Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Legacy of Henry Fancourt White

Like all the major roads up from the centre of town to the top of the hill, these roads were originally kloofs with streams, jagged rocks and steep cliffs. So it was with White’s Road. The original steep embankments on either side precluded the construction of buildings except for the Opera House. Except in historical circles is the engineer in charge, Henry Fancourt White, today remembered for his legacy. Even his name has been obliterated, being replaced with the name, John Kani. Despite this iniquity, he will be recalled by golfers in an elite manor house in George, renamed in his honour as Fancourt.

This is the story of this significant road in Port Elizabeth’s history.

Main Picture: This is the earliest extant photograph that I can find of White’s Road. It shows the devastation after the torrential rains of 20th and 21st November 1867. 

How did the people get to the top of the hill before the conversion of the kloof into a proper road? According to JJ Redgrave, it was follows: “Up till the forties [he is referring to the 1840’s of course], the Hill or hills were inaccessible for the most part, except up Military Road and by stony footpaths – one from the side of St Mary’s up to the Monument [the name given to the Donkin Pyramid at the time] and the other past the site of St Augustine’s up to the Reverend McCleland’s residence.”

Redgrave continues as follows: “White’s Road was then a stony, rugged, steep kloof with a strong stream of water running down it in which some of the town’s laundry used to be performed. The little footpath up it commenced near the present Public Library and zigzagged in places under bushes and rocks before emerging at the corner of the present King Edward Mansions.

Scenes during the visit of Lord Loch, 27 January, 1890. Procession nearing the top of White's Road. Men of the P.A.G. Regiment in procession. Decorative archway at the top of the road. Grand Hotel with spectators lining the balconies.
Scenes during the visit of Lord Loch, 27 January, 1890. Procession nearing the top of White’s Road. Men of the P.A.G. Regiment in procession. Decorative archway at the top of the road. Grand Hotel with spectators lining the balconies.
Foot of White’s Road

The early Bayonians [Port Elizabeth residents] referred to it as the “kloof near the church.” Most of the water which flowed down the kloof came from a wide, open vlei which covered the present Trinder Reserve [now called Trinder Square] in Western Road and was at one time the peaceful haunt of waterfowl.”

White's Road circa 1897
White’s Road circa 1897. Note that the offices of the E.P. Herald had by now been relocated to a building on the southern side of White’s Road
White's Road in 1898 with a tram trundling past the Opera House
White’s Road in 1898 with a tram trundling past the Opera House

Henry Fancourt White
Henry Fancourt White was born in Yorkshire, England  in 1811 and emigrated to the Cape Colony with his parents as 1820 Settlers. They were allocated land at Riviersonderend near the mission station of Genadendal, but resettled at Assegaaibosch in the Langkloof. In 1836 Henry left South Africa for Australia in order to acquire road-building experience. White received an appointment as assistant surveyor by the colonial government in New South Wales. After a dispute with a magistrate, White was dismissed from government service despite a 1842 petition supporting him, being submitted by a large number of settlers.

According to Looking Back dated June 1978, fate would now take a hand and return White to the land of his birth. After an inspection of the pass over the Outeniqua mountains, the Colonial Secretary of the Cape Colony, John Montagu [1843 to 1853], lamented the atrocious state of the pass. The only two experienced engineers at his disposal were Charles Michell and Andrew Geddes Bain both of whom were inundated with work and could not be spared. Determined not to delay the start of this long-overdue work any further, he brought out the unemployed Henry Fancourt White from Australia.

The headquarters and main construction camp were established at the foot of Cradock Kloof and in due course a village began to take shape which in later years would be named “Blanco” after the builder of the pass, White. Apparently the name White was unacceptable to the local community. When the Montagu Pass was completed in December 1847, Inspector White and his construction gangs were moved to the Eastern Cape to tackle the Zuurberg Pass.

In March 1850 Henry Fancourt White, now the Superintendent-General of Roads, was supervising the building of the Zuurberg Pass when the Eighth Frontier War commenced.  For safety sake, he and his convict labourers were posted to Port Elizabeth. Amongst the projects that they were involved with was the construction of the eponymous White’s Road. As the original road was only half the width of the present one and was constantly being washed away by the rain with disastrous results in the Market Square, where all the stones and debris accumulated, the road had to be widened and metalled.

