Saturday 1 October 1859

DIED at his residence in Hill-street, on the 30th Sept. 1859, Mr. Frederick LEE, aged 53 years. Deceased was the son of the late Mr. W. LEE, and son-in-law of the late Mr. W. POTTER, and came to this Colony with the British Settlers in 1820. He was an affectionate husband and a warm hearted friend.

DEPARTED THIS LIFE at Bushman’s Hoek on the 19th September 1859, Mr. James MUNDELL Jun, aged 37 years, leaving a wife and six children and a large [circle] of relatives to mourn his irreparable loss.

NOTICE TO RELATIVES AND FRIENDS
DIED at Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, on Sunday morning, 11th instant, after an illness of four weeks, [A….] [MATZ] Esq, late District Surgeon and Justice of the Peace of Middelburg, Cape Colony, aged 58 years.
The deceased, during his short and useful career as a Medical Practitioner to this Town, had, by his [illegible] gentlemanly demeanour and kind attention [at a sick bed], endeared himself to many friends, to whom his loss is sincerely and deeply regretted.
[?.] DANIEL[L]
Sept. 13th 1859

Saturday 8 October 1859

BIRTH at Waterford, Sunday’s River, on Sunday morning, the 11th September, the wife of Dr. DUCKWORTH of a daughter.

[illegible death notification]

DIED at her residence in Grahamstown on Sunday the 2nd October 1859, Mrs. Sarah HARVEY, aged 79 years. Deceased was widow of the late Mr. Richard HARVEY of this place, who died in 1846 aged 86 years.

Saturday 15 October 1859

BIRTH at Grahamstown on the 11th inst, the wife of Dep. Asst. Commissary General BLACKER of a daughter.

MARRIED at Alexandria on the 3rd inst, by the Rev. Dr. Rowe, Charlton, youngest son of Mr. W. DENTON of Lower Bushman’s River to Catherine, second daughter of Mr. Marthinus LANDMAN of [Vry….] District of Uitenhage.

MARRIED in Commemoration Chapel on Wednesday the 12th October 1859, by the Rev. J. Richards, Mr. Charles Henry Croft HILL of “Providence” to Miss Deborah Claridge CYRUS, eldest daughter of Mr. George CYRUS of this city.

MARRIED on the 4th inst. at St.George’s Cathedral, by the Rev. J. Heavyside, Colonial Chaplain, Thomas Tyler GOULD, Lieut. 13th Light Infantry, and Garrison Adjutant, to Harriet Alicia, eldest daughter of the late F.A. ALCOCK Esq. of Uitenhage.

DIED at Grahamstown on the 10th October 1859, Eliza, widow of the late W. OGILVIE of this place.

DIED of Typhus Fever at “De Hoop”, Camdeboo, Graaffreinet, on the 9th instant, Charles COCKCROFT, aged 24 years 5 months, eldest son of Mark and Elizabeth COCKCROFT, late of New Bristol, Lower Albany.

Tuesday 18 October 1859

DIED in Grahamstown on September 12th 1859, after a short illness, Mr. Thomas WALKER, aged 64 years. Deceased [came to this colony with the original British Settlers] [illegible….] to mourn his irreparable loss.

DIED at King William’s Town on the 16th October 1859, James HARPER [rest illegible], aged 56 years

DIED at Port Elizabeth on Wednesday 12th inst, William Richard [infant] son of Mr. George IMPEY

