Wednesday 2 December 1885

DIED at his residence, Somerset East, on 28th November 1885, Henry HORNE, aged 56 years and 4 months. Friends at a distance will please accept this intimation.

Thursday 3 December 1885

BIRTH at Grahamstown on Sunday 29th Nov 1885, the wife of J. WOOD of twin daughters.

Friday 4 December 1885

DIED at Grahamstown on the 3rd Dec, the wife of Jas. McLEOD, aged 35 years.
The Funeral of the above will leave her late residence, Queen-street, tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon at 3 o’clock. Friends are respectfully invited to attend.

Saturday 5 December 1885

FATAL ACCIDENT AT RIVERDALE
Last Monday week a sad misfortune befell the family of the Rev. G.W. ANDERSON of Riverdale. The youngest of their two sons, a nice little fellow of some 7 years, [wandered] out to ride on a pony, which the children were accustomed to. He had gone but a little way when something startled the pony, causing it to swerve, and the saddle not being tightly girt swung round with the little fellow, bringing him under the [obscured] with his right foot entangled in the stirrup. The pony was soon stopped, but too late. The little fellow was taken up terribly bruised and quite unconscious. He never recovered consciousness, but died within half an hour. His father, who had started that afternoon on a journey to Ladysmith, had to be fetched back, and on the following day himself committed his child’s body to the grave. The church was crowded with parishioners, all deeply sympathising with the parents in their sad loss. Mrs. ANDERSON is herself in a very weak state of health, making the trial all the harder to bear. Very many among whom both Mr. and Mrs. ANDERSON long laboured in this town feel deeply for them in their great sorrow.

DEATH OF REV. P.C. FAURE
The Argus hears of the death, on Friday the 20th inst, at Van Rhyn’s Dorp, of the Rev. Philip Carel Dirk FAURE, the much-beloved minister of the Dutch Reformed Church there. Mr. FAURE succumbed to an attack of inflammation of the lungs after only five days’ illness. Great sympathy is expressed here by all on behalf of the widow, Mrs. P.C.D. FAURE, and the five fatherless children, for the dire loss sustained by them through having a husband and father in the prime of his life snatched away from their side by the hand of death.

KILLED ON THE RAILWAY
On the 16th, says the Mercury’s correspondent at Molteno, a young man, named KERR, a native of Ireland, was found somewhere about the top of the Hoek in an unconscious state. He was brought to Molteno by rail, and after being examined by a medical man, was sent on to Queenstown for treatment. The poor fellow had a hole in his head, and the bone was resting upon the brain. There was also a mark on his side as if he had been struck by an engine, and indeed it is thought that he was hit by the engine that passed up during the night. When found KERR had with him a loaded revolver, the chamber of which had been exploded, [obscured] and a bottle of spirits, which had been [obscured]. He left this place on Saturday evening for [Cypherg..], and when last seen was quite sober. He is spoken of very highly by those who knew him, and his wound was of so serious a character that there was little hope of his recovery from the first, and he has since died.

Monday 7 December 1885

DIED at Cradock on Dec 3 1885, after a short and painful illness, David Robert LEE, Engine Driver, second son of William John and Sarah LEE of Weymouth, Dorset, England, leaving a penniless Wife and Child to mourn their irreparable loss.

Tuesday 8 December 1885

DEATH OF AN OLD SETTLER
The departure of one more of the Settlers of 1820 is announced in the death of Mrs. S. TROLLIP, who has been residing for the past few years with some part of her family at Cambridge, near this port. Her original home was in Albany, and her first husband was Mr. STAPLES, who moved into the Queenstown district and had much to do with the original grantees. The deceased lady, who was of a gentle and charitable disposition, lived an eventful life, having passed through the successive Kafir wars. She leaves a large family, to whom our sympathy is tendered in their bereavement.
[Transcriber’s Note: This must be Mary Toye WARNER]

Thursday 10 December 1885

BIRTH on the 8th December 1885, at the Rectory, Cradock, the wife of J.W.A. ROSE, Assistant Engineer, C.G.R. Kimberley, of a daughter.

