Ancestry24

The Chinese in South Africa are caught up between two worlds -the civilised Western world which has adopted this community unofficially and (although tardily) even socially, and the world of its Asiatic origin, which has led to the Chinese being officially classified non-white and subject to certain restrictive legislative measures. Chinese are admitted to White theatres, restaurants and residential sections, and the attitude of most White South Africans toward them is one of sympathetic aloofness. Little contact is made with the Chinese; points of contact are mostly the little corner shop, the laundry or a Chinese restaurant for diversion.

The present Chinese community in South Africa did not originate in the labour force which was recruited in North China in 1904 for the Witwatersrand gold-mines. All those labourers were repatriated four years later by the Transvaal government. The present community has developed from sporadic immigration, which began in 1891 with the arrival from Madagascar and Mauritius of Chinese traders who had originally come from Canton. According to the 1965 returns they number about 7,200 and are distributed as follows: Johannesburg 3,000; the perimeter of the Witwatersrand 450; Pretoria 650; Port Elizabeth 1,800; East London 350; Cape Town 325; Kimberley 275; Durban 175; other centres in South Africa 250. In 1950 a total prohibition was imposed on the immigration of Chinese to South Africa.

The Chinese are mainly traders, and in both wholesale and retail trade they have built up a reputation for honesty and reliability. Bankruptcy seldom occurs. A few practise as doctors, attorneys, architects, engineers or accountants; many are employed in offices of Whites as clerks, typists, computer operators, dispatch clerks or travellers. They mainly belong to the middle income group and their standard of living is far above that prevailing in their country of origin. Very few South African Chinese are in needy circumstances, and one-third may be reckoned among the group of affluent businessmen. Both culturally and socially they are much nearer to the Whites than to the non-Whites, and very few of these Chinese have any connection with other non-White groups with whom they are legally classified. The South African Chinese have even lost contact with Buddhism and have in many cases adopted the Christian faith. In politics they are strongly anti-Communist, and 99 % of them support the Nationalist China of Chiang Kai-shek. Taiwan (Formosa) has full diplomatic representation in South Africa.

The legislation which affects and inconveniences them most is the Group Areas Act. Whenever an area is proclaimed as belonging to some particular racial group, whenever slums are cleared and the residents are required to move, the Chinese fall between two stools. They are neither White nor Indian, nor do they belong among the black or Coloured to whose way of life the area is to be adapted. Although they are mainly a race of traders, their community is too small to support trade among themselves, and they are now seeking an outlet in a greater diversity of occupations. Uncertainty is their greatest problem, but fear of discrimination or humiliation has not been experienced to any appreciable extent.

Samson Rickard Stuttaford

Samson Rickard Stuttaford born in Helston, Cornwall, July 1833 and died in April 1914 London, England, departmental store pioneer, was the son of humble Cornish parents, Samson Pote Stuttaford and his wife, Anne.After attending school in Plymouth, Samson worked as a retail shop assistant in London before immigrating to the Cape in 1854 and three years later began a retail business in Cape Town. Here he opened his own draper’s shop in Harrington Street, moving to Darling Street three years later, where he was joined by his brother, William Foot Stuttaford. In 1867, when Prince Alfred – Queen Victoria ’s youngest son – paid an official visit to the Colony, S.R. Stuttaford and Co. were appointed to supply goods to the royal party. In 1872 the firm moved again, this time to a portion of the Adderley Street site which it still occupies, and a Welsh immigrant, William Thorne, was taken in as a partner. At the same time a buying office was opened in London.

Over the next few decades Stuttaford greatly expanded the firm’s range of products to include ladies’ fashion goods, bicycles, cameras, and optical instruments; mail-order operations also were greatly extended and in 1894 the Stuttaford catalogue ran to over 700 pages. Meanwhile, a year earlier the firm had opened a branch in Pritchard Street, Johannesburg.

In November 1898 Stuttaford’s became a public company, with a share capital of £350 100. By that time William Foot had withdrawn from the enterprise; Thorne became chairman and Samson took up permanent residence in England as London director; his eldest son Richard who was born 13th June 1870 was appointed managing director in Cape Town.