FATAL ACCIDENT
We regret to have to record the death on Sunday last of Mr. James HARPER of HOWARD’s Party, under the following circumstances, which have been furnished to us by one of the family. To this account it is but just to add that Mr. HARPER was one of the most enterprising and successful agriculturists and spared no expense or trouble in introducing such machinery as would [economise] manual labour. In this he was very successful; being a sort of mechanical genius he not only introduced machinery but frequently improved them by inventions of his own. He will be a loss to the country.
Monday Oct. 17
A fearful accident occurred yesterday to Mr. Jas. HARPER, which terminated fatally. It appears that owing to the continued drought the well-known water mill, belonging to the deceased, had become unavailable for some time past. The recent rains had supplied sufficient water to set the machinery in motion. Yesterday morning about 11 o’clock Mr. HARPER went to that part of the mill where the shaft works which connects the water wheel with the mill, and which revolves in a brick-built tunnel under the main road: through this tunnel the water passes to the water wheel. Mr. HARPER finding some of the water escaping from a hole in the brickwork, appears to have made the attempt to put in a piece of [inch] piping to carry off the surplus water, to prevent its injuring the other part of the works – and to do this he had to creep on his hands and knees into the tunnel, which he unfortunately did without stopping the machinery. It would only have been the work of two or three minutes to have shut off the water from the water wheel. The poor fellow seems, from the appearance of the body, to have crept into the tunnel to that part where the rod from the water wheel joins that of the one from the machinery of the mill, and which are coupled by a small pin, which extends on each side of the rod about two inches. The shaft works about six inches from the bottom of the [furrow], on the top of which the deceased must have been kneeling. By the position of the body, the small pin which runs through the couplet must have caught his jacket, and before he could possibly extricate himself he must have been forced under the shaft, which is only about 6 inches from the bottom of the furrow. The body was not found for some time afterwards. When taken out he was quite dead – his body very much bruised, and his face black, which had the appearance of suffocation. None of his bones were broken – the muscular part of one of his arms had the appearance of having been most fearfully squeezed – although the flesh was not broken – it was but little larger than the bone. Mr. HARPER was favourably known here as one of the most enterprising farmers in this part of the Colony. He leaves a widow and five children.

Saturday 22 October 1859

[illegible birth notice for a daughter born on the 18th]

BIRTH on the [20th] inst at the Kowie, the wife of Mr. [..] [DORRINGTON] of a daughter.

[Transcriber’s note: there is a fairly lengthy, but totally illegible, death notification/obituary which I think is for James HARPER (see previous issue)]

DIED on the morning of the 15th inst at his residence, Cradock, Mr. Thomas Charles Price ADAMS, aged 33 years and 4 months, after a long and painful illness.
[See issue for 29 October]

Tuesday 25 October 1859

MARRIED on the 8th inst. at St.Bartholomew’s, Graham’s Town, by the Ven’ble the Archdeacon Merriman, Capt. SHIPLEY, 58th Regt. to Louisa, youngest daughter of the late Wm. OGILVIE Esq.

DIED at his farm near Salem on the 13th inst, after a short illness, Mr. Thomas KING Senr, aged 87 years. Deceased came to this Colony with the original British Settlers. He [leaves] a great circle of friends and a numerous family to mourn their irreparable loss.

Saturday 29 October 1859

DIED on the 15th inst. at his residence, Cradock, Thomas Charles Price ADAMS, aged 33 years and 4 months, leaving a wife and 4 children to mourn his irreparable loss [illegible]. The deceased was eldest son of Mr. Thomas Price ADAMS Esq. of Fish River Mouth, one of the old Settlers of 1820.

[one illegible marriage announcement and one illegible death announcement]

Tuesday 1 November 1859

DIED on the morning of Saturday 29th October, David HOGGAN, aged 63 years, after a painful illness of three months.

DIED on the [29th] inst, at [illegible] Valley, District of Queenstown, after a long and painful illness, Margaret the beloved wife of Peter MARSHALL, aged 27 years, leaving a husband and 3 young children and a numerous circle of friends to mourn their loss.

[Transcriber’s Note: There is a further marriage announcement which is almost totally illegible, but from the few words I can make out it seems to be between the son of someone who was a J.P. and the second daughter of someone who lived at Clifton Vale, District of Queenstown.]

Saturday 5 November 1859

[several illegible BMD announcements]

Tuesday 8 November 1859

MARRIED by Special Licence this morning, 8th inst, by the Rev. J. Heavyside, John McCABE, widower, to Margaret LEONARD, both of this city.

MARRIED at Grahamstown on Wednesday Nov 2nd, [illegible….], Mr. John MARCUS of Burghersdorp to [illegible] SCHRYVER, only daughter of the late M. SCHRYVER Esq. of London.

