Gaelic Names: Suithearlarach (Singular) & Na Suithearlaraichean (Collective)
Motto: "Sans Peur" (French for "Without Fear")
Slogan: "Ceann na Drochaide Bige!" (Gaelic for "The Head of the Little Bridge!")
Pipe Music: "The Earl of Sutherland's March"
Crest: A cat-a-mountain saliant Proper
Supporters: Two savages wreathed head and middle with laurel, holding batons in their hands proper.
Plant Badge: Butcher's Broom, Cotton Sedge
Animal Symbol: Cat
Arms (Earl of Sutherland as recorded for the fifteenth Earl, 1719):
Shield: Gules, three mullets Or, on a bordure of the second a double tressure flory counterflory of the first.
Septs: Cheyne, Chiene, Clyne, Duffes, Duffus, Federith, Gray, Grey, Keith, Mouat, Mowat(t), Murray, Norman, Oliphant, O'May
Allied Clans: Gordon, Murray, Oliphant

The Earldom of Sutherland is claimed to be the oldest in Britain...

Edited to SUTHERLAND content.

The SUTHERLANDS

Although Mrs. Williams and I decided to end the SUTHERLAND saga with Newsletter No. 35, I felt I should add these extra jottings gleaned from my recent research overseas.

Firstly, quoting from his granddaughter, MARY CUNNINGHAM MOORAT'S book, "ALFRED and ELIZA STARK", the Colonel's journal from which we quoted in Newsletter no.33 was burnt when the Colonel's tent was accidentally destroyed by fire in Graaff Reinet and salvaged by Miss NEALE - how lucky for us!

In his will lodged at Fort William, India, he left Melkhoutkraal to JOHN, Westford to ROBERT, Eastford to ERICK and ALEXANDER, plus 1000 pounds each; 2000 pounds to each of his daughters and to the mother of his children USHRUT, the interest of 2000 pounds p.a. and on her death the capital to be divided among his children. We know of course there was no capital to divide.

ELIZA SUTHERLAND, his daughter, born 24 April...

Dear Members,

The Municipality has officialy taken over the running of Millwood House and Mrs. Blackstock, the new Curatrix, appointed. We are fortunate in their choice. Mrs. Blackstock is interested, concerned and already deeply involved in the future of the Museum. We wish her a rewarding time in office and the assurance of our support, and any assistance she may need.

D. Burger

CHAIRMAN

In this newsletter we are bringing to a close the account of the coming to Knysna of the SUTHERLAND family and of the people who were most closely associated with them. In a small community a sudden increase in population makes an enormous impact witha ripple effect which extends down the generations. This is what the effects of the SUTHERLAND "invasion" can be said to have caused here.

ROBERT and ALEXANDER SUTHERLAND, the Colonel's second and youngest sons however, did not play a significant role in the annals of Knysna. ROBERT, ERIC and ALEXANDER had returned to Scotland to complete their education on the departure of the family from their brief introduction to their new property in Knysna at the end of September 1845. After a little over two years ROBERT and ERIC (ALEXANDER having died, were back again having travelled out to the Cape on the Scotia witha band of immigrants, arriving on 11 March 1848. THOMAS HENRY DUTHIE wrote in his diary of 29 March: "...ROBERT SUTHERLAND came up with his emigrants - a funny set - strange scenes with the SUTHERLAND party..." after seeing them in George on their way to Knysna. ROBERT remained in the district farming at Westford for some time and is mentioned several times in the DUTHIE diary, somewhat indignantly on Sunday 18 November 1848: "In consequence of some of ROBERT SUTHERLAND'S people taking away the boat Mr. ANDREWS (the Rev. Dr. ANDREWS the vicar of the district) could not get over and obligrd to remain with us the night." After this ROBERT disapperas from view.

ERIC SUTHERLAND

ERIC was perhaps most of all the family associated most closely with Knysna. All his children were born here and he formed many a close tie with the local community. He was born in Delhi in 1827 and was twenty-one years old when came to Knysna for the second time with his brother ROBERT and the immigrants. He settled on the farm Eastford across the Salt river which was soon referred to as "ERIC SUTHERLAND'S place" and the wooded parts as "ERIC SUTHERLAND"S Bush". On 27 August 1853 he married CAROLINE RICE, spinster, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. Dr. ANDREWS with THOMAS HORN and DAVID PEARCE as witnesses. They had a large family (as was usual in those days), of twelve children and judging by his designation on the baptismal certificates of those of his children born before 1860, as "gentleman", he did not appear to have had any employment in particular. But he did act as Poundmaster at Melkhoutkraal from 1858 - 1862, succeeding JACOB REX who had held the post for the previous few years. In 1858 he had been declared insolvent; his brother JOHN had already left Knysna for Queenstown (Melkhoutkraal being let to THOMAS BAIN while he was constructing the Causeway); and the SUTHERLAND fortune had evaporated.