After that Samson also became the owner of the well-known English men’s clothing business of Isaac Walton (London and Newcastle), and gained a major interest in Charles Baker, men’s and boys’ ready-to-wear clothiers of London.

In 1909, five years before his death, Stuttaford arranged for 3 000 preference shares in Stuttafords Ltd. to be donated to the South African College for ‘library purposes’; this gift was to play a major role in building up the library of what was to become the University of Cape Town. He married Elizabeth Bawden on 16th April 1858 in Cape Town.

Below is a list of staff members, who in 1957, had worked at Stuttafords for 20 years or more:

Source: Dictionary of South African Biography

(Sir Harry) Soldier and governor. Whittlesey (England)
(28.6.1787 – London 12.10.1860)His father was John Smith, a surgeon, and his mother Eleanor, daughter of the Rev. George Moore, of Whittlesey.

Educated by the Rev. George Burgess at Whittlesey, Harry (as he was known all his life) was commissioned as ensign in the Rifle Brigade (at that time the 95th Foot) on 17 May 1805. He saw service in South America in 1807, fighting at the siege and surrender of Monte-video, and was with the British force that surrendered at Buenos Aires. From 1808 to 1814 he fought in the Peninsular War, and he was wounded at the River Coa in 1810. In 1814 and 1815 he served in North America in the war against the United States. After this he was appointed assistant quartermaster-general under the Duke of Wellington and fought at Waterloo.

He was promoted lieutenant on 15 Aug. 1805, captain in 1812, major in 1814, and lt.-colonel in 1815. To escape the atrocities that followed the fall of Badajoz (17 April 1812), two Spanish ladies fled the city and threw themselves on the mercy of two young British officers, John Kincaid and Harry Smith. The younger lady was a convent-bred fourteen-year-old girl, Juana Maria de los Dolores de Leon (27.3.1798 – 10.10.1872), whom Harry Smith married a few days later. She was with him throughout the Peninsular campaign and was involved in many adventurous situations; she was in Belgium during the Battle of Waterloo and accompanied her husband to India and South Africa. Although brought up as a Catholic, she conformed to the Church of England from the time of their first residence at the Cape. This was indeed a most successful marriage, although they had no children.

In 1825, accompanied by his wife, Harry Smith sailed with his regiment for Nova Scotia, where he became aide-de-camp to the Governor, Sir James Kempt. ‘I thus learnt much of the administration of a Government, which was afterwards of the greatest possible use to me when administering a Government myself’, he wrote. He was appointed deputy quartermaster-general in Jamaica in 1827 and in 1829 deputy quartermaster-general at the Cape of Good Hope.

Stationed at Cape Town from 1829 to the end of 1834, he was sent to the Eastern Province on the out break of the Sixth Frontier War, with full civil and military powers. He rode post from Cape Town to Grahamstown in six days, starting on 1 Jan. 1835 with one Hottentot attendant. He proclaimed martial law, strengthened the defences of Grahamstown, and reoccupied Fort Wiltshire. After the arrival of the Governor, Sir Benjamin D’Urban, Smith served as second in command.

From February to June he was occupied in clearing the country of the enemy, and when the Governor returned to Grahamstown, Smith was appointed to take charge of the new Province of Queen Adelaide with headquarters at King William’s Town, where he was joined by his wife. They worked hard at settling the province and civilising the Xhosas until Lord Glenelg reversed D’Urban’s policy, ordering Queen Adelaide Province to be abandoned and Andries Stockenström to succeed Smith on the frontier. Smith was promoted to the rank of colonel on 10 Jan. 1837. He was much fêted in Cape Town for his zealous, humane and enlightened administration on the frontier. He left the Cape in June 1840 on being appointed adjutant-general to the British forces in India.

