Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Kemsley Family

Both father and son bore the names John Chambers Kemsley and both became a Mayor of the town. In doing so, they created confusion for historians. In order to distinguish the father from the son, the son will be referred to Kemsley Junior. Like his father J.C. Kemsley junior was also appointed to the boards and management committees of numerous civic organisations, exacerbating the confusion.

Main picture: Kemsley’s Outfitters in Main Street

Brothers William and Robert
Brothers William and Robert Kemsley of Gillingham Kent, came out to the Cape with their families in 1843 and 1849 respectively. Unlike the father and son combination of J.C. Kemsleys, neither ventured into civic affairs nor into outfitting. Instead they established a boat building business specialising in fishing boats on the south side of the Baakens River mouth from which they also undertook the repair of damaged ships in the Bay.  

The wreck of the Thunderbolt at the mouth of the Baakens River in 1847 made the residents realise the urgent necessity of having a lifeboat ready at hand to render assistance at any hour to ships in distress, and in that same year, the first lifeboat was attached to the service of the Port. Built in the Bay by Messrs. W. F. R. Kemsley at the modest figure of £176, it was a thirty-foot boat to be manned by a crew of volunteers under the direction of the Port Captain.

Homestead of John Chalmers Kemsley junior at 50 College Drive, Mill Park [Per Alexander Trollip: My Grandparents home 50 College Drive they built in 1926/27 and moved in once they were married in 1927. The house was sold in 1988 when my Grand Mother passed and we have been fortunate enough to buy it back in December 2020. We are so grateful and happy to have it back in the family. She is a grand old lady with so many childhood memories and family events and happenings. Everyone always gathered at Aunt Millys house. It is so calm and peaceful and we both just love life now that we have moved in and are settled.]

Contract to build a lifeboat
This section details with the saga of the Kemsleys acquiring the contract to construct a life boat for the Harbour Master.

Upon arrival in Port Elizabeth in 1843, Wiliam Kemsley established a boat-building company. The workshop was located on the south side of the Baaken’s River mouth. A possible reason why the Kemsley brothers of William and Robert never emigrated simultaneously was to enable William to ascertain the viability of boatbuilding in the Cape Colony. In all likelihood, after 6 years of operating singly in Port Elizabeth, and viewing the prospects in 1849 as sanguine, William contacted Robert in Kent advising him to join him in Port Elizabeth.

By this time, Jamison had replaced Dunsterville as Harbour Master having died in October 1845 after ten years’ service as the Harbour Master in Port Elizabeth. In matters relating to expenditure and the exercise of his authority, the Harbour Master’s discretion in financial and operational matters was subject to the approval of the Colonial Secretary and the Governor. The sinking of the HMS Thunderbolt at the mouth of the Baaken’s River on the 3rd February 1847 had awakened in the Port Authorities the necessity of acquiring equipment to assist in the rescue of the ship’s crew and its terrified passengers. Without life jackets, most died within hours as they clung to flotsam in the icy waters. Among the requests made by the Harbour Master was for a lifeboat which was duly approved in Cape Town. This boat was for a modest sum of £176 being of thirty foot in length and manned by a crew of volunteers.

William Kemsley must have generated a quote sometime during late 1846 but in doing so was compelled to advise the Colonial Secretary in Cape Town on the 2nd February 1847 that he was unable to comply with the terms stipulated by the Colonial Secretary. The extant correspondence does not provide any indication of what the “points of contention” related to. Nevertheless the contentious issue was clearly a significant item as it related to William Kemsley’s proposal that the life boat be built in Cape Town. Of concern to the Colonial Secretary was the additional cost of relocating the lifeboat from Cape Town being over 800 nautical miles distant. In an exchange with the Colonial Secretary in a letter dated 30th April 1847, Jamison emphatically states that the vessel must be built in Port Elizabeth as then it would be under Kemsley’s direct supervision. Clearly this issue was of key importance to Jamison. William approached a wagon maker, C. Smith, with an offer in which Smith would be paid £20 to design the vessel and £176 to construct it. Jamison sent William a model with dimensions of 30’ x 7 feet with a hold depth of 2 foot. Included were directions “for a lift boat which I consider adapting for this Port. Slater has undertaken to build a lifeboat house according to CEs plan and will also give it extra breath to admit two boats abreast.” In a letter dated 10th May by the Harbour Master to the Colonial Secretary, the Harbour Master accepts Kemsley’s quote of £175 to begin immediately.

St Mary’s Street. 1902. The Royal Hotel. The boat-building Kemsleys’ premises were located in this tiny street.

James Kemsley
Born in Kent, England, on the 20th May 1855 and was brought out to Port Elizabeth by his father Robert Kemsley in 1849. Before marrying Mary Ann (Beal) on the 8th November 1860, James took over the Port Elizabeth Telegraph during  April 1860. This newspaper had a chequered history  both prior to its acquisition by James Kemsley as well as afterwards.

In his book, JJ Redgrave describes the circuitous journey as follows: The first issue of the ” Port Elizabeth Telegraph ” appeared on September 7th, 1848, the editor and proprietor being George Montague Cole, with Henry Dunlop Dyke as printer and pub­lisher, of High Street, as Main Street was then called. Under their able guidance this newspaper soon attained great influence in the colony. Shortly afterwards, Mr. Philip started a rival newspaper, the ” P.E. Mercury”, but after a brief existence it became merged in the ” Telegraph “. On November I5th, 1859, Mr. Dyke died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-five years and in March of the following year the ” Telegraph & Mercury ” were put up to auction by Melvil du Toit, law agent and auction­eer, and the newspapers were sold to James Kemsley, who continued its publication first weekly, then twice a week, and then daily until its cessation in 1898, when the ” Cape Daily Telegraph ” took its place.

