Page 53 - 2020 SoMJ Vol 73 No 2_Neat

44 The Society of Malaŵi Journal

As will be seen Anna Marie arrived in the district at a turbulent and
transitional time when there was considerable upheaval. The development of the
country under its new colonial administrators was in its infancy. These factors
impacted on the way her death was handled.
Personae Dramatis
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A detailed account of Anna Marie’s demise is contained in a letter dated 24
September 1893 written by Edward Laidlaw Thomson of Lauderdale Estate,
Mulanje to his Mother, the day after he heard of her death. (This letter was
reproduced in the Society of Malawi Journal 39 No.2 of 1986 in an article entitled
‘The Polish Governess’ by Barbara Lamport – Stokes). Edward was then aged 22
and was a coffee planter. (He died of blackwater fever on 31 May 1897 aged 26
st
and was buried at Lauderdale). His letter mentions the following names of those
who met Anna Marie and how they interacted with her:
• Bell – for whom Anna Marie acted as Interpreter in Portuguese East
Africa (PEA) where she fell ill when Bell went to try and ‘get the release
of Watson and Croad’ who had been arrested by the Portuguese.
• Dr Robertson – to whom Anna Marie wrote for assistance once she had
fallen ill in PEA and who was in no hurry to rush to her aid and whose
opinion of her, per Edward, was ‘so absurd and prejudiced that it was
quite out of the question to listen to him’.
• Imlah – who along with Watson and Croad buried her after she had
reached Bell’s station on the Ruo, the day before Dr Robertson got there
to treat her. (Evidently the trip by Bell and Anna Marie to PEA had been
successful in securing the release of Watson and Croad).
• Mrs Moir and Miss Walker who seemed to share the opinion of Dr
Robertson regarding Anna Marie as she had not come to visit them.
• Mrs Lloyd and Cox who along with Edward had a more favourable view
of Anna Marie, thinking her to be ‘very ladylike and accomplished’
Of these people:
John M Bell was the Collector in Mulanje District (a post later known
as District Officer). He was known by the locals as ‘Belo’. He was the person who
registered her death by writing a letter to the authorities, though the death was
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only registered on 7 February 1894, over four months after her death: possibly
the delay was caused by Bell being asked to deal with increased insecurity in the
district – see below. He was only in the country for a couple of years and he then
returned to his home in Durban. He was succeeded as the Collector in Mulanje
District by Gilbert Stevenson, known as ‘Kanjece’ (walks on springs) who was
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based at Fort Lister. He committed suicide by shooting himself on 9 September
1896. Stevenson was replaced by C S Wells known as ‘Mayamba’ (he who breaks
wind) and then by G C L Ray known as ‘Citedge’ (The Itch Bean): the latter two