He was knighted (K.C.B.)for his part in the Gwalior campaign and for his services at the Battle of Maha­rajpur (Dec. 1843); in 1845 and 1846 he saw much fighting against the Sikhs, won a great victory at Aliwal, where he led the final charge in person, and commanded a division at Sobraon. In 1846, for his services in India, he was given the Grand Cross of the Bath and created a baronet, with the unusual appella­lation ‘of Aliwal on the Sutlej’. Having returned to England in 1847, Sir Harry was made a freeman of London and Glasgow, received an honorary degree at Cambridge, and as from 9 Nov. 1846 was promoted major-general. On 3 Sept. 1847 he was appointed Governor of the Cape Colony, High Commissioner and commander-in-chief. With Lady Smith he landed at the Cape on 1. Dec. 1847, The Seventh Frontier War had just ended and Smith left Cape Town on 11 Dec. for King William’s Town to meet the Bantu chiefs. On 17 Dec. at Grahamstown he issued a proclamation greatly extending the boundaries of the Colony, and on 23 Dec. 1847 at King William’s Town, in the presence of the Xhosa chiefs, he proclaimed British Kaffraria a British sovereignty.

On this occasion he made each chief touch either the staff of peace or the staff of war and kiss his foot. Another great meeting of chiefs was held on 7 Jan. 1848 when Sir Harry made them take an oath to obey the laws, to cease the practice of witchcraft, to abolish the sin of buying wives, to listen to the missionaries, etc. In order to impress on them what would happen if they broke their word, he blew up a wagon full of explosives.

On 28 Dec. 1847 the Governor annexed the port and village of East London to the Cape Colony, and in 1848 settled discharged soldiers in the new villages of Ely, Woburn, Auckland and Juanasburg. Having proclaimed the territory between the Orange and Vaal Rivers a British sovereignty and determined the form of government, he defeated the Boer forces tinder Comdt.-Gen. Andries Pretorius at the Battle of Boomplaats.

Although strongly opposed to the use of the Cape as a convict settlement, it was Smith’s duty as gover­nor to give effect to the Order in Council establishing it as such. In forwarding to Earl Grey, Secretary of State for the Colonies, numerous petitions against the proposal, Smith hoped that ‘the decision of rendering this Colony a penal settlement, so objec­tionable to myself and obnoxious to the inhabitants, may be revoked’. When the Neptune arrived with convicts aboard it was his duty to settle them, and he refused to send the Neptune away, but agreed not to allow the convicts to land until he had made further representations to Earl Grey.

His determined stand against adopting the extreme measures demanded by the Anti-Convict Association brought him much unpopularity at the time, while his refusal to allow the convicts to land brought him a severe reprimand from Earl Grey, who later admitted that in the circumstances Smith could not have acted otherwise.

When Smith thought that he had brought the frontier to a state of tranquility and had returned to Cape Town, the Eighth Frontier War broke out. He hastened to the front, where he was besieged at Fort Cox and broke through the hordes of savages and arrived safely at King Williams Town. He took part in the fighting in the early months of 1851 and continued to direct operations until he was superseded as governor and commander-in-chief by Sir George Cathcart. There were many differences of opinion about the recall of Smith, but he was greeted as a great victor. Promoted lt.-general in 1854, he commanded the Northern military district in England from 1854 to 1859.

Sir Harry Smith was small in stature and slight in build. He was a great soldier, energetic and decisive, a strict disciplinarian, but humane to the men under his command – a man of firm purpose, but of a romantic temperament and given to theatrical gestures. Not only his sterling qualities but also his eccentricities endeared him to both soldiers and civilians.

Various places in South Africa have been named after him or his wife or after places with which he was associated: Harrismith, Fauresmith, Smithfield, Ladysmith, Ladismith, Juanasburg, Aliwal North and Whittlesea. Sir Harry received many decorations and medals.

Juana Smith

Sir Harry Smith

Source: SESA (Standard Encyclopedia of Southern Africa)

Old Map of Harrismith, Free State

Source: SESA (Standard Encyclopedia of Southern Africa)

Born: Bloemfontein, 02 April 1882; Died: London, England, 19 October 1944.Cabinet minister, author and soldier, Reitz was the third of five sons, his mother, Blanka Thesen, a member of a Norwegian family, of Knysna, being the first wife of Francis William Reitz, chief justice and afterwards president of the O.F.S. Reitz was given the family name of his paternal grandmother, Cornelia Magdalena Deneys.