ERIC "soldiered on" in Knysna and like his brother JOHN, became involved in public affairs. But there the resemblance ended, so much so that he was often thought to be JOHN'S half-brother though there are no records available to prove this. He was described as an Eurasian, a dreamer and a "poet". In 1859 - 1860 he was one of the Churchwardens at the newly-completed St. George's Church and became the Hon. Secretary of the Immigration Board and a committee member of the Reading Society. The Reading Society was the forerunner of the Knysna Public Library for which meetings were held in the Reading Room, a wooden building built of yellowwood planks and witha thatched roof next door to the new schoolhouse in the main street (situated on the corner of the present Main road and Long street) which was at that time called Church street. It was removed, sadly, to make way for St. George's Flats. The first meeting in the Reading Room was held on 6 August 1858, and ERIC served on the committee for three years. During this time he taught for a while being the first teacher to use the new schoolhouse. He succeeded Mr.W.F. HOMER (one of the witnesses at the baptism of his fourth child) who was the last teacher in the old schoolhouse (the present Art Centre), and was succeeded in turn in 1860 by Mr. J. GIBB. Reputed to be able to recite long passages from Shakespeare by heart, ERIC could at least familiarise his pupils painlessly with some of the works of the Bard!

From 1861 he became for many years one of the law and general Agents enrolled at the Magistrate's Court and was appointed a Sworn Appraiser of the Supreme Court in 1874 and 1875. In the usual manner for the times he advertised his services in the Mossel Bay Advertiser, a typical entry of 24 June 1874 reading: ERIC SUTHERLAND, Law and General Agent , Sworn Appraiser to the Master of the Supreme Court, Market Master. Knysna.

The Eastford estate, about 2,600 acres in extent, had been put up for auction in the Colonel's insolvent estate in August 1868. It was bought by the Anglican Church as a parish endowment for the sum of 755 pounds. The original cottage, at one time occupied by JACK REX, is now owned by the RYAN family.

Apart from applying for legal licences and game licences for various clients to shoot buffalo, etc. his work as Agent included applying for marriage licences too. One such was in 1864 for HENRY MORGAN, bachelor, and CLARA ANNE MORROW, widow, "both residing in the village of Knysna in the District." This licence issued for 5 pounds, will be of interest to his descendants, and was obtained by ERIC as were all the licences, from the Office of the Colonial Secretary.

But in 1867 ERIC was still living at Eastford when on 23 January the launching of the 34 ton schooner Annie Benn took place at the Salt river mouth "on the property of Mr. ERIC SUTHERLAND." The vessel was built by JOHN BENN 1, progenitor of the famous BENN family of Knysna Pilots. JOHN BENN named the little schooner after his daughter , ANNIE, and it was built on the site of the launching. ERIC made one of the "key" speeches on what turned out to be a very well-attented occasion so much enjoyed by all present that the turning of the tide passed unnoticed and when the dogshores were hurriedly removed, the Annie Benn, instead of gliding smoothly into the water, got stuck halfway and had to be floated off later, but it was such a happy gathering that no-one was dismayed being buoyed up with optimism that this was to herald the revival of boat-building at the Knysna brining in its train prosperity to the little community.

ERIC SUTHERLAND finally left Knysna in November 1874 and settled in Uniondale. Here he started a General Agency business for himself. He was elected a churchwarden there together with one WILLIAM DUDLEY, on Easter Sunday 1875, and remained in Uniondale until his death on 22 September 1875, at the early age of 52 years after a "short but painful sickbed", leaving a grieving widow and twelve children.

Church Register of Baptisms.

Baptised 4/5/1851 ERIC, son of ERIC SUTHERLAND and CAROLINE RICE of Eastford. Occupation, Gentleman. Witnesses: THOMAS HORN , ANNE HORN.

Baptised 13/11/1853 ALICE, born 26/9/1852 daughter of ERIC and CAROLINE (Gentleman) of Eastford. Witnesses: JOHN REX, ELIZA WENTWORTH, AGNES DALGAIRNS.

