Port Elizabeth of Yore Archives - Page 7 of 72

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Korsten vs Vagrancy and Trespassing in the 1830s

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 8 April 2024 0 Comment

The most extensive and productive farm in the Port Elizabeth area over the first two decades of the nineteenth century was that of Frederick’s Korsten’s Cradock Place. It covered the area from today’s Korsten, taking in swathes of today’s Algoa Park and swept down to the mouth of the Papenkuils River. Like most farms, it also experienced the twin depredations of vagrancy and trespassing.

In early 1833, probably after a spate of incidents, Korsten decided to take action.

Main picture: View of Cradock Place by Walford Arbouin Harries in 1860

Port Elizabeth of Yore: The Baakens can be Deadly

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 5 April 2024 0 Comment

Normally the Baakens River is a placid stream but is extremely deadly when provoked by flood waters abusing its avuncular nature. It might be endearing when untroubled by raging water but caution always needs to be taken.

On the last Tuesday of January 1834, the Baakens River showed that even a seemingly placid stream can be deadly.

Main picture: Bridge over untroubed waters

Port Elizabeth of Yore: A grisly discovery

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 3 April 2024 0 Comment

Like a magnet, a murder or any barbaric act always draws the media’s attention. In the case of the “manless head” [the opposite of headless man] discovered on the Fishwater Flats in 1840, it certainly did. This case could have acquired the sobriquet “The Case of the Missing Corpse”

Main picture: View of Fishwater Flats

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Advert for the Sale of Scorey’s Hotel

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 3 April 2024 0 Comment

The edition of the newspaper Graham’s Town Journal dated 7 February 1839 carried the following advert notifying the public of the sale of this historic building being the first building constructed in Port Elizabeth after the arrival of the first settler ship, the Chapman.

Main picture: Scorey’s Hotel with its gardens below it

Port Elizabeth of Yore: The First Seawater Swimming Bath

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 2 April 2024 3 Comments

Of all the recreational facilities that Port Elizabeth required at the end of the 19^th century, a state-of-the-art seawater swimming pool located in the harbour was not on that list. It should not have been amongst the highest ranking priorities but yet clearly in the rankings of the Port Elizabeth Municipality this was the one that they, in their wisdom, selected.

This is a detailed description of this facility taken from the 1899 issue of The Visitors’ Guide

Main picture: April 1901 – the swimming pool in the harbour

Port Elizabeth of Yore: The first attempt at ship building

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 1 April 2024 0 Comment

An enterprising local resident, John Owen Smith, entered into various disparate business ventures. Several of them such as mining copper in Namaqualand or recovering guano on Bird Island, required a seagoing vessel. This is what set in motion the necessity to build one locally. The unlikely location selected was a non-descript lake at the western end of Kragga Kamma road known as Lake Farm.

Main picture: Lake Farm in 1944

Port Elizabeth of Yore: From Morbid Curiosity to Penitence

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 1 April 2024 0 Comment

In the first seventy years of the nineteenth century, executions by hanging were carried out in public, the primary rationale being that it would serve as a deterrence. Apart from that, the culprit would never become a repeat offender nor would there be any recidivism. On the other side, the general public relished the spectacle with many executions, especially the most notorious murders, attracting sizable crowds. Attendance at an execution can only be classified as the most bizarre form of morbid curiosity. Ultimately public executions were outlawed in 1869 and in future all executions were performed inside the prison walls.

This blog covers the execution of Hermanus Jager by hanging on the 23^rd November 1833 for murdering his wife as well as briefly covering three executions of which two were public.

Main picture: Exhibition held at the Kgosi Mampuru Prison in Pretoria

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Arnoldus Dietz and his Patron Frederick Korsten

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 29 March 2024 2 Comments

Arnoldus Bernhard Dietz was born in Holland circa 1768 and died on the 16^th January 1832 aged 64 in Graham’s Town. Being of Dutch descent, on obtaining his majority, Arnoldus initially relocated to Batavia, a Dutch colony, and commenced trading. Later he became a Government Resident in Borneo where his two vessels were captured by the British and that is how he arrived at Cape Town in 1817.

Main picture: Arnoldus Bernhardus’ house in Graham’s Town

Port Elizabeth of Yore: 1835 – Under a Dark Cloud with several bright rays

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 22 March 2024 0 Comment

Port Elizabeth commenced the year on a bright optimistic note with the appointment of Henry Green Dunsterville as Harbour Master and Port Captain with effect from the 1^st January 1835. This appointment was only confirmed on the 7^th June. Immediately after this announcement, the imminent threat of a Xhosa invasion of the town set the town on edge. This was followed in late September by a disastrous storm which resulted in the loss of several vessels in the Bay.

Among the bright rays which barely penetrated the dark, dank clouds was the appointment of the town’s first civilian doctor. Another spark was an extended stay of the Cape Governor during which the residents were able to address their frustrations about the lack of a lighthouse at Cape Receife.

Main picture: A blustery day in the Bay

Port Elizabeth of Yore: Fake Distress calls during mid 1830s