DIED at his residence in the city on Sunday the 6th Novr, Samuel CYRUS Sen, in his 78th year. Deceased was one of the Original Settlers of 1820.

DIED at Fort Beaufort, Mr. John NILAND, aged 79 years and 7 months. Deceased was one of the original settlers of 1820. He leaves a wife and a numerous family and a large circle of friends to deplore his loss.

OBITUARY
We have this week to record the death of Mr. John NILAND, one of the oldest and most respected inhabitants of this district, who after a brief illness expired on Monday morning last at the ripe old age of 79. Deceased was one of the British Settlers of 1820, and possessed in an eminent degree the indomitable energy and perseverance which characterised that gallant band. Few who landed in Algoa Bay 40 years ago have encountered the vicissitudes incident to a Frontier life with greater determination, or more complete courage, than the deceased. Residing on the immediate border, he was always in the van of danger, and in common with many of his fellow colonists has had the cup of sorrow more than once filled to overflowing at the sight of members of his family struck down in the prime of life by the hands of the enemy, while the hard earned fruits of years of toil were swept off in an hour by the same ruthless bands. He was distinguished, however, for his irrepressible energy and manly independence of spirit, and after each such disaster he redoubled his exertions, and with unwearied patience and perseverance triumphed over obstacles before which less courageous men would have shrunk in despair. Until within a recent period he resided on his farm in this neighbourhood, and though far advanced in years his excellent constitution enabled him to take an active part in its operation. Here he delighted to dispense a generous hospitality to all comers, which the honourable competence he had won enabled him to do on a liberal scale. On the rumours of outbreak a few years ago, however, he removed into this town, where he resided until the close of his eventful life.

Saturday 12 November 1859

BIRTH at Cradock on the 29th October, the wife of the [Revd. G. …..] of a son.

MARRIED at Queenstown this day at the English Church, by the Rev. E.P. Green, Frederick Bridgman BROWN Esq. of Clare, [Suffolk], England to Amelia Louisa, [second] daughter of Edward Mortimer TURVEY Esq of Queenstown.
9th November 1859

MARRIED on the 24th August last by the Rev. [illegible] at 14 Charlotte Street, [illegible], [Millie], youngest daughter of [Captain] J. [M…] of Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope to Mr. [BERG…] of Grahamstown, son of the late Mr. [Lyon][illegible].

MARRIED in Commemoration Chapel by the Rev. J. Richards, [on the morning of the 1st inst], [?. J. JENKINS] [late of this town] to [M…] [PAT…], [illegible] [W. WEDDERBURN] of Graham’s Town.

DIED at his residence at [….. West] on Tuesday the 8th inst, after a short illness, Mr. John [….] aged [twenty two years].

DIED on the 11th October 1859, [illegible] days after [childbirth] at the farm “Thorn Dale” in the Transvaal [District], Elizabeth, the wife of Mr.Henry HARTLEY, and eldest daughter of the late Mr. William UPTON, aged 39 years.

DIED in the [illegible] at Cradock on the 4th instant, Antonia Francina, the beloved wife of the Rev. J. TAYLOR, aged 69 years leaving [six] children [and ? orphan] grandchildren, and myself and many kind friends to lament her great loss. Our chief comfort is that she died as she lived, in true faith in Christ her Blessed Saviour, so that our loss is her gain.
J. TAYLOR
Minister of the Dutch Reformed Church at Cradock

Tuesday 15 November 1859

MARRIED at Keiskamma Hoek, British Kaffraria, on Friday the 4th November 1859, by the Rev. J.J. Rowe BA, William, second son of Wm. SIMPSON Esq. of Grahamstown, to Caroline, second daughter of Mr. John NETTLETON of Keiskamma Hoek.

Saturday 19 November 1859

BIRTH on the [15th] inst, the wife of Mr. James [CO….] of a son.

BIRTH at Cradock on Monday the 14th instant, Mrs. C.H. NELSON of a son.