Metalled roads are the roads made of successive layers of smaller stones, until the road surface was composed of small stones compacted into a hard, durable surface. These are made up of cement concrete or coal tar. Roads made up of mud and gravel which are generally found in the rural areas are unmetalled roads. These are uncovered roads. The usage will be limited during rainy season. Metalled roads are suitable for every weather.

For the next three years White was engaged on various road improvement schemes in and near the town, notably the bridge across the Baakens River and metalling of High Street (later Main Street and later still Govan Mbeki Street). Main Street and these roads up the kloofs would only be tarred in the 1890s.

Marital bliss
In 1853, White resigned his post as Inspector of Roads. In a complete change of career, during 1854 he was elected to represent Port Elizabeth in the old Cape Parliament but only held it for a year. During 1856, White, who was then 44, married a widow, Mrs. Sarah Bosworth (nee South).

Miss Sarah South emigrated from England during 1843 aboard the sturdy East Indiamam, Abbotsford. Commanded by captain Pigou, it sailed from Greenwich on the 1st August 1843. Aboard the ship was the Charles Geard family with their eight children which included the young John Geard. Presumably as she was underage, Sarah South came out under the guardianship of Charles Geard.

Sarah met John Bosworth, a master mariner, from North Shields England and married him on 16 July 1845, less than two years after her arrival. Bosworth was settling down probably at Sarah’s insistence by becoming an hotelier. E.H. Salmond, the proprietor of the Phoenix Hotel in Market Square gave Bosworth ownership of the hotel in September 1845. Amongst the vessels that Bosworth had been captain of were the following: Mary, Conch, Fenella, and Trekboer. Nine years later on the 22 August 1854, Bosworth would die at the age of 49 leaving Sarah a widow. But only for two years as she would marry Henry Fancourt White two years later.

Fancourt
In 1849 White acquired land near the foot of Montagu Pass. After his marriage, he settled in the George district and in about 1860 he built a large mansion with a magnificent view of Cradock Peak and named it Fancourt, after his middle name. Henry was only able to enjoy this idyll for six years before passing away in 1866.

Future of Fancourt
Fancourt changed hands several times over the years but in January 1903 it reverted to the family when Montagu White purchased it for R7000. Montagu’s first priority was to restore this manor house to its former glory. Disaster was to strike the White family in 1916 when Montagu himself, his sister, Mrs. Ham, and a member of the Vintcent family of Oudtshoorn were to die from mushroom poisoning. In this manner, the White family would forever lose control of this exquisite estate.

Castle Hill painted by Henry Fancurt White in 1850
White's Road in November 1904 with a tram commencing the descent
White’s Road in November 1904 with a tram commencing the descent with the Grand Hotel on the left and the King Edward Mansions Hotel on the right.

Storms and upgrades
Even after it was widened and culverts laid down, it was still only a stony, dusty track with plenty of mud in wet weather.

White's Road in 1904 barely visible from the Donkin Reserve
White’s Road in 1904 barely visible from the Donkin Reserve

This road did not last long for on the 7th November 1851, White’s Road and both bridges over the Baakens River were destroyed due to torrential rain.

White's Road in 1906 with tram going down. The Grand Hotel is visible
White’s Road in 1906 with tram going down. The Grand Hotel is visible

On the 11th November 1862 the rebuilding of White’s Road finally commenced.

White's Road in 1911 with the Opera House clearly visible
White’s Road in 1911 with the Opera House clearly visible

Five years afterwards, it happened yet again. The rain storm over 20th 21st November 1867, which destroyed a large part of South End, also affected White’s and Russell Roads but not to the same extent.

White's Road in 1921
White’s Road in 1921

JJ Redgrave stated that “At White’s Road the destruction was even greater [than Russell Road]. The main sewer leading from the above the old Theatre to the sea had become choked up and burst, and at the same time the gas pipes in this part also exploded. The stone buttress of the retaining wall of St. Augustine’s Church was swept away and carried several feet down the roadway, causing a chasm several feet deep extending across the road, cutting off all communication between Market Square and White’s Road. The Market Square itself was strewn with rocks, stones, and rivulets were flowing across it in various directions.”

