Tuesday 1 May 1888

FELL ASLEEP on Wednesday the 25th April 1888, at his residence, Bathurst-street, Henry KNOWLES, of Grahamstown, aged 69 years.

BIRTH at Locke House, Grahamstown on the 28th April 1888, Mrs. SHAND of a daughter.

ANOTHER DEPARTURE
There is yet another departure to add to the long list that have gone to make the Diamond Fields more select. Mr.G.B. WEDDERBURN, of Messrs. WEDDERBURN & Son, left here on Saturday evening last to take up his residence in Kimberley. We wish him every success and hope he will benefit by the change.

Mr. W.H.S. BELL, late of the legal firm of BELL & HUTTON, left town last night for Kimberley, where he takes up his residence, having entered into partnership with Mr. Alfred CALDECOTT. The firm will henceforth be CALDECOTT & BELL, and we have no doubt from the legal and general ability which our late fellow-citizen will bring into it that it will continue to take a leading place in the Side-Bar of Kimberley. While wishing abundant prosperity to Mr. BELL, we must regret the loss of so energetic a resident of Grahamstown, who has yielded, as was only natural, to the superior business attractions of the Diamond Fields. Mr. BELL was entertained at a farewell dinner on Friday evening at the Club, by a number of his friends, Mr. A. WILMOT presiding.

Saturday 5 May 1888

DIED at Wolf’s Crag, Lower Albany, on the 1st May 1888, Charles PENNY, aged 76 years and 5 days.

Tuesday 8 May 1888

DEATH OF REV. C. WHITE
The death of this veteran Missionary, who had been for nearly 40 years engaged in the work of the ministry in this Colony and Pondoland in connexion with the Wesleyan Methodist Church, took place on the 24th April. Mr. WHITE, who will be well and honourably remembered by many Eastern Province residents, was in the 73rd year of his age. He was buried at Umtata on the following day, the ceremony being conducted by the Rev. J.W. HOUSESHAM. Col. GRIFFITH, Rev. Mr. TONKIN of the Anglican Church, Major GRANT and other officers of the C.M.R., Major ELLIOTT, T. MERRIMAN Esq. R.M. and the clergy of the St.John’s Mission were among the numerous friends who attended the funeral. Some of the natives rode 60 miles (from Osborn) to attend.

Thursday 10 May 1888

SUDDEN DEATH
It is with much regret that we announce the sudden death of a well-known citizen, Mr. S. J. GRIFFITHS, lately manager of Mr. J. STANTON’s branch shop in Beaufort-street. On Tuesday afternoon he complained of a severe pain in his side and was advised to go home. He did so, and on his arrival he requested Mrs. GRIFFITHS to mix for him a little brandy and water, as he felt faint. While she was doing so he lay back in his seat and expired. He had been ailing for some time but no serious results were anticipated, and we beg to tender our sincere sympathy to his widow and friends. The deceased was well known and highly respected in the City, and has for a considerable time been a member of the Lodge of Freemasons. A number of the members of this lodge will attend his funeral this afternoon at half past three. A large number of deceased’s friends will also accompany the remains to their last resting place.

Saturday 12 May 1888

DROWNING ACCIDENT
As Mr. Joseph Henry COLLYER, of Balfour, was on his way to Grahamstown he witnessed a most deplorable accident. While crossing the Kat River (which was much swollen) on Thursday, a man named WHITE accompanied by his wife and child also attempted to cross the river in their wagon. The water was running very strong, and the wagon stuck in the middle of the river and commenced breaking up. Mrs. WHITE, seeing the danger, threw herself off and managed, with her child, to struggle to the bank of the river. Mr. WHITE unfortunately, however, remained on his seat, and bullocks and wagon along with Mr. WHITE were carried down the river. Mr. WHITE was drowned, but as yet his body has not been recovered. All the bullocks were drowned, with the exception of the two leaders, who managed to get free and were saved. The wagon was loaded with produce, and of course all has been lost. Great sympathy is felt for Mrs. WHITE and her family. Mr. WHITE was on his way to take up his residence on Mr. JELLYMAN’s farm, which adjoins the river. Mr. WHITE was a middle aged man and highly respected.

Saturday 19 May 1888

OBITUARY
We regret to hear of the death of Mrs. WHITE Sen, wife of Capt. WHITE R.N., who passed away yesterday. Mrs. WHITE, who had attained the advanced age of 85 years, had been for some time past suffering from an injury to her hip, sustained by a fall in her house. To Captain WHITE, who is himself 96 years old, and is confined to the house by the results of a similar accident to that which befell his late wife, we tender our sincere sympathy

Wednesday 23 May 1888

MARRIED at Commemoration Church this day, by the Rev. N. Abraham, Mr. David HISCOCK of Somerset East to Miss Hannah Adeline BRADFIELD of this City.

