Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Volunteer Military Units – The Initial Iterations

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 2 Comments

The initial impetus to establish some form of volunteer military force in Port Elizabeth arose due to the perpetual threat posed by the warring Xhosa tribes.

To augment the British forces stationed in the Cape, especially in times of crisis, the British established volunteer military units throughout the Cape Colony. In the beginning they were typically of short duration to meet a specific threat posed to the colonists but later these temporary units would be replaced with units of a more permanent nature.

This blog will cover all such volunteer forces and units until the first disbandment of Prince Alfred Guards in 1860.

Main picture: February 1835 – Arrival of Harries’ Troop from Palos Kraal with WM Harries in the centre

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Port Elizabeth of Yore: How not to build a Breakwater

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 0 Comment

Was it a Comedy of Errors or Merely a Dose of Reality?

With the rapid growth in exports from Port Elizabeth, incessant demands arose to build a proper harbour in the form of jetties and a breakwater. The initial attempt at harbour building was the construction of a jetty using the wreck of the vessel Feegee as its base. Its usefulness was short-lived as a sudden gale drove several vessels through it, irreparably damaging it.

Various configurations of a breakwater were later proposed and the design that was adopted was constructed just south of the Baakens River. This was the start of a town’s nightmare as first the sea and then a flood were to silt the harbour up, posing a threat to the operation of the landing beaches. Instead of a crowning achievement, this episode resulted in not only the necessity of dismantling the breakwater but even more disconcerting, it caused the postponement of the construction of the breakwater and quays by 60 years.

If successful, it would have been a transformative change for a town in no small measure defined by its primitive method of discharging cargo onto flimsy lighters out on the roadstead.

Main picture: The breakwater south of the Baakens River – a fatal design flaw

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Stories from the Class of 71

By Dean McCleland in Alexander Road High School 0 Comment

Like all friends, we should swop stories from our libraries of our lives – the funny, the surreal as well as the sublime. What use are books in a library unless we on occasion dust them off and page through the long forgotten episodes of our lives. Many hoped that by enlightening us with their Life Stories that their obligations to their class mates, would be fulfilled. Instead to kickstart the process, I have tapped a number of the class of 71 to contribute their stories.

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Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Comrades Marathon Connection

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 0 Comment

Prior to 1975, the Comrades Marathon was only open to white men. Despite this restriction, several women and black people ran the race in contravention of that restriction. One such person was Robert Mtshali, a young black runner, who in 1935 completed the race in 1935 as an unofficial runner in the time of 9:30. To provide Mtshali with some form of recognition for his achievement, a local Councillor, Councillor Dr. Vernon Lyall Shearer, presented him with an unofficial award.  

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Port Elizabeth of Yore: Embarking and Disembarking from Ships in Algoa Bay before 1933

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 4 Comments

While I have always been aware that baskets were used on occasions to transfer passengers to and from tugs, that always left the majority of the passengers with no ostensible method of transfer. After sleuthing by my brother Blaine and by means of an article in Looking Back uncovered by myself, the mystery has finally been resolved. Archaic and dangerous would be adequate descriptors of the practice employed.

Main picture: A tug ferrying passengers from North Jetty to an awaiting ship in the roadstead. Note the wicker baskets on the jetty as well as a steel rod hanging over the water.

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Jannie Fourie – Straight to the Point

By Dean McCleland in Alexander Road High School 0 Comment

According to an intermediary who I was using to contact Jammie, he professed to be a “very private person“. Hence he was hoping that by ignoring me, I would just disappear. Like an irritating fly, I would buzz around periodically making my presence known. Then one day, out of the blue, he relented. He announced in a telephone call that he would talk. In providing him with examples of the other reports and interviews I was hoping that he would relent and provide me with a peek in the man himself, what motivated him and perhaps even reveal an amusing incident or two, but it was not to be. Instead what he provided was a straight telling of his career at Alex. More’s the pity. Hence Jannie will remain an enigma to me. Nonetheless, I would like to thank Jannie profusely for producing a thorough professional report.

Naturally Jannie’s report is written in the first person but wherever I have elaborated on his report, it will be in the third person.

Main picture: Jannie and Joan Fourie in 1995

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Peggy Maggs: Keeping it in the Family.

By Dean McCleland in Alexander Road High School 0 Comment

Not many of us can, at the end of a school day, congratulate ourselves on having prevented, among other things, one or two cakes from being burnt, a Standard 6 pupil from being electrocuted, and a “patient” from “missing” an unpleasant lesson. Mrs. Maggs is one of the fortunate (or unfortunate) people who can.

The author of this article is unknown.

Main picture: Mrs. Maggs in 1971

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Port Elizabeth of Yore: Depictions of a Struggling Town in 1830

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 0 Comment

One can safely assume that prior to the establishment of the first newspaper, the E.P. Herald, in Port Elizabeth in 1845, and before the establishment of Port Elizabeth as a borough in July 1860, very little historical information was formally recorded. In their endeavours to earn a living in a town without facilities, recording history took a low priority in their lives. Until that time, it was visitors and travellers who recorded their observations of the town. Most of them were not complimentary about it but that is the only source of information of this nascent town.

In this blog, it is the journal maintained by the Assistant Surgeon on the ship, the Falcon, which forms the basis of William Dunn’s observations of the town. They are trenchant and incisive, unflattering in their candour but were no different from those of many an observer from that period.

Main picture: Port Elizabeth in February 1835 painted by Charles Michell. The Inn at which Gunn and his fellow mariners shared breakfast is the large building on the hill

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Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Destruction of the Architectural Integrity of the Market Square Precinct

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 5 Comments

Many people once pejoratively called Prince Charles, now KIng Charles, a sentimental old fool for deploring the destruction of the architectural coherence of an area by demolishing an old building within a section of a town or street which epitomised a particular architectural style. As such, Charles was roundly condemned for wanting to stifle progress and advancement. Instead, it was an earnest heart-felt plea by Charles to preserve such sections of the town where there was merit to do so. For not to exercise caution would destroy the architectural integrity of that area.

Sadly, Port Elizabeth has witnessed the destruction of such an area which would fall within the remit of Charles’ rebuke. Without a doubt, this area encompasses the old Market Square and includes Jetty Street and the old Customs House. To this we can add the demolition of the Fleming building and the old Collegiate School for use as a parking area

Main picture: The Main Library in 1939. All of these buildings whether they were constructed in 1859 like the Grey Institute or the Donkin lighthouse in 1861 are still standing. At this date if one had to turn around and look across Market Square, all of the original buildings would still be standing. From Castle Corner to the Mosenthal and Richardson buildings, they would all be present. Then as in in fit of pique, in the 1970s they would all be demolished.

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