[one further illegible birth announcement]

Tuesday 22 November 1859

DIED on the 21st November at Grahamstown [rest illegible]

Saturday 26 November 1859

The Public are respectfully informed that the Funeral of the late Mr. William SMITH will leave from the residence of Mr. [MAT…] at the general Hospital tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock precisely. A general invitation is hereby given to Friends and Relatives who may wish to attend.
W. STREAK

DIED at his residence in Grahamstown on the 23rd November 1859, John CARLISLE Esq, aged 62 years.

[one illegible marriage entry]

NOTICE
In the Insolvent Estate of William SOUTHEY of Graaffreinet
With reference to a notice on the Government Gazette, the Creditors are hereby informed that at the Third Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday the 29th inst, the insolvent intends making certain proposals with the view of obtaining the release of his Estate from sequestration.
G.B. ZIERVOGEL, Trustee
Graaff-Reinet Nov 4 1859

Tuesday 29 November 1859

BIRTH on the 19th inst at Rowie Krantz, New [Year’s House], the wife of Mr. John WESTCOTT of a daughter. Thanks to Dr. KEEBLE C.M.R. for his prompt attendance during her [illness].

DIED at Grahamstown on the 25th instant, Mr. William SMITH, Land Surveyor, aged 66 years. Mr. SMITH was born in the town of Bedford, England. In his early career he followed the sea as a profession and made many voyages to the East and West Indies and China. In 1819 he happened to be in England when the Government was sending out emigrants to the Cape, and he was induced to collect and head a party, and come out to this country, in which he has resided ever since. Since his 26th year of age he has been a serious man and [illegible] the search of truth in matters of religion, the principle aim of his life. All who knew him will bear testimony to the [correctness] of his diligence in disseminating the truth when he felt convinced of his having found it; he was equally earnest in his desire to follow the precepts of that truth, and to live in accordance with the doctrine of God’s Word.
The illness which terminated in his death was very short. He left Uitenhage in apparent good health on Monday, three weeks ago, in an ox wagon, in a visit to Bedford and Grahamstown, from which latter place he had made arrangements to return to Uitenhage with his family, but, however, “man proposes, God disposes”, and his family have now to mourn the loss of an affectionate and good husband and father. – Communicated.

Saturday 3 December 1859

[three totally illegible death notifications]

Tuesday 6 December 1859

BIRTH on the 6th instant, Mrs. C.R. GOWIE of a son

DIED on the [6th] instant at the residence of her son, Hill-street, Grahamstown, Mrs. Mary [KENNELLY] aged [--]

Saturday 10 December 1859

MARRIED on the 30th Nov at Eden Grove by the Rev. A. Hey, Henry, second son of Joseph LINTON Esq of Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, to Sophia, third daughter of Charles SLATER Esq of this city.

DIED in Bedford on the 3rd December, Marianne Susanna, beloved wife of Alexander Robert WELSH, aged 24 years 2 months and one day.
The bereaved husband would avail himself of the opportunity of rendering his heartfelt thanks to those Christian friends in Bedford who kindly administered to the [illegible] of his [illegible] wife during her [severe] and protracted illness.
Friends will please accept this notice.

DIED at the residence of Mr. JACKSON, in Grahamstown, on Saturday the 3rd December, Mr. Thos. WAY of Bethulie, O.F. State, aged 36 years. Deservedly [esteemed] by all who knew him.