DEATH OF MRS. COLLIER
We regret to see in the Kimberley papers the notice of the decease of Mrs. Annie Selina COLLIER, wife of Mr. J.B.COLLIER and eldest daughter of Rev. M. NORTON of this City.

Saturday 26 May 1888

MR. JAMES FLOWER JUN.
A Capetown paper hears that this gentleman committed suicide by jumping over Westminster Bridge, and it is supposed that the misfortunes which have lately overtaken his firm in England and Capetown have weighed on his mind. He leaves a wife and several young children.

Tuesday 29 May 1888

We regret to record the death of Agnes, youngest child and only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. ROBERTS. She died of fever on Saturday last. Although hardly yet more than an infant, she was a most engaging child, and a general favourite, and great sympathy is felt for the bereaved family in their sorrow.

DEATH OF MR. GEO. UPPLEBY
The Herald records the decease of Mr. UPPLEBY, a highly respected resident of Port Elizabeth, who had attained the age of 81 years and 9 months. He was a kind-hearted man, full of sympathy for the indigent and distressed, and with his lately deceased wife, Mrs. UPPLEBY, was well-known for works of charity. Deceased had been a resident in the Colony for more than 40 years.

Thursday 31 May 1888

BIRTH at Grahamstown on the 15th inst, the wife of Wm. NORRIS of a daughter.

DIED at the Albany Hotel, Henrietta Isabella, the beloved wife of Walter T. TARR, aged 35 years and 11 months, leaving an afflicted husband and 8 little children to mourn their irrecoverable loss. The bereaved wished to tender his sincere thanks to the kind nurses who waited on her during her illness, also to the many friends both in Grahamstown and in the country.
“Not lost, but gone before”.
May 30th 1888

DIED at Grahamstown on May 30 1888, John Charles JAY in his 48th year.
The Funeral of the above will leave his residence, S.Aidan’s College, tomorrow morning, June 1st, at half past 8 o’clock.
Friends invited to attend.

HORRIBLE MURDER
Everyone in town either knew Mr. James GRANT personally or by sight, and the sad intelligence of the kindly old gentleman’s awful end will cause a widespread thrill of horror. On Tuesday Mr. GRANT, whose custom it has always been for some time to take a stroll in the cool of the day, set out about 5:30 from his house, and Mr. C. WEBB said “Good evening” to him as he passed his house, on his way up towards Sugar Loaf Hill. As he had not returned by about 7 o’clock, Mrs. GRANT became rather alarmed, and got a neighbour to allow two of her children to go and see if he were about. Away up in a solitary spot near Mr. EDDIE’s observatory, and above the cricket ground, they found the poor old man stretched upon the grass, and immediately called Mr. QUAITE, who at first thought the deceased had been taken with a fit, but upon raising him a large pool of blood led him to suspect foul play, whereupon he sent for Mr. C. WEBB, field-cornet, and the two examined the body, discovering unmistakeable traces of deliberate murder. The marks of a crushing blow with some blunt instrument were visible in a livid and bloody line extending from the back of the head across the neck to the chin. There was a cruel stab under the chin on the left side, and when stripped there was seen to be another stab, apparently with the blade of a clasp-knife, on the right side. The unfortunate victim bore signs of very rough handling, as his overcoat had been wrenched open so violently as to tear all the buttons off it, and the coat and vest had been similarly treated, while a further search revealed the fact that all the pockets had been ransacked, and a purse containing half a crown, which Mrs. GRANT says he had on him when he left home, was missing, thus leaving no reasonable doubt that the motive of this foul deed was robbery. Within a radius of some fourteen yards from the body were found deceased’s hat battered in, his walking stick and a pair of spectacles, as well as a small magnifying-glass and some tablets also belonging to him, and a little further off his pocket handkerchief was found. Mr. QUAITE and the field-cornet placed the body on a door and had it carried to the residence of deceased, after which Dr. GREATHEAD, District Surgeon, and Dr. FLIGG made an examination of the body. Sergeant HOAD, who was promptly on the spot with two constables, took possession of the clothing and remained on the watch all night, but without discovering anything. The old gentleman whose existence has been thus tragically terminated had reached the advanced age of 72 years, and was in delicate health. Mr. HATCHARD, A.R.M., went up late the same night, but the formal examination was not made till next morning.