Boer-NYPD Nongqai Vol 17 No 5

AN ANGLO-BOER WAR VETERAN IN NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT

South African Researcher – Family History & Heritage

(Republished with permission)

Andries Frederik GEYER was born on 29 September 1881, in Queenstown, the son of Hermanus Stefanus GEYER (circa 1842, Queenstown–1926, Potchefstroom) and Gertruida Margaretha DREYER (died 1924). Andries was baptised on 01 January 1882 in the NGK Greykerk. At the time, the family lived at Ebenezer West in the Boshof district. In US documents he listed his year of birth as 1882, which was incorrect.

He was 18 years old when he was taken prisoner of war at Paardeberg during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) on 27 February 1900. He was sent to Deadwood on St Helena Island (POW No. 1101). He kept a diary from 1899 to 1902, which he donated to the National Archives of South Africa in Pretoria in 1956 (A564 A.F. Geyer). After his release in 1902, he returned to his home at Schoeman’s Rust in the Potchefstroom district. He left South Africa in 1904 with his brother Hermanus Stephanus (aka Faan, born 1884) to perform with a Boer contingent at the 1904 St Louis World Fair. A group of 150 Boers, including Andries and Faan, left Braamfontein on 06 March 1904 by train for Delagoa Bay, where they boarded the Doune Castle. In Cape Town, 200 British veterans boarded the ship. They left Cape Town on 12 March. Andries kept a diary of the voyage. The contingent included General Pieter Arnoldus (Piet) CRONJE and General Benjamin Johannes (Ben) VILJOEN, 50 Boer women and children, and 100 black people. The final numbers of people vary in different sources. Frank E. FILLIS of the Fillis Circus assembled the contingent, which became known as the South African Boer War Exhibition Company.

The Doune Castle arrived in Newport News, Virginia, on 06 April 1904. Luscombe SEARELLE, a South African already residing in the US, greeted them. They travelled by train to St Louise. The first show was held on 17 June 1904. The contingent reenacted scenes from the Anglo-Boer War at the World Fair and toured the US afterwards. The last show was at Brighton Beach in the Coney Island area. According to Andries, 25 Boers took their return passage money and did not return to South Africa, including Faan and Ben VILJOEN, who became a military adviser to the Mexican president. Most of them found work in New York. Andries and Faan found work in a factory. Andries met an Irish woman, Ellen (Nellie) E. SULLIVAN (1877-1965). They were married on 02 March 1908 in Manhattan, New York. Ellen was born on 05 March 1877, in Kilseily, Clare, Ireland, the daughter of George SULLIVAN (1835–1915) and Bridget O’ROURKE (1831–1922). She arrived in the US around 1896–1900.

In November 1906, Andries declared his intention to apply for US citizenship by naturalisation. He gave his occupation as farmer and was living at 141 Sixth Avenue in New York.

In the 1910 US Census, Andries (27) and Nellie (24) were living on 8th Avenue in Manhattan Ward 12, New York, which they rented. He was recorded as Andreas GEIER and was a clerk.

In 1912, Andries took the entrance exam to join the Metropolitan Police Force in New York, which he successfully completed. He worked up the ranks, becoming a sergeant, and often did duty as a pointsman at the intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street. He was nicknamed Tall Andy, as he stood 6 ft 4′. Andries and Ellen were well-known to South Africans who studied at Columbia University. Every December 16, they organised a get-together for South Africans in New York. Swart was a young student at Columbia University when he met Andries and Ellen.

He registered for the draft in World War I. At the time, he was living at 2096 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan, New York. At the time, he was a policeman based at Traffic B, 36 East 9th Street, New York. He was recorded as having brown eyes and brown hair and living at 2096 Amsterdam Avenue, New York.

Andries was issued with a US passport on 09 June 1919 in New York. His reason for applying was to visit his parents in South Africa and settle an estate. He stated that he was on sick leave from the police department, recovering from three operations, and the visit to South Africa would benefit his health. His mother was not expected to live long, and she wanted to see him. He stated he would depart from New York direct to South Africa on the Clan MacMaster on 10 June 1919, but it doesn’t look like he made the trip.

Andries’ and Ellen’s only child, Andrew Fredrick, was born on 06 November 1921 in New York City. He died on 16 December 2008. His last address was Atria, East Northport, Nathan Hale Village, Huntington, New York. Andrew registered for the draft in World War II. He was recorded as having blond hair and blue eyes. He was not married and lived at 148 Senator Street, Brooklyn, New York. He was working for Sperry at Bush Terminal, 4103 1st Avenue in Brooklyn. He enlisted on 17 April 1942 with the rank of private.