In 1880 he built No. 3 Havelock Square. James Kemsley died on the 8th December 1911 at the age of 73.

John Chambers Kemsley senior

J.C. Kemsley, the son of William Kemsley, was born in Gillingham, Kent on the 8th October 1829. He married Martha (Crawford) on the 19th October 1852. Prior entering into business as an  outfitter, he initially worked as a clerk to the Municipality and later became the Librarian of the Public Library. He established Kemsley & Co Limited Men’s Outfitters during 1852 in Main Street. Thereafter he ran his business as E&J Kemsley which later morphed into J.C Kemsley & Co.

Teaching
Mr John Paterson, the founder of Standard Bank commenced working life as a teacher at the Free Government School. Initially in 1845 he was given on a part-time basis my great great grandfather, the Rev. Francis McCleland as an assistant at £15 per annum. Two years later in 1847 he was replaced by a Mr. J. Kemsley as his assistant.

General store
Initially the area which was later occupied by the Railway tation was used as the dumping ground of the town’s refuse but later cottages, stores, offices and Mrs Brook’s boarding house were built in this area On the corner opposite Mrs Brook’s premises in Brook Street, was the General Store of Mr J Kemsley’s Geeral Store selling tobacco, fishing tackle, rope and so forth as his clientele was mainly seamen.

Apart from being appointed Mayor in 1881-1884, he was a member of the management board of the Grey Institute Board as well as the Hospital Board. J.C. Kemsley was also a Justice of the Peace and a member of the Freemasons.

In July 1879, J.C. opened a new store in Main Street described as “quite an ornament”. In 1876 he built  Medway Cottage at 55 Havelock Street.

Wife of John Chambers Kemsley Junior

John Kemsley junior

The son of John Kemsley Senior, John Kemsley junior was born in Port Elizabeth on the 20th May 1855 On the 1st January 1877 he married Rachel Rogers (Frost). He would join his father’s outfitting business and in 1880 became a partner. At a later stage, he took over the running of Kemsley Outfitters & Co Ltd from his father. In 1896 he became Ward Councillor for Ward 3 in Port Elizabeth and served as such for 36 years. In 1898 he was elected Deputy Mayor and Mayor from 1901 to 1904 and again in 1915 to 1918 during The Great War.

He was instrumental in raising funds for Water Works, Erection of Abattoirs, Drainage, Electricity in 1904 et cetera. Other developments in which was involved with or alternatively instrumental in instigating were the Sand & Bulk Rivers Water Supply in 1903, the Van Staadens Water Supply in 1904, the Infectious Disease Hospital, Markets, seawater Bath in Fleming Street.

The seawater swimming bath off Fleming Street

In addition he was involved in the Town Planning Surveys, London Missionary Society Land and was President of the Financial Committee.

JC Kemsley’s shop in Main Street – 4th shop from the left

Water supply
Probably what JC Kemsley junior is most noted for was being instrumental in raising funds and seeing the project to completion of the Sand and Bulk River Water Supply to PE and the building of the Dam. On the 24 September 1904 the foundation stone laying ceremony was performed by J C Kemsley, Esq, JP and Mayor of Port Elizabeth. As a token of the Council’s appreciation of his efforts to promote and fund the dams and water supply, he was presented with a photograph album on completion of the Dam in December 1905 by the PE Municipality.

Sand Palmiet Bulk River Project Foundation Stone Ceremony

JC junior served as a member of The Harbour Advisory Board, The PE Library Committee, the Hospital Board,  was Chairman for many years of The Licencing Board and the PE Museum Board of Trustees. He was also the Director of the PE Assurance & Trust Company for many years. 

Mr JC Kemsley MBE was also the Consul for Peru in the Union and the Consul of Paraguay in Port Elizabeth. During the Great War he was Chairman of the Governor Generals Fund and also of the Port Elizabeth  Recruiting Committee, his services being recognised when he was declared a Member of the Order of the British Empire, and was awarded the MBE after WW1.

Chambers Lodge of JC Kemsley in Park Drive. Subsequently demolished

He was regarded as a “great financier”.  His homes were Crawford Cottage in Havelock Street and later Chambers Lodge  at No 50 Park Drive

Crawford Cottage built circa 1880
Mr & Mrs C R Dodds (nee Kemsley) 18 August 1927. Reception in the grounds of “Chambers Lodge” 50 Park Drive

Holidays at Gomery
After the area now known as Humewood but previously called Strandfontein and then Gomery, was opened up, residents initially began to turn their attention to this area as a suitable spot for picnics and camping ground during the summer months. Several small bungalows began to spring up amoung the sand dunes and were occupied during the warmer months by some of the old wealthy familiessuch as the Kemsleys Their neighbours would have been well-known families such the Heughs, the Kemps, the Andres and the Flemings. These small dwellings must have been uncomfortable especially during the south-easter when they would have received the full blast of wind and sand.

Sources
Port Elizabeth: A Social Chronicle to the end of 1945 by Margaret Harradine (1996, E H Walton (Packaging (Pty) Ltd, Port Elizabeth, on behalf of the Historical Society of Port Elizabeth).
Facebook page of Alexander Trollip
Facebook page of Robert Pringle
Port Elizabeth in Bygone Days by J.J. Redgrave (1947, Rustica Press)
Port Elizabeth Letter Book number M161 at Cape Town Archives

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