A different view on current affairs & history
The farm, Rondebosch, formerly called Zwartebosch, is located north of the Kromme River mouth. Professor Charles Wait of NMMU has kindly supplied me with the family records relating to this farm and the Wagner family who have owned it until recently.
Main picture: Aerial photograph of Rondebosch
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What I find fascinating about the history of South Africa are the stories of the old farmhouses scattered like chafe on the parched plains of the Karroo, the water sodden Southern Cape and the rocky hillocks and outcrops of the foothills of the mountain ranges. Many of these have stories going back to the original Trek Boers of the 1770s. Equally of interest are the anecdotes of privations and struggles on obdurate lands and unfriendly tribesmen.
This is the story of the Bean family and their family house located near Hankey. Locally Ferndale was known as “Bean se Bos”
Main picture: Leonard Orlando Bean [1809-1892]
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What do you do in a dysfunctional country with a flagging economy that has failed to shoot the lights out (or maybe it did just that)? You have run out of things to do like boxes to tick and stupid policy and name changes, so you propose a simple-to-execute pointless project that doesn’t involve difficult issues. As a bonus, you might get a legacy out of it and Nathi Mthethwa needs one. After all, it was under his watch as Minister of Police that the 2012 Marikana Massacre occurred. Having cocked that one up, he was demoted to Minister of Arts and Culture in 2014. As usual, he is hardly qualified for the post by any creative stretch of the imagination given that he holds a Diploma in Community Development, a Certificate in Mining Engineering and a Certificate in Communications and Leadership – in other words, he doesn’t know his arts from his elbow.
This Ministry is one of the slag heaps where they dump senior ANC politicians that they don’t know what to do with. After all in March 2010, a wholly unsuitable Arts and Culture Minister, one Lulu Xingwana, stormed out of an art exhibition that she was due to open. She objected to pictures of naked women embracing intimately, but not even so much as a nipple, erect or otherwise, was showing. She stated afterwards that “It was immoral, offensive and going against nation-building.” I suppose it would have been OK if they had been photos of African beadwork on naked-breasted, bare-footed virgins that don’t need Brazilian butt lifts – the ones that Zuma finds attractive.
The Sports Ministry was added in 2019 in an effort by Ramaphosa to streamline the cabinet. Again, like his predecessor, Fickle Mbalula, Nathi is hardly qualified in this area. This coxless pair couldn’t kick a ball between them. The fact that our soccer team cannot even beat minnow countries in the midst of a revolution (Equatorial Guinea), it is highly unlikely to help endow your legacy. That the Springboks lifted the Rugby World Cup for the third time in 2019 and that our swimmers have umpteen Olympic golds between them is meaningless – it’s got to be soccer and Caster Semenya.
What to do?
Ah, a moersa flagpole. Nation building and a legacy for only R22million – cheap at the price. Psst! Don’t tell him that Gqeberha (PE for the unliberated) already has a 68m one and I haven’t seen that contribute to nation building there.
Psst2 ! Flags don’t last long – they tend to flagellate themselves to death in about a year which becomes quite an expensive exercise given the required size of the flag. The Hearld reports that PE’s flag costs R200,000 p.a. Also it has to be raised every morning and lowered before sunrise and I’m sure that there are strict ceremonial requirements. If the wind gets up, then it must be replaced by a storm flag. If Gqeberha is any indication, the display of the flag will be highly random.
Hankey is a small town on the confluence of the Klein and Gamtoos rivers in South Africa. It is part of the Kouga Local Municipality of the Cacadu District in the Eastern Cape. Mr Bart Logie compiled the following (undated) history of Hankey and surrounds, titled ‘The history of Hankey, the resting place of Sarah Bartmann’.
Main picture: The picturesque town of Hankey
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By being not only a Civil Servant but by also occupying positions such as that of Civil Commissioner and Magistrate, the highest levels of integrity, trust and probity were demanded from the holder of these offices. During the establishment of a Leper Institution in Port Elizabeth, many questions were raised about Hougham Hudson’s integrity, and he was found wanting. Despite these episodes exposing additional breaches of ethical standards and behaviour, there appears to be no ostensible consequence for Hudson but it must have tarnishing his career in some manner or fashion.