In 1922, Andries was living at 2096 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan, New York, and he was a policeman. In 1924 he was living at 2096 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan, New York. In the 1925 New York State Census, Andries (39), Ellen (36) and Andrew (4) were living in Brooklyn, New York.

In the 1930 US Census, Andries (47), Ellen (45) and Andrew (eight) were living at 148 Senator Street, Block B, Brooklyn. Andries was listed as Andrew. He owned the house and was a patrolman in the police department.

In March 1933, Sergeant Andrew F. Geyer took part in the Crescent-Hamilton Athletics Club’s 13th annual shooting tournament for the championship of the Police Department.

In the 1940 US Census, Andries (58), Ellen E. (57) and Andrew (18) were still living at 148 Senator Street, Brooklyn. Andries was listed as Andrew F. and was a policeman. The house was valued at $10,500. This census also recorded that Andries had an elementary school education, and his income was $3,500 in 1939.

In 1942, Andries registered for the draft in World War II. At the time, he lived at 148 Senator Street in Brooklyn. He was a sergeant based at Traffic J, 154 Lawrence Street in Brooklyn. In the 1950 US Census, Andries (67) and Ellen (59) were living in an apartment in New York. Andries was recorded as Andrew, and he was a sergeant in the police department working 40 hours per week.

Sergeant Geyer retired in January 1951. On 28 January 1951, Andries (68) departed New York aboard the Dutch freighter Alpherat to visit South Africa for the first time in 48 years. When the ship docked in Cape Town, he was greeted by the minister of justice, Charles Robberts (Blackie) SWART, who maintained an unbroken correspondence with Andries for 27 years. From 1921 to 1922, Charles studied at the University of Columbia for a diploma in journalism. He made money by singing on street corners and slept on park benches at night while he was in the United States. When his money was running low, he saw an advertisement that Hollywood was looking for actors. He used his last dollars to go there for auditions and got into two silent movies. With enough money now, he returned to Columbia to finish his studies.

Andries wore a brown suit and a green tie; it was his first time stepping ashore in Cape Town after his return from St Helena Island, where he was a prisoner of war. Returning to South Africa was a dream that he held on to, and seeing Table Mountain again was an emotional experience. Dr E.H.D. AREND, registrar of banks, and his Canadian wife, who were also students at Columbia, met Andries at the docks. His closest relative there to meet him was Mr J. GEYER of Mowbray, a cousin. Swart took him on a sightseeing tour of Parliament. Andries stayed with Swart for a week before visiting relatives in Potchefstroom and Pretoria, as well as friends in Pietermaritzburg, Durban, and Johannesburg.

Andries spent time in Pietermaritzburg on his way to the Transvaal and again on his way to Durban before his departure. He visited South African Police friends, Colonel SWARTZ and Lieutenant PRETORIUS, in Pietermaritzburg as well as Dr Ernst Gideon MALHERBE and his wife Janie Antonia NEL, who also lived in Pietermaritzburg at the time. Dr Malherbe studied at Columbia University in the 1920s before departments of sociology were established at South African universities and met Andries and Ellen in New York. In Pretoria, Andries was the guest of Colonel GROBBELAAR of the Police College. Andries met up with fellow Anglo-Boer War veterans, including Theunis VICTOR. They grew up in Venterskroon. Theunis was 14 years older than Andries. Andries’ cousin, Pat GEYER, was still living in Venterskrron and took him to see Theunis outside Parys. Andries also visited family in the Eastern Cape, where he met Dirk GEYER. Dirk’s mother was once Andries’ girlfriend in his youth. In March 1951, Andries and his friend, Constable Jannie HOUGH of Johannesburg, drove to Potchefstroom, where they happened upon the wedding of Andries’ cousin, Ellen GENIS, to George CARDEN in Venterskroon.

He left for the US on 08 August 1951, aboard the Golden State, from Durban to Baltimore. His cousin, Mr KRUGER from South African Airways, along with Sergeant VERSTER from the Railway Police in Durban, Mrs VERSTER, and the Malherbes, saw him off.

Ellen died on 12 August 1965 in New York. Andries died on 10 October 1970 at the age of 89. His last residence was 11731, East Northport, Suffolk, New York.

Boer-NYPD Nongqai Vol 17 No 5

AN ANGLO-BOER WAR VETERAN IN NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT

South African Researcher – Family History & Heritage

(Republished with permission)

PHOTO ALBUM