He was educated in Bloemfontein. At the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War he joined the Boer forces at the age of seventeen, saw service at Ladysmith, and accompanied Gen. J. C. Smuts on his famous raid in the Cape Colony (1901-02), of which it, in 1929, wrote a stirring account in his autobiography, Commando. Refusing to take the oath of allegiance at the end of the war, he endured three harsh years abroad, mainly in Madagascar, but was persuaded by Mrs J. C. Smuts to return in 1905, and in 1908 established himself as an attorney in Heilbron.

During the First World War he served on Smuts’s staff in German South-West Africa, and in German East Africa commanded the Fourth South African Horse. Going overseas in 1917, he was twice severely wounded on the western front, was mentioned in dispatches, and ended the war a colonel commanding a battalion of the First Royal Scots fusiliers.

On his return to South Africa he, in 1919, married Leila Agnes Buissiné Wright (1887-1959), of Wynberg, who subsequently became the first woman member of parliament in South Africa. They had two sons.

Entering politics as a member of the South African party, Reitz represented Bloemfontein South in 1920, and, a few months later, Port Elizabeth, having been ousted in a general election by Dr Colin Steyn. Subsequently, in 1929, he represented Barberton. Though he lacked the benefits of an advanced education, Reitz through experience and sheer force of personality, proved a good debater. Appointed to the Smuts cabinet, he, as minister of lands, introduced legislation relating to several important projects, notably the establishment of the Kruger national park.

Out of office from 1924 to 1933, Reitz joined a firm of Johannesburg solicitors and, both personally and on business, travelled widely, visiting the Rhodesias, the Belgian Congo, and, more especially, the Kaokoveld in South-West Africa. It was then, in 1929, that he wrote Commando, the first of his literary successes.

Back in office in 1933, he was appointed minister of lands as a member of Gen. J. B. M. Hertzog’s coalition cabinet, subsequently be-coming minister of agriculture and forestry in 1935 and minister of mines in 1938. From 1939 to 1943 he was minister of native affairs and deputy prime minister in Smuts’s war-time cabinet. In 1943 he went to London as high commissioner for South Africa, an office that he held until his death in 1944. In South Africa he was regarded as an enterprising cabinet minister, and in the United Kingdom as an admirable representative of the Union of South Africa.

Publication of Commando was followed by that of Trekking on in 1933, and of No outspan in 1943. The first two narratives end with the First World War; the third, a lively mixture of history, politics, travel and sports, covers the next twenty-five years. All three were marked successes, Trekking on achieving a reception as enthusiastic as that of Commando. Both were regarded as classics of adventure, not merely because of their stirring themes, but because of the personality of the narrator and a forthright sincerity of style that matches admirably its material.

Source: Dictionary of South African Biography, Volume I. Copyright: Media24 Digital

Image: SESA (Standard Encyclopedia of Southern Africa)

Colonel Deneys Reitz

Born in 1948 in Pinelands, Cape Town. Concert pianist.At the age of three Tessa Uys had her first piano lessons from her mother, Helga Bassel, and when she was thirteen she made her debut with the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra in the City Hall. Until 1967, when she matriculated and left for London on a bursary awarded in 1965 by the Associated Board, her training was continued by Sona Whiteman and Lamar Crowson. In London she trained to become a concert pianist and she remained there until 1980. After her arrival she was taught by Gordon Green and obtained a few licentiates; she also won a number of awards. As her study advanced she entered for master classes in England and on the continent, where she was a pupil of Maria Curcio from 1972. Her concert career commenced in 1970. Since then she has often played in Great Britain, but also in Germany, Holland, Italy and Belgium and has been engaged by the BBC and Radio Netherlands in Hilversum for broadcasts. Her concert appearances in Great Britain include performances of concertos with London orchestras. Through the years she has not neglected her professional connections with South Africa and is at present resident here and a professionally active factor in the country’s music.