Baptised 10/9/1854 ALEXANDER, born 14/4/1854 son of ERIC and CAROLINE SUTHERLAND of Eastford. Witnesses: Wm. ANDREWS, ERIC SUTHERLAND, ANNE HORN.

Baptised 7/9/1856 GODFREY born 10/7/1856 son of ERIC and CAROLINE, Gentleman of Eastford. Witnesses: FREDERICK HOMER, ERIC SUTHERLAND, MARY SUTHERLAND.

Baptised 25/4/1858 ALFRED born 21/3/1858 son of ERIC and CAROLINE of Eastford. Witnesses: Wm. ANDREWS, ERIC SUTHERLAND, ELIZA STARK.

Baptised 18/8/1860 FRANCIS born 14/4/1860. (Sic)

Baptised 31/7/1863 ARTHUR born 18/6/1863 son of ERIC and CAROLINE SUTHERLAND, Agent.

Baptised 6/10/1865 ELIZA CATHERINE born 12/9/1865 daughter of ERIC and CAROLINE Agent. Witnesses: HARRIET FICHAT, Magd. DALGAIRNS, ALICE SUTHERLAND.

Baptised 4/12/1867 MARY AMELIA born 19/10/1867 of ERIC and CAROLINE. Agent. Witnesses: Wm. BREACH, AMELIA WEST, JESSIE REX.

Baptised 25/6/1869 ROBERT HENRY born 14/5/1869 of ERIC and CAROLINE SUTHERLAND. Agent, Knysna. Witnesses: JOHN BLAKE, JOHN EEDES.

Baptised 3/3/1871 CAROLINE WEST born 22/12/1870 of ERIC and CAROLINE. Agent, Knysna. Witnesses: ALICE and ELLEN HARE, ARTHUR BLAKE.

Baptised 3/10/1872 JOHN born 9/8/1872 of CAROLINE and ERIC, Agent of Knysna. Witnesses: Wm. LLOYD, Wm. BREACH, J. METELERKAMP.

Among the names ot the witnesses to these baptisms there are many of those men and women who played a role in the shaping of the social history of Knysna.

And what of the three little sisters, AMELIA, MARY and ELIZA SUTHERLAND? They were born in Central India, according to a descendant, and spent about ten years at the Knysna taught by Mrs. WENTWORTH and her sister, Miss MAGDALENE DALGAIRNS. They left Knysna for India on 1 December 1856 and landed at Calcutta on 12 March 1857. Here ELIZA was to meet and marry ALFRED STARK of the C.M.S. (Church Missionary Society). The couple were engaged in missionary work in India and managed to raise twelve of their sixteen children there. They were deeply respected and loved and proud that their surviving children all "did well" in their lives.

MARY SUTHERLAND married a sea captain named FOOKS, who died and left her sufficient money to set up a Home for the unwanted children of British soldiers and tea planters in the tiny village of Toong, 5000ft. up on the Darjeeling-Himalaya railway. Her two sisters and nieces and nephews frequently visited her there to escape the heat of the plains and because they were a very united family. The third sister AMELIA or "MINNIE", as she was known, also married and remained in India, but not very much is known about her.

The section on the WENTWORTHS and DALGAIRNS left out. (To be added later)

In the next generation the SUTHERLAND'S, REXES and WENTWORTHS were all united when JACOB and FANNY REX'S son JACOB HENRY SEWELL REX married ERIC SUTHERLAND'S daughter MARY AMELIA on 11 March 1886. They had six children.

Notes:

1. Grill, J.W. (trans) J.F. Victorin's travels in the Cape, 1853 - 1855. Cape Town, 1968. pp 67, 83.

2. Reminiscences of Georgina Lister. Johannesburg, 1850, p.3.

3. State Archives, Cape Town. C.O. 4136

4. George Advertiser. 31.1.1867

5. Mossel Bay Advertiser. 8.1.1879

6. Metelerkamp, Sanni. George Rex of Knysna.

7. Rainier, Margaret. The journals of Sophia Pigot. 1819 - 1821. Cape Town, 1974

8. Ibid. p. 108

9. Butler, Guy ed. The 1820 Settlers. An illustrated commentary, Cape Town 1974, p.217

10. Rex family papers. In: S.A. Library. Box 2, Folder 22, Item 187

11. Ibid. Item 188

12. Morse, Jones, E. Roll of the British Settlers in S.A. Cape Town, 1971. pp.73, 167

13. Goverment Gazette. GN 12/1 13.1.1826

14. Crail Cards. In: S.A. Library

15. Ibid

16. State Archives Service, Cape Town. MOOC 7/1/124. No.28

17. Tapson (Perrins), Winifred. On to Knysna. Pt. II. Plettenburg to Knysna A trip through history. p.51. In: Looking Back, vol. XI, 3, June, 1971

