William Alcock was a prominent resident of Port Elizabeth and Walmer in the later 19th century and early 20th century. With eclectic interests such as photography, civic affairs and motor vehicles he was widely known in these circles.

From a professional point of view, what is known about William Alcock, is that he was tinsmith who operated initially at No. 44 Queen Street but later relocated to better premises in Main Street close to Russell Road. This was just the job for the sleuthing skills of the Technical Editor, my brother Blaine, to track down the exact location of these buildings.

Main picture: William & Edwin Building built in 1890 in Main Street. Demolished for VSN Centre

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The professional photographers such as Bruton and Ring have already been covered in two blogs viz one on James Bruton and another generically on the Early Photographers. This does not imply that the quality of the premier amateur photographers was in any way not on a par with the professional photographers. The epithet amateur merely implies that the profession of the amateurs was not photography.

This fact is borne out by William Alcock, a tinsmith, who excelled at stretching the boundaries of the art of the possible.

Main picture: William & Edwin Building built in 1860 at 100 Main Street by William Alcock, a prodigious amateur photographer. This building was demolished to make way for the VSN Centre

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During the 19^th century and early 20th century, Mosenthals was the largest company in Port Elizabeth. The erection of its elegant head office and stores on the corner of Jetty Street and North Union Street was emblematic of their exalted status.

Much of this information for this blog has been provided by the Technical Editor, Blaine McCleland as well as the books of Margaret Harradine.  

Main picture: Initial building of Mosenthals probably close to the landing beaches

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Forms of land tenure and availability of vacant land

Any map of the area surrounding Port Elizabeth extending outwards to the Gamtoos in the west and Sundays River in the northeast in the 1820s depicts less than two dozen farms, all with Dutch names. This reflects the fact that from the 1770s onwards the Trekboere had settled here on their quitrent farms.

This fact did not affect the 1820 Settlers per se as they were scheduled to be settled on the frontier, but it did mean that in reality none of the land around Port Elizabeth was “in British hands” and as such unavailable to the British settlers. One such person was Charles Lovemore whom we shall be introduced to shortly and who had decided to settle at Port Elizabeth. Unlike the settlers at the frontier, Lovemore would have to acquire his own land.

Main picture: Map of Klaas Kraal, renamed Bushy Park by Henry Lovemore

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The nascent town of Port Elizabeth required labour especially surfboatmen who loaded and unloaded the vessels moored in the roadstead. Initially it was the local khoikhoi who were employed but at a later stage they were replaced by the amaFengu as they were deemed to be more productive.

To house these workers, areas – the so-called Locations – were set aside on the Hill and allocated for their use. As the white population swelled exponentially, they sought land nearby on the Hill leading to the inevitable competing demands for land.

Thus commenced the settlers’ quest to relocate the indigenous people further out of town. None of their petitions could effect a change as the Council was legally committed to reimburse the Blacks for the improvements that they had effected to their properties in the event of their eviction but the residents were unwilling to bear the cost of the relocation.

This blog covers the path from uprooting these communities until their settlement on the periphery and also outside the town’s boundaries.

Main picture: Russell Road. The top of Hyman’s Kloof. On the right is the Strangers’ Location, set aside for Mfengu labourers in 1855

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Jonathan Board came to the Cape as a member of Richard Daniell’s party. Shortly after his arrival he met Henry Lovemore when partly rebuilding the main residence at Bushy Park homestead which had been destroyed in a fire. This friendship would serve him well and he would ultimately marry, Eliza, Henry’s youngest daughter by his first marriage.

Main picture: Rufane Vale

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