Benjamin Osler also known as Bennie born in Aliwal North on 23rd November 1901 and died in Cape Town on 23rd April 1962, Springbok rugby player, was the son of Benjamin and Isobel Osler. Bennie’s ancestors have been traced back to Edward Osler, a prominent merchant and ship-owner, with a hint of piracy involvement.Bennie went to various schools, including the Western Province Preparatory School, Rondebosch Boys’ High School, and Kingswood College, Grahamstown. From 1921 he read law at the University of Cape Town, qualifying in 1925. During this period he represented the University on the rugby field, but from 1926 to 1930 played for Hamiltons and from 1931 to 1933 for Villagers. He acted as captain of all three clubs and on various occasions captained Western Province, which he represented from 1922 to 1933.

He gained his Springbok colours in 1924, when he played against Ronald Cove-Smith’s British team in all four test matches. Four years later (1928) he also played in all four tests against Maurice Brownlee’s New Zealand touring side, and in 1931-32 captained the Springbok team (which went to the British Isles) in all the tests of that series. He rounded off his rugby career in 1933 by playing in all five tests against the visiting Australians, acting as captain in the second test. He had scored forty-six points in the seventeen consecutive tests in which he played Osler is generally regarded as the best fly-half South Africa has produced so far (1979), a man who could dictate play. The decade during which he was a Springbok is even called the ‘Osler Era’ by sports writers, owing to his influence on the game. While he played for South Africa the country won all the test series, his province carried off the Currie Cup throughout, and each club for which he played won the Grand Challenge Cup. He had no equal as a tactical kicker and it was in particular his almost perfectly-placed corner kicks to wings which gained many tries for the Springboks. He could launch long outside kicks from any corner and as a drop-kicker he often clinched matches. Nobody was more feared by opponents than Osler.

He was also an attacking fly-half who could send his full-backs off with incredible speed when circumstances permitted or, if not, could himself shoot through an opening like lightning. Autocratic on the field, he would tolerate no passes from scrumhalfs that were above waist height; if the centres next to him blundered even once, he usually mistrusted them afterwards and would rather kick the ball – a course of action which can be regarded as one of his few weaknesses. As a captain he attached great value to tactical planning before a match, and he believed in strict team discipline.

During the Second World War (1939-45) Bennie went with the South African forces to East Africa where he contracted both malaria and amoebic dysentery which probably contributed to his relatively early death.

Unlike other great players Osler had little interest in coaching or the administration of the sport when he retired. After working as a salesman for a long time, he eventually went farming on a small scale, at first near East London and later near Bellville.

The brothers Bennie and Stanley Osler

He married Gladys Hobson and had two children. Photographs of him appear inter alia in The Bennie Osler story and Springbok saga (both infra).

Osler’s Cornish Connections

Benjamin. Falmouth born circa 1776 son of Edward and Mary (Paddy) Osler of Falmouth and husband of Jane (Sawle) Osler born 1775. father of Susannah, Stephen Sawle, Mary Anne, Amelia, Elizabeth, Sarah, Joseph, Jane, Benjamin, Phillippa and Julia. Leader of W.J. Cornish 1820 Settlers. Returned to Cornwall with wife and some members of his family 4.1822.

Stephen Sawle born in Falmouth 27th September 1804, died 21st October 1867 in Simonstown. Son of Benjamin and Jane (Sawle) Osler and husband of Catherine Osler (born Dakins, formerly Wright) of Llaway Glen, Montgomeryshire, Wales. 1802-1881. father to Benjamin, James Goodriche, Catherine and Jane; and also Christina, dtr of Orange Kleyne (Klein). Founder of the Osler family in SA.

Susannah Osler born in Falmouth circa 1800. daughter of Benjamin and Jane (Sawle) Osler married 1st John Coleman (1792-1829) of Cock’s party at Reedfountain, Eastern Cape on 17th June 1820, 2nd time to Mr Fineran from Quebec.

