James Owen: A Welsh Defender of Rorke’s Drift
James Owen: A Welsh Defender of Rorke’s Drift
Introduction: A Soldier Known as David Lewis
James Owen
James Owen, who served under the name Private David Lewis with the 2/24th Regiment of Foot, is remembered as one of the defenders of Rorke’s Drift, the small mission station in South Africa that withstood overwhelming Zulu attacks on 22–23 January 1879. His military distinction is well known, yet the man behind the uniform has a quieter story rooted in rural Carmarthenshire and later in the working‑class streets of Swansea.James Owen
headstone
Bethel Welsh Congregational Chapelyard
credit - findagrave
Early Life in Carmarthenshire
James Owen was born in 1853 in Llanboidy, Carmarthenshire, the son of David and Ann Owen. 1861 Census
The 1861 Census records the family living in Llanboidy, where David, aged 31 and born in Pembrokeshire, worked as an agricultural labourer. His wife Ann was 32, and their children were James (8), Ann (6), David (3), and Theodoriah (1). 1871 Census
By the 1871 Census, James had left the family home and was living as a boarder at Pengamell, Llanfyrnach, Pembrokeshire. At 19, he was employed as a woollen weaver, a trade he would return to throughout his civilian life.
Marriage and Enlistment
In 1875, James married Emma McIndoe, née Davies, a widow, at St Peter’s Church, Cockett. Sometime between the 1871 and 1881 censuses he enlisted in the army, adopting the name David Lewis, and it was during this period that he saw action in the Anglo‑Zulu War. His enlistment would place him at the centre of one of the most dramatic episodes in Victorian military history.
The Battle of Isandlwana: The Catastrophe That Preceded Rorke’s Drift
The Battle of Isandlwana, fought on 22 January 1879, stands as one of the most dramatic and devastating defeats in the history of the British Army. It unfolded against the backdrop of the Anglo‑Zulu War, a conflict born of imperial ambition and the determination of the British authorities in southern Africa to break the independence of the Zulu Kingdom. Eleven days after the British invasion of Zululand, the main British column under Lord Chelmsford encamped beneath the distinctive sphinx‑shaped hill of Isandlwana. The camp, spread across open ground, was poorly fortified, reflecting a dangerous underestimation of Zulu military capability.The Battle of Isandlwana, 22nd January 1879
Charles Edwin Fripp
credit - National Army Museum
The Zulu army that approached Isandlwana was a highly disciplined and expertly coordinated fighting force numbering around 20,000 warriors. Their tactics relied on speed, cohesion, and the famous “horns of the buffalo” formation: the centre engaging the enemy frontally while the flanking “horns” swept around to encircle and crush the British position. Although the British possessed modern Martini–Henry rifles, 7‑pounder guns, and a rocket battery, they were dangerously exposed. Ammunition distribution faltered, defensive preparations were minimal, and Chelmsford had taken a large portion of the force away on reconnaissance, leaving the camp understrength.
When the Zulu army revealed itself late in the morning, it did so with astonishing suddenness. The British firing line, extended too far and unsupported by defensive works, soon buckled as the Zulu “horns” swept around both sides. The fighting collapsed into close‑quarters combat, where the Zulus’ traditional weapons—the assegai and cowhide shield—proved deadly. By early afternoon, the British position had been completely overwhelmed. More than 1,300 British, colonial, and African troops were killed, while Zulu casualties may have reached between 1,000 and 3,000. The defeat sent shockwaves through the Empire and set the stage for the desperate defence that followed at Rorke’s Drift.
The Defence of Rorke’s Drift
Later that same day, a Zulu reserve force of between 3,000 and 4,000 warriors advanced on Rorke’s Drift, where just over 150 British and colonial troops prepared to defend the mission station. Command rested with Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers and Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead of the 24th Regiment of Foot. The defenders hastily constructed barricades of mealie bags, biscuit boxes, and overturned wagons, knowing that the fate of the post—and possibly their own lives—depended on their ability to hold out.Battle Plans
The Zulu attack began in the late afternoon and continued relentlessly into the early hours of the following day. Waves of warriors surged against the improvised defences, attempting to break through at multiple points. The defenders fought with grim determination, firing their Martini–Henry rifles until the barrels grew too hot to touch. The Zulus attacked from every direction, their war cries echoing across the mission station as they attempted to overwhelm the small garrison.
