Francis Henry Carpenter might not have been at the pinnacle of mid-nineteenth century society, but he certainly was in the upper echelons of the nascent colonial community. Apart from his prominence in business circles, he was also a churchwarden at St Mary’s church for over a decade. Carpenter’s son-in-law, David Grey Devenish, had a successful business in Port Elizabeth until one day in the early 1890s, he and his family abruptly “absconded” from town, eventually settling in America. Was David Devenish attempting to evade justice and, if so, why?

Most of the information and photos for this blog have been provided by David’s great great grandson, George Sauvigne, of Florida, America.

Main picture: The house in which the Carpenter family lived circa 1880s at 95 Pearson Street

Continue reading