The small Cornish party, under the leadership of Benjamin Osler of Falmouth, Cornwall, sailed in the ‘Weymouth’, which left Portsmouth in January 1820. Having arrived in Albany so that he might supervise the first arrivals, Sir Rufane Donkin considered that a more central and accessible site should be chosen for the administration of the settlement. Ignoring the fact of Graham’s Town’s better defensible position and that it was already established as a military base, the site he chose on 9 May 1820, was just west of Thorn Ridge. This was to be the centre of the civilian administration and also the seat of magistracy. Sir Rufane declared it was to supercede Graham’s Town as the capital town of Albany, and it was to be named Bathurst in honour of Earl Bathurst, Secretary for the Colonies. In his enthusiasm Donkin allotted plots to the Earl and also his own sons and nephews, while 500 acres of Glebe were allotted for a clergyman and chaplain of the Church of England, the vacant post to be filled in due course by a suitable man. The post of administrator, however, was filled by the transfer to Albany from the Western Cape of Capt Charles Trappes.

By 9 June the Cornish party of Benjamin Osler was enroute to their location from Algoa Bay. Osler’s party, it had been decided, was to be located some 12 miles southwest of the new town of Bathurst, and halfway to the Kowie River mouth. This was in the curve of the Mansfield River, a left bank tributary to Kowie River, today known as Grove Hill. Osler named the location Pendennis in memory of the similarity the area bore to his Cornish hometown of Falmouth and its Pendennis Castle.

Pitching their tents for protection from the cold winter nights and the intermittent drizzle, the party immediately set to clearing the land so that ploughing and sowing of their first crop could be done. Soon after arrival, they were to be joined by a young man, John Coleman, 28 years of age and a gardener from Cock’s party who had sailed with them in the Weymouth. Coleman was not altogether an unexpected arrival, for he had made his intentions clear earlier and on the 17 June, he was married by the Rev William Shaw to Benjamin Osler’s eldest daughter, Susannah. Theirs were the first marriage in the whole settlement.

The proximity to Bathurst of Osler’s location at Pendennis meant that these settlers were closely concerned with the early development of that town. Lots were already being offered for sale and the Colonial Secretary had ordered erection of a prison. The building of the Bathurst Residency got under way by October. All this activity afforded employment to bricklayers, carpenters, slaters, sawyers and stone-masons, who were able to direct their energies into a rewarding field while they waited patiently for the crops to ripen. Hopes for the future were bright, but by the end of November it became apparent that ‘rust’ had affected practically all the wheat sown since their arrival and the crops were useless. With little resources to withstand such a disaster, the administration decided that the issue of rations was therefore to be continued, but they became an additional charge against the deposit money. When that had been exhausted, it was a liability for future repayment. By Christmas Day that year, the circumstances of many were desperate and prospects for the future grim.

Undaunted by these hardships and their considerably reduced circumstances, the settlers sought what work they could find. The Bathurst Residency, long delayed in its completion by the number of unfortunate disputes that had arisen, was still an avenue for employment. William Mallett, a mason with Osler’s party joined with Thomas Marham of Bethany, James’ party’s location, and together they contracted on 5 November 1821, for slating and plastering work on the Residency to the value of £16. 10. 0d.

Lots had continued to be sold at Bathurst and houses built on them, but again, as a year earlier, ‘rust’ began to appear in the wheat and by the end of the year it was apparent to all that the wheat crop had once again failed. This was now a major calamity. Though rations were continued, they were reduced to half portions. Despite what the settlers had previously received, and even for those in dire need who had no money or hope of ever redeeming what they already owed, a parsiminous administration ruled they were only to get half a pound of rice per adult per week. Meagre indeed, but to ameliorate their difficulties, the stringent pass laws restricting settlers to their locations were relaxed and many now went in search of work, not only in Albany, but further afield if they could afford to get themselves there.

Lord Charles Somerset had by now returned to the Cape from his bride hunting furlough in England, and once again took up the reins of office as Governor.