Another view of White's Road in 1921
Another view of White’s Road in 1921 shortly after the artillery piece was put on display

In the early 1870’s several cyclists had attempted to cycle up White’s Road using the latest invention, the penny-farthing bicycle, all with calamitous results. Finally a Mr. J.T. Brown claimed the honour of being the first to negotiate the steepness of White’s Road.

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White's Road after one of Port Elizabeth's periodic floods
White’s Road after one of Port Elizabeth’s periodic floods

In 1881 under Mayor Kemsley, the first horse-drawn tram service was initiated. As these could only operate on level ground, the tram line only ran from Market Square to Adderley Street North End. Partly in order to be able to service the Hill, electric trams were acquired to replace the horse trams. On the 17th June 1897, the horses were put out to pasture and pensioned off. These new tram lines included the hills: White’s Road, Russell Road and Walmer Road finally removing the obstacle to public transport to the Hill.

White's Road in 1915 with Cleghorn's Building at foot of road
White’s Road in 1915 with Cleghorn’s Building at the foot of White’s Road
White's Road in 1950's
White’s Road in 1958

Finally in 1929, White’s Road was closed to animal-drawn traffic.

White's Road in 1960
White’s Road in 1960

On the 17 December 1948, the final electric tram slowly made its way up White’s Roads for the very last time. The electric trams were being replaced with buses. The venerable White’s Road has now been renamed in honour of John Kani, a well-known local actor, removing any link with its creator. 

White's Road in 1960's
White’s Road in 1960’s
White's Road in 1960's
White’s Road in 1960’s
White's Road in 1976-Back from the border and about to march up White's Road. I pity the band members.
White’s Road in 1976 – Back from the border and about to march up White’s Road. I pity the band members.

Legacy of Henry’s son

Henry’s son, Montagu White also made a huge legacy for himself in South Africa. He was responsible for a significant portion of the layout of the original Boksburg. He also commissioned the erection of a dam on one of the branches of the Natalspruit that was later to be known as Boksburg Lake. White’s idea to provide the town with a sheet of water for recreational purposes was a failure initially as a muddy marsh was an initial outcome. This was termed ‘White’s Folly’ by his critics. A cloudburst a few  months later filled the dam to the brim. Today Montagu White is commemorated in Boksburg by two streets named after him: Montagu Street in the CBD and White Avenue in the suburb of Parkdene.

Recent photo by Jonker Fourie:

White's Road in 2015 showing Market Square as a parking lot
White’s Road in 2015 showing Market Square as a parking lot

Various undated photos:

A tram travelling up White's Road
Tram in White's Road
White's Road after July 1897
White's Road before the construction of the Library
Rebuilding Cleghorn’s Building after it was razed to the ground
White's Road from the Donkin#02
White’s Road is on the left but the King Edward Hotel has not yet been constructed in Belmont Terrace
White's Road from the Donkin
Dated between 1862 when the original breakwater was completed and 1867 when its demolition was commenced
White's Road just visible at bottom of picture
With both the South Jetty, the Dom Pedro Jetty and the Opera House visible, this photo must be dated after 1892
White's Road-Bottom towrds CML building
White's Road-St Mary's Grammar School
White's Road-With Artillery Piece in Market Square
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Related blogs:

Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Slipway in Humewood [1903-1939]

Port Elizabeth of Yore: King’s Beach

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Russell Road-Formerly Burial or Hyman’s Kloof

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Sand dunes, Inhabitants and Animals

Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Horse Memorial

Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Road through Target 3Kloof & its Predecessors

Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Parsonage House at No. 7 Castle Hill

What happened to the Shark River in Port Elizabeth?

A Pictorial History of the Campanile in Port Elizabeth

A Sunday Drive to Schoenmakerskop in 1922

The Three Eras of the Historic Port Elizabeth Harbour

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Railway Station

Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Great Flood of 1st September 1968

http:// http://thecasualobserver.co.za/the-friendly-city-port-elizabeth-my-home-town/

Sources:

Port Elizabeth in Bygone Days by J.J. Redgrave (1947, Rustica Press)

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).

Fancourt (Looking Back, 1978, June, Volume 18, Number 2)

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