Main picture: Hougham Hudson [1793-1860]
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Both parties to the dispute over payment of toll fees at the Toll outside the Baptist Church in Queen Street in 1840 were well-respected residents of Port Elizabeth. Mrs. Chase was daughter of Frederick Korsten, the wife of the late John Damant who died in 1825 and then the wife of John Centlivres Chase while the Toll Keeper clerk was one Richard Tee junior, the son of a property mogul and a founding member of St. Paul’s Church in Albany Street, also called Richard Tee.
It was while he was the “toll keeper of the Toll of Port Elizabeth” that Richard was involved in one of those cases which never should reach court (the sum involved was one shilling and four pence!), but which even reached the Circuit Court. As is so often the case in matters of this nature, each party no doubt felt that a matter of principle was at stake.
Main picture: The original toll used to be on the opposite side of Queen Street to the Baptist Church which hosted its final service in 1959
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Most settler parties conformed to the rules of the Emigration Scheme that they would be settled in the frontier districts. Having been stationed at Fort Frederick for seven years prior to the arrival of the 1820 Settlers, Captain Damant had already decided that the Gamtoos valley area would be the new family home.
This is the saga of the Damant family of Hankey
Main picture: Gamtoos River in 1908
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A 2nd generation member of the Bean family, Mr Thomas Pullen Bean (1845 – 1925), living in the Sunday’s River Valley area struggled to make a living there. On listening to the advice of his brother-in-law and neighbour, Maj-Gen. John Pigott Nixon of Balmoral, he investigated the prospects of the Gamtoos Valley. Upon inspection, he was so enamoured that he rented the undeveloped farm, then known as “Saagkuilen” and still Crown land, on a tributary of the Gamtoos River in 1885. Initially the family of 10 children, 4 sons and 6 daughters, only had a wagon for accommodation. Not liking the Dutch name, he renamed it Ferndale. Soon Thomas applied himself a main house to be known as the Settler House as well as a tiny 2 room cottage, later expanded to 3. Seven years later in 1892, the wife of Thomas Pullen, Edith Emma Bean (nee Pakenham) purchased the property and accordance to the Title Deeds it is registered in her name. Finally in 1912, a more robust house, nicknamed the “Big House” was built on the property and the original house was demolished. The original cottage is still standing and functional.
Amongst the gaggle of ten children, two sons, Guy Pakenham Bean and Dixon Charles Pakenham Bean would join the Imperial forces and join battle against the two Boer Republics to the north. It was the letters of these two sons which would survive and through the gracious assistance of Patricia Reid, that I was able to obtain copies of two letters written by her father, Guy Pakenham Bean, and one of her uncle Dixon Bean. These three letters provide an insight, albeit a smidgen of a glimmer, into aspects of that tumultuous war.
Main picture: Front and rear of medal awarded to Guy Pakenham Bean
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Robert Pinchin was born in England in 1824 and died in Port Elizabeth on the 9th May 1888 at the young age of 64 probably due to overwork. He arrived in Port Elizabeth from London in 1849, marrying Mary Ann Burton on the 13th September 185., Pinchin was a land surveyor, civil engineer and architect from the end of 1849. During the period 1863 to 1868, Pinchin was in partnership with G.W. Smith. Pinchin laid out much of the first streets and properties in Central, Port Elizabeth and became a respected consultant. Robert negotiated a supply of water from the Shark River Co. to the municipality. In 1881, G.W. Smith again joined Pinchin in partnership, at Port Elizabeth, and on Pinchin’s death in 1888, took over the practice.
Pinchin’s interests were astronomy and geology. In 1862 he released his treatise in which he advocated the construction of the Van Stadens Water Scheme which would alleviate the water supply difficulties of Port Elizabeth which did not yet possess domestic plumbing. In 1870 Robert led a party which climbed the Cockscomb Peak and hence would be the 3rd successful party to do so as far as they were aware. Pinchin lived with his daughter in his mother-in-law’s house in Baakens Street and then in 1877 built a house in Park Drive.
This narrative has been largely based upon the report that Pinchin drafted for the Herald and was published on the 20th April 1870. Excluded are irrelevant comments and minor adjustments have been made to spellings and flow of sentences. Long sentences have also been truncated to enhance readability. Apart from these changes, the narrative is true to Pinchin’s original article in the Herald.
Main picture: Cockscomb Peak from the north
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The Cape Colony attracted men of all types from the cultured to the eccentric. Amongst the latter was a colourful settler, Major-General John Pigott Nixon, [1822-1906], also known as the Raj of the Eastern Cape. This property was subsequently purchased by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick and renamed Amanzi.
Main picture: Balmoral
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