Bibliography

Cape of Good Hope Almanacs

Genealogy of the Rex family, by Arthur J. Rex Beddy. Cape Town, 1971

Timber and Tides, by Winifred Tapson. 4th ed. Cape Town, 1973

J.F. Victorin's travels in the Cape, 1853 - 1855, by J.W. Grill. Cape Town, 1968

George Rex of Knysna, by Sanni Metelerkamp. Cape Town, 1963

The journals of Sophia Pigot. 1819 - 1821, by Margaret Rainier ed. Cape Town 1974

The 1820 Settlers. An illustrated cemmentary, by Guy Butler. Cape Town 1974

Roll of the British Settlers in S.A., by E. Morse Jones. Cape Town 1971

Dear members,

The stirring events heralding in 1990 have aroused a medley of sansations: fear; hope; doubt; faith. May the victory go to the good and si I wish all you loyal supporters a year of goodwill and trusting friendships. From the turmoil of opinions and speeches crowding the papers and TV, we turn with relief to the quiet backwaters of Knysna, to pursue the vicissitudes of the SUTHERLAND family who played such a significant role in the history of our town.

D. Burger CHAIRMAN

In this newsletter we continue with the saga of the SUTHERLANDS and with the impact they made on the fortunes of Knysna. We take as a point of departure September 1845, when the Colonel's "entourage", having descended upon Melkhoutkraal with so much commotion, were about to disperse after about a month to go about their separate ways. Many of the men, women and children who made up the party were later to return to Knysna when their circumstances were to differ widely from their expectations none having the least idea that "the leader of the band", the gallant Colonel, was to lose his life with such tragic suddenness a mere three years later back in India. They all travelled to Table Bay together and dispersed from there. The Colonel himself went back to India with possibly his three little girls and Dr. and Mrs. COLERIDGE; the Colonel's sister, Mrs. ANDERSON went back to Scotland with his sons ERIC and ROBERT for the boys to complete their education there, and young JOHN SUTHERLAND, then about twenty-one years of age, returned to Knysna with three wagons full of farm equipment and with his father's instructions to lay out a village on about 67 morgen of the part of Melkhoutkraal which they had bought which bordered in the west near the boundary of the hamlet of Melville. In this newsletter we concentrate on JOHN and "his" village of Newhaven.

JOHN SUTHERLAND did not settle in at Melkhoutkraal in solitary state. The young COLERIDGE children (including little CELIA, who would have been four or five years old at the time, obviously oblivious of the fact that she would become many years later the bride of the young Head of the House); JOHN'S three little sisters, AMELIA SOPHIA, MARY and ELIZA (who returned fairly soon from India or remained behind when the Colonel left); Mrs. COLERIDGE's sister , Miss M. NEALE who was later to involve herself in the affairs of the burgeoning St. George's church; and JOHN MELDRUM, his wife and family, the SUTHERLAND's servants from England. Then came the widow ELIZA WENTWORTH from Uitenhage with her two little daughters and three step-daughters accompanied by her two sisters the Misses AGNES and MAGDALENE DALGAIRNS. These last two ladies came from Graaff Rienet appointed by Colonel SUTHERLAND quite possibly when he was there, to come and see to the education of the six COLERIDGE children and his own little daughters. They occupied a cottage called Mount Vernon, close to Melkhoutkraal. There was thus quite a little population explosion in the area, and in the future annals of what was finally to become the town of Knysna not only did the name SUTHERLAND frequently appear but also the names NEALE, COLERIDGE, WENTWORTH and DALGAIRNS, some to be joined in marriage later with the oldest family name of all, that of the REX'ES

JOHN SUTHERLAND was a very able and socially responsible young man. He had to act the squire, farmer, and land developer all at once and in a strange country, and he did it well, One of his first duties was to try to consolidate the two islands in the lagoon, Steenbok (Leisure Island) and Round Island ("Thesens - correctly Paarden, Island) into the estate. He wrote on 3 March 1846 to JOHN MONTAGU, the Colonial Secretary - and his father's friend. "Only your great kindness in expressing to me, after my Father's departure for