OBITUARY
Death the [illegible] devourer hath within the short space of almost a few days gathered to his [gloomy] games five individuals connected with the British Settlement here, whose names will no doubt, when the Eastern Province makes up her roll of “Worthies”, be inscribed on her record. The first, and in the public sense the severest loss, is that of one of our most leading men.
1. William ARMSTRONG Esq of Cuyler Manor, [Zwart…] River, J.P. and late member of the House of Assembly, after a very brief illness, aged 53, leaving a disconsolate widow (the eldest daughter of the late General CUYLER), eleven children and a large circle of friends to deplore his untimely end. He had formerly been an Indian planter in the East Indies, where, no doubt, his constitution was undermined by climate, and which country he left in consequence. He became a resident of this Province in 1833, and although not one of the original settlers, he completely identified himself with their interests – sorrowed in their sufferings, rejoiced in their successes, and aided every one of their efforts for local government and justice. He possessed extraordinary [illegible] of character, was a profound thinker, ever [illegible] of opinion until he had at least twice over considered the subject; fearless in uttering the convictions of his mind when once made up, and he then clung to decisions thus matured with a firmness that those who did not know him mistook for obstinacy. By political antagonists he was misinterpreted as an antiprogressionist, a conclusion very [wide] from the truth; he doubtless belonged to that “old school” of philosophy whose tenet is that “honesty is the best policy” and not to the more modern and fashionable [illegible] which sophistically teaches that “the end justifies the means” and “justice must be sacrificed to expediency”. William ARMSTRONG fulfilled all the relations of life with honor; he was a good husband, an affectionate parent, a firm and fast friend, and with his peculiar religious views a consistent Christian. In conversation he was somewhat didactic, always logically appealing to the reason – fluent and not infrequently throwing out scintillations of sly humour or caustic wit. Of late he had been involved in the angry political discussions of the day, in which he took an active and prominent part; but notwithstanding, neither lost a friend or made an enemy. His [illegible] of late are to be found in the newspapers of the day, and to which he always affixed his own name. Some of his last efforts were directed to the subject of a change in the Constitution of the Colony, and it is understood he has left some letters prepared for publication of the subject, as referred to in the Eastern Province Herald of the 15th ultimo. His death, which occurred on the 26th Nov, is in the present position of our colonial history less a loss that a calamity. Vale et Vale.
2. Thomas PHILIPPS Esq. J.P., formerly of Lampeter, then of Glendower in Lower Albany, and subsequently of the city of Grahamstown, died on 1st September, aged 84. This gentleman, a native of Wales, and of high aristocratic connection, was one of the settlers of 1820, and during his long career filled up a large portion of the political history of the Eastern Province. He was the senior Justice of the Peace on the Frontier, and one of the first Heemrader or members of the District Court, established in 1820. In 1821 he headed the deputation of Settlers, waiting on the Governor, claiming their right as British subjects to bequeath their property according to the laws of their native land, and in 1822 presided at the meeting held at Bathurst to represent the state of the Settlement and pray for local government. At Grahamstown the same year, and upon innumerable other instances, year after year, he was the leading and influential agent in the Settlers’ struggles for political rights, condemning the weak and wavering Kafir policy of the day, and seeking for justice along with his brother immigrants. In 1824, in consequence of his participation in the innocent rejoicings at Grahamstown upon the arrival of the Royal Commission of Inquiry, he became a marked man by the Government, and his talents, fitted to shine in any official position, were overlooked, and thus lost to the public service. In 1836, while in England and attending the committee of the House of Commons on “the treatment of aborigines in the British settlements”, among other services he frustrated the attempt of the pseudo-philanthropist party to foist Jan [THA…] on the committee as a great Kafir chief, whose father commanded 3,000 warriors, whereas he was only a petty captain, and had been Mr. P’s carpenter. Mr. PHILIPPS’ stay in England at this time also afforded the Frontier colonists an opportunity of watching and countermining the attempts of interested parties to vilify the character of the inhabitants of the border, Dutch and English. In [1840] he was delegated to present a bible and address of sympathy to the emigrant Boers under P. UYS, who left the Colony for the wild interior, in consequence of the want of a local executive to protect the frontier and make itself acquainted with the real state of our border relations. It is, however, unnecessary to multiply instances of this gentleman’s usefulness, which is patent to all; suffice it to say that up to the date of his lamented decease he was engaged in every undertaking for the benefit of the country of his adoption. He died a Federalist. Most urbane and gentlemanly in his manners, he was one of the most amiable of men.
3. John CARLISLE Esq, the son of a clergyman of the English Episcopal Church, died at Grahamstown on the 23rd November, aged 62. He too was one of the original British Settlers of 1820 (arriving at Algoa Bay on the ship “Chapman” on the 10th April of that year) and was the first of the [party] located in the vicinity of Grahamstown (at Belmont). He was a widower, having lost his lady, the eldest daughter of the last named gentleman, Thos. PHILIPPS, several years ago. Highly respected for his integrity, benevolence and many other estimable qualities, his loss will be long felt by his family and brother settlers.
4. William SMITH Esq, Surveyor, died on the 25th November, aged 66. This gentleman was also one of the immigrants of 1820. An industrious, honest and remarkably intelligent man, he had experienced many of the vicissitudes of a colonist’s life, which he bore, good or bad, with great equanimity of disposition. He felt strongly on all frontier subjects, was deeply imbued with the esprit de corps of the British Settlers, aiding every attempt to force consideration of their claims for a local and independent government, and he was always found at his post as their unflinching defender. He was thrice married, and leaves a widow, the daughter of the late Rev. W. BOARDMAN, the first minister of the English Episcopal Church in the settlement, who was established at Bathurst; he also leaves several children, so that his name, as well as that of many of the old settlers, will still remain as “household words” in South Eastern Africa. He belonged to the religious body of Swedenborgians, and no man could be more conscientiously impressed with the truth of this singular belief, or more anxious to convert others to a creed which he considered involved their salvation.
5. Col. ROSS R.E., drowned by accident in Algoa Bay, 27th November, in an attempt to land through the surf. This gallant officer is so far connected with the Settlement that he was stationed on the frontier for several years at a time when it was struggling through the first early periods of [illegible] existence, and was favourably known to many of its inhabitants by his frank and gentlemanly manners, and much valued for his varied attainments. He was a particular friend of the late General (then Col.) DUNDAS, R.A., the Civil Commissioner of the District of Albany, and of the writer, who well remembers how much he was then greatly appreciated. He visited Kaffraria along with the Civil Commissioner, and subsequently wrote an agreeable light sketchy work entitled “Four Years in South Africa”
[illegible Biblical quote]
Delta