The Hospital Evacuation
One of the most desperate episodes of the battle unfolded inside the mission hospital, a long, low building divided into cramped rooms and narrow passages. As the Zulu assault intensified, the hospital became the focus of repeated attacks. Warriors thrust assegais through shuttered windows and attempted to break down the doors, while the defenders inside fought to protect the sick and wounded, many of whom were unable to stand.The Defence of Rorke's Drift, 1879
1880
Alphonse de Neuville
The Zulus eventually succeeded in setting the hospital alight, and flames spread rapidly through the thatched roof. Smoke filled the rooms, and visibility dropped to almost nothing. Inside, Privates Robert Jones and William Jones of the 24th Regiment of Foot, later awarded the Victoria Cross, fought a room‑to‑room battle in suffocating heat, guiding patients to safety while fending off attackers who were breaking through windows and doors. In another part of the building, Private John Williams (Fielding) and Private Alfred Hook, both of the 24th Regiment of Foot and both later VC recipients, smashed through interior walls with rifle butts while fighting hand‑to‑hand in smoke‑filled corridors. Their efforts saved numerous lives, even as the roof collapsed and the building became engulfed in flames.
By the time the hospital was entirely consumed, the defenders had succeeded in rescuing nearly all the patients who could be moved. The building itself was lost, but the courage displayed within its walls became one of the defining elements of the battle.
Victoria Cross Recipients
In recognition of the extraordinary bravery displayed during the defence, eleven Victoria Crosses—the largest number ever awarded for a single action—were granted. These were awarded to William Allan (24th Regiment of Foot), Gonville Bromhead (24th Regiment of Foot), John Chard (Royal Engineers), James Dalton (Commissariat and Transport Department), Frederick Hitch (24th Regiment of Foot), Alfred Hook (24th Regiment of Foot), Robert Jones (24th Regiment of Foot), William Jones (24th Regiment of Foot), James Reynolds (Army Medical Department), Christian Schiess (3rd Natal Native Contingent), and John Williams (24th Regiment of Foot). Their actions—ranging from holding barricades under intense pressure to rescuing wounded comrades from the burning hospital—became emblematic of the determination that defined the defence.
For men like James Owen, serving under the name Private David Lewis, the defence of Rorke’s Drift was not a distant legend but a night of terror, exhaustion, and unbroken resolve.
Return to Swansea and Working Life
1881 Census
By the 1881 Census, James had returned to Swansea and was living at 9 Catherine Street. He was 28 and again working as a woollen weaver. His wife Emma, aged 36, was present along with her children from her first marriage, Thomas Campbell McIndoe (11) and Maria McIndoe (9). James and Emma’s own children were David Lewis Owen (4) and Emma Owen (9 months). Emma’s brother, David Davies (51), was also living with them.
Life at Philips Parade
1891 Census
By 1891, the family had moved to 16 Philips Parade, Swansea. James, then 38, remained a woollen weaver, while Emma was 47. Their household included Thomas Campbell McIndoe, now 21, Maria McIndoe, aged 19, David Lewis Owen, aged 14, and Emma Owen, aged 10. A boarder, Edmund Losardo (18), was also present. 1901 Census
In 1901, the family were living at 21 Philips Parade, where James, aged 48, continued his trade. Emma, aged 58, was still with him, and their daughter Mary (21) was the only child remaining at home.
Later Years and Changing Household
1911 Census
The 1911 Census shows James, aged 58, and Emma, aged 67, still residing at 21 Philips Parade. Their granddaughter, Lily Irene McIndoe (13), was living with them, along with three boarders. 1921 Census
By 1921, James was a widower aged 69 and living at 58 Neath Road, the home of his daughter Maria and her husband Daniel Jenkins. His occupation was recorded as Jeweller Porter, employed by John Purser & Sons Ltd., 263 Oxford Street, Swansea.
Death and Remembrance
Herald of Wales
James Owen died in 1938 at the home of his son, 12 Kemble Street, Brynmill, Swansea. His death was reported in both the South Wales Daily Post and the Herald of Wales, the latter also publishing an account of his funeral at Bethel Welsh Congregational Chapel‑yard. His life, stretching from rural Carmarthenshire to the battlefields of South Africa and finally to the industrial streets of Swansea, reflects the quiet resilience of a man who once stood in the midst of one of the most celebrated defences in British military history.South Wales Daily Post
James Owen in Film: Zulu (1964)
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| Ivor Emmanuel |
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