DIED at Grahamstown on Dec 8th, George Banyard WINTER, infant son of John WINTER and Mary Ann Elizabeth MOUNTJOIE, aged 59 days.

Friday 11 December 1885

SUDDEN DEATH OF MR. W. WALLER
We sincerely regret to hear of the sudden death of Mr. W. WALLER, of this city, who was found dead in his bed this morning, at Port Elizabeth, whither he had gone to see the Exhibition and to visit his daughter, Mrs. PARKER. A telegram conveying the sad news was received this morning by Mr. T.H. PARKER, but we have as yet heard no particulars of this distressing occurrence.

DIED suddenly this morning at Port Elizabeth, William WALLER of this city.
Grahamstown, 11th Dec 1885
The Funeral will proceed from his late residence, Anglo-African-street, tomorrow (Saturday) at 2pm. Friends are respectfully invited to attend.

DEATH FROM TYPHOID
The Argus much regrets to have to record the death of Mr. W.J. ROBERTS, the respected manager of the Salt River Works. The deceased gentleman had been laid up with an attack of typhoid fever, but his death has come upon his friends very suddenly, for it was anticipated that the crisis of the disease would not arrive for another week. He leaves a large circle of friends sincerely to mourn his loss.

Saturday 12 December 1885

MARRIED on the 30th November, at Holy Trinity Church, Kokstad, East Griqualand, South Africa, by the Rev. F.J. Adkin, George John (Doddie) COUPER, Captain, Cape Infantry, second son of the late Wm. P. COUPER Esq. of Douglasmuir, Forfarshire, Scotland, to Alice Amy, second daughter of C.H. CALDECOTT Esq. of Kokstad.

Thursday 17 December 1885

DIED suddenly on the 15th Dec 1885 at Collingham, Bertram Carney, youngest child of Harriett and William WENTWORTH, aged 4½ months.

Wednesday 23 December 1885

MARRIED by the Rev. John Edwards at 16 Lawrance-street, by Licence, on Dec 17th 1885, the Rev. W. Clifford HOLDEN to Sarah, youngest daughter of the late Richard RALPH, Fort Beaufort.

DIED at Cradock on 21st December 1885, Mary THACKWRAY (born WEAKLEY), relict of the late Joseph Ebenezer THACKWRAY, aged 70 years and 4 months. Deceased came out with the British Settlers of 1820.

DEATH BY DROWNING
It is our painful duty to record the death by drowning of Mr. Melville BELL, second son of Mr. H.C. BELL of this city, which occurred this morning at Port Alfred, while bathing in the surf I company with Mr. John HAYTON Jun. No particulars of the melancholy event have yet been received.

Thursday 24 December 1885

FATAL ACCIDENT AT PORT ALFRED
We briefly mentioned in our issue of yesterday the sad news that reached Mr. and Mrs. Herman BELL of this city, of the drowning of their second son, Mulvo. No particulars had then reached town, but we have since learnt that the poor young man was bathing on the east beach with several companions, who went to dress, leaving him in the water. As time passed without his joining them they looked out seaward and were shocked to see that he had been carried out to a distance from the beach, and was battling for his life with the current. The alarm was given and the lifeboat at once put out from the pier, and made for the spot at which the unfortunate swimmer had been seen. But it was too late and all in vain, he was never seen again, and to the present time the body has not been found. It seems that the tide was fast ebbing at the time, and this combined with the rapid currents that sat along the shore after windy weather are sufficient to account for this occurrence, which has cast a gloom over the place. Deep regret is felt at his sad fate, and sincerest sympathy with the parents in their sorrow.

Tuesday 29 December 1885

BIRTH at Grahamstown on Dec 28, the wife of W.A. PHILLIPS of a son.