Port Elizabeth of Yore: A Gentleman in the latter 19th Century

By Dean McCleland in Port Elizabeth of Yore 6 Comments

Apart from his name and a few other biographical details, there is a paucity of information regarding Howard Mapplebeck (1847-1909)and his stay in Port Elizabeth. Despite appearances that he was a prosperous individual, I was unable to establish much apart from the fact that he lived in a plush house on Emerald Hill. Having uncovered numerous photos of a Mr Howard Mapplebeck on Flickr, I was intrigued as they cast a light on an elegant milieu and a graceful lifestyle.

Main picture: Howard Mapplebeck (1847-1909) with family and friends, at Emerald Hill, Port Elizabeth, in 1886. Howard is in white with pith helmet. Seated in front of him are his children Sybil Mapplebeck (1875-1955) and Sydney Mapplebeck (1877-1904). Nanny Marie stands to the side. Photo taken in 1886 at the age of 39.

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In Celebration of Dogs

By Dean McCleland in Animals, Miscellaneous Topics 1 Comment

The one stern injunction that my mother made when I was a child was never to own a German Shepherd as a pet. The reason that she advanced was that ultimately their wolf like nature would be exhibited at some point in time and would attack somebody. Personally I believe that her misunderstanding arose as the next door neighbours – the Lotts’s – bred GSDs. In their tiny backyard, they kept 50 Alsatians chained up. Probably what happened was that at some point, a frustrated dog attacked Mr Lotts. For most of my life in Joburg, I have owned at least one Alsatian and never have I experienced a problem either with the children or the other animals.

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