He was furious to find the number of rather illogical decisions taken by Sir Rufane were actually detrimental to the scheme as he had originally envisaged it. He thus immediately set about reversing them. Bathurst was demoted from its pre-eminent position, which consequently caused another sharp depression when the Magistracy was summarily removed to Graham’s Town and the many settlers who had invested their small capital in establishing business premises in order that they might better serve the community, now faced ruin and impoverishment as it was quite evident the town of Bathurst would stagnate. It did and many then returned their attention to trading. Fairs were permitted at Fort Willshire and to these came the native tribesmen from beyond the Colony’s borders. James Weeks was one of the Cornish settlers who took to offering the more conventional manufactures. He and others traded tobacco and cloth in exchange for hides and skins, ivory, cut wood and simple items of use that could either be sold again in Graham’s Town or taken down to Algoa Bay and bartered there for the farming implements in such short supply. But the air of depression continued, it was no good having the basis for an exchange of goods if the majority the inhabitants, both settler and tribesmen, were so impoverished that goods and hard cash were virtually an unknown commodity amongst them. Osler left his location in April 1822 to return with his wife and five younger children to Cornwall. What remained of Osler’s party slowly broke up. Headed by John Dale, it began to disintegrate further. Osler’s daughter, Susannah and her husband decided to make their home at Simonstown where they were to be joined by her brother, Stephen Sawle Osler, who had elected not to return to Cornwall. By the beginning of 1824 William Mallett had moved away to Uitenhage and matrimony was to call Joseph Richards to a date in Graham’s Town where on 23 September that year, he was married to Sarah Attwell, the seventeen year old daughter of Richard Attwell of Crause’s party. Grace Weeks had died and the end of the year saw Charles Pearse returning to England to rejoin his wife with and family who had been unable to embark with him.

The small party of Cornish settlers, comprising only eleven men and their families at the outset, was already diminished in number by nearly half, and the few that did remain on Pendennis were to become so insignificant numerically that from then on their story melds with that of the settlement itself, conversely reflecting their great adaptability and absorption into the new country.

Source:
Dictionary of South Africa Biography Vol 5.
Cornish Immigrants to South Africa by Graham Dickason.
History of South African Rugby Football (1875 – 1932) by Ivor Difford

Further reading and resources:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bathonia/OslerBathFrancisConnections.htm

Osler Library – http://www.mcgill.ca/osler-library/

Acknowledgements: Michael Bath

Born in 1868 in London; died 13 December 1913 near Jagersfontein, OFS. Violinist and music teacher; son of Edwin Ould, a double-bass player and composer, who was a member of orchestras in London.Percy Ould studied at the RAM from September 1884 to July 1887, becoming an Associate. Upon his arrival in South Africa in 1893, he joined the staff of St Andrew’s College in Grahamstown as music master and in the same year took the initiative in creating an Orchestral Society, which lasted until his departure in 1898. During these four years the membership of the Society increased from 12 to 37 players and the programmes gained in significance, eventually including works such as the Allegro from Mozart’s Jupiter symphony and the Unfinished symphony by Schubert. Ould was indeed a dedicated worker, serious in his approach to amateur playing and enthusiastic to the point of ordering tympani from England to give authority to their percussion section. At times he included some of his own compositions in the programmes. As a music master at St Andrew’s he and his pupils contributed to functions organised by the Literary and Debating Society and Recreation Society and played incidental music to the play productions for which the school had become known. Due to his musicianship there was a marked advance in the quality of the chapel music and of the secular items heard at the annual prize giving ceremonies. Apart from these primary responsibilities he managed the lion’s share of the musical organisation for the Great Exhibition held in Grahamstown from December 1898 to January 1899; his orchestra was active in a choral performance of Messiah and in the accompaniment of soloists. The fruitful years in Grahamstown ended in 1899 when musical interests influenced him to move to Cape Town . He had made a name for himself in that City on 15 July 1896 when he co-operated with the conductor Thomas Barrow-Dowling and the orchestra of the Cape Music Society in performing Mendelssohn’s Violin concerto. He acted as leader of this orchestra until 1906, when the deterioration of his health necessitated his return to the drier climate of Grahamstown. The minutes of the Cape Music Society repeatedly pay tribute to his abilities as an orchestral leader and also note the occasions on which he played his Guadagnini violin in concertos with the orchestra. In Cape Town he had also been responsible for the creation, in 1897, of a string quartet, known as the Chamber Music Union; the Union gave several series of concerts under his direction.