Tuesday 13 December 1859

BIRTH on the 12 inst, the wife of Henry CRUMP Esq. of a son.

DIED at Grahamstown on the 10th inst, in child birth, Asenath, the beloved wife of Mr.John WESTCOTT and eldest daughter of Thomas COCK Esq, Penryn, Cornwall, England, aged 34 years.

Saturday 17 December 1859

DIED at Port [Frances] on Wednesday the 14th December at the residence of her daughter [illegible] relict of the late David M. [illegible] of Mancazana, aged [83] years.

Tuesday 20 December 1859

DIED on the 7th December 1859 at the farm “Waterfall”, near Fort Beaufort, Mr. George POLLARD, aged 41 years and 3 months.

[otherwise illegible death notification for a child aged 1 year and 9 months]

Sir John WYLDE died at his residence in Capetown on Tuesday last at the advanced age of 78 years. He arrived in this Colony as Chief Justice so long back as 1827
[This is followed by an obituary from the Monitor which is too difficult to read as the print is smaller]

Saturday 24 December 1859

MARRIED at Commemoration Chapel, Grahamstown, by the Rev. W. Impey, General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Missions, on Wednesday 21st December 1859, Mr. Thomas Carey STREET to Miss Georgina Sophia SLATER, only daughter of George SLATER Esq.

BIRTH at Fort Beaufort on Monday 12th inst, Mrs. S.H. ROBERTS of a son.

Saturday 31 December 1859

BIRTH in Grahamstown on the 31st inst, Mrs. E.H. DELL of a daughter.

BIRTH at King William’s Town on the [28th] inst, the wife of Joseph LEVY Esq. of a son.

DIED at Grahamstown on Friday 30th December, Alex HEDDLE, late Royal African Corps, in the 70th year of his age.

DIED at her residence in Grahamstown on the 16th December 1859, Mrs. Louisa D. FOUNTAIN after a long and painful illness of two years.
The undersigned begs to return thanks to those friends [who showed her] such kindness during her long affliction.
E.D. FOUNTAIN