lies in the middle. A lot of the links to the SA official history sites relating to the Boer wars are broken and the information is no longer available. I used Emily Hobhouse’s official correspondences, two thesis’ from the University of Cape Town and various other documents to build the facts included in this story. I am planning to have it translated into Afrikaans too.
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Emily Hobhouse is a good source – am sure there are other reliable ones, some of which you already have .. sjoe (as we say in the classics) this is one heck of a task .. 🙂
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This was terrific, Robbie. Thanks, Sally.
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Thanks John..hugsx
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I’m glad you enjoyed it, John.
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Fascinating!
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Thanks Jennie..hugs
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You’re welcome, Sally. 😀
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Thank you, Jennie
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You’re welcome, Robbie.
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Great post. I’ve heard about the Boer wars but being neither British nor South African, we never studied them. Your work in progress looks very good, Robbie. Thanks for sharing, Sally.
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Thanks Olga..hugs
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It was quite a terrible war, Olga, the first one in which the concept of concentration camps was introduced and the burned earth policy where all the food sources were destroyed. Thanks for visiting and reading.
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A great post, Robbie. There’s something about chocolate that makes it a good subject/medium.
The Boer war had Australian input as well, of course – the infamous Breaker Morant incident – and had direct implications and consequences for WW1, which has always interested me.
Fine work,
Thank you for sharing, Sally.
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Thank you Frank for adding the Australian connection.. very interesting.. enjoy your weekend. x
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Will do, Sally – the weather is very mild. The colours in the day are beautiful.
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Thanks for visiting, Frank. The English recruited some Australians to South Africa to help them fight the Boers. They were better equipped to fight in the bush than the Khakis [British soldiers] were.
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Yes it was almost a fraternal thing in a way – colonial vs colonial. Fascinating and tragic history that saw the first concentration camps.
Awful to contemplate.
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Hi, Robbie! I love Cadbury chocolate! It’s actually quite popular in the USA. I enjoy the bar and wouldn’t use any other chocolate chips for my homemade chocolate chip cookies. Another fascinating portion of history. I enjoyed reading about the Cadbury family. I understand why they didn’t want to look like they were profiting from the war. A great excerpt from your WIP! Thanks for hosting, Sally! 😀 xo
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Thank you Vashti.. when we lived in the US in the mid 80s we couldn’t find Cadbury’s anywhere.. thank goodness for Hershey’s Kisses…xxx
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Well, I’m happy they finally made it out here. 😉 xo
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xx
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Very educational, Robbie. Like Jacqui, I’d appreciate the chocolate, but would rather be home with my family. Awesome excerpt!
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Thanks Teri..hugsx
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