Back in Grahamstown he taught music privately until his appointment as a lecturer in music at the Grahamstown Training College in January 1910. An all-round musician, proficient on piano, organ, stringed instruments and, in addition, an able choirmaster, Ould rapidly developed a school of music at the College. The year of his appointment was also the year in which South Africa became a Union; for Grahamstown’s musical contribution to the general festivities he created a Grahamstown Philharmonic Society which attracted 104 voices and an orchestra of 35. They performed at a concert given on 31 May 1910, at which he conducted inter alia a performance of his own setting of F.E. Walrond’s occasional poem entitled Mighty Lord of nations. Continually troubled by ill-health, he was forced temporarily to relinquish his work at the Training College and depart for treatment in England. He returned to Grahamstown after six months, but three weeks later he died while on a visit to friends in the O.F.S.

Mr. Paul Xiniwe went to Lovedale in 1881 as an advanced student on the recommendation of Rev. Edward Solomon, of Bedford, from whence he came. He had worked previously on the railway as timekeeper and later as telegraph operator. At Lovedale he entered the students’ classes in January, 1881. In the second year he obtained the seventy-fourth certificate of competency at the Elementary Teachers’ Examination. He became teacher in the Edwards Memorial School, Port Elizabeth. His school was said to stand high in the classification of schools of the district in efficiency. After some years he tired of the teaching profession, and having saved some money, resigned in order to become a business man. He bought property at East London, Port Elizabeth and Kingwilliamstown, and opened stores as merchant and hotel proprietor. At Kingwilliamstown his property was conspicuous, being a double storey building and known as the Temperance Hotel. In a very short time the Temperance Hotel was known through the Cape Province. Paul Xiniwe took a very keen interest in the welfare of his people. An upright man, honest gentleman, and a thorough Christian and a staunch temperance apostle.

He married a Miss Ndwanya, sister of Mr. Ndwanya, a law agent who was respected by Europeans and natives at Middle-drift. Mr. Xiniwe was the father of five children. The eldest son, Mr. B. B. Xiniwe, was a law agent at Stutterheim for a number .of years; the second son is in Johannesburg; the third, a daughter, Frances Mabel Maud, is the wife of the editor of this book; the fourth, another daughter, Mercy, is the wife of Mr. Ben. Tyamzashe, a schoolmaster and an author; and the youngest son, Mr. G. Xiniwe, is a clerk in a solicitor’s office, Kingwilliamstown. Mr. Paul Xiniwe died at an early age leaving a widow and five children to look after themselves. Mrs. Xiniwe who, with her husband, had been to Europe as a member of a native choir, was a lady of .experience, tact, character and business acumen. Difficult though it was, she maintained her late husband’s property, and carried on the business and educated her children. This lady indeed commanded the respect of all who knew her, white and black. Paul Xiniwe was a man of his word. He swore he would never touch liquor. When he became very ill his doctor advised him to take a little brandy, but he made up his mind that he would not do so, although it was said brandy was the only thing that would save his life.

Mrs. E. XINIWE was born and educated at Middledrift, Cape Province. She married the late Paul Xiniwe, of Kingwilliamstown, They lived together at Port Elizabeth where the husband was teaching. After some time they went to Kingwilliamstown where they established a general dealer’s business and hotel, later branches of this business were established at East London and Port Elizabeth. Mrs. Xiniwe, like her husband, proved to be very good in business. Was also a very good musician with a fine soprano voice. She and her husband toured Europe with a native choir. They sang before Royalties. When Mr. Xiniwe died Mrs. Xiniwe took full control .of the business which continued to prosper in her charge in spite of her husband’s death. She was the mother of three sons and two daughters to whom she gave a good education, and a start in business. Her property was a big double-storey building on the Market Square in Kingwilliamstown. As her husband was an African pioneer in business, so she was the first African women to control successfully :such vast business interests in South Africa. Mrs. Xiniwe had many friends both in South Africa and England. She was the mother of Mrs. Skota, wife of the editor of this book, and Mrs. B. Tyamzashe, and Messrs. B. B., M. and G. Xiniwe. Her death was a great blow to many people in the Cape Province.

Mr. W. D. SOGA was born and educated in the Cape Province. He was related to the great Tiyo Soga. Mr. Soga took a keen interest in the progressive life of his people. He was a politician and leader. Was a founder and director of the Izwe, a weekly newspaper printed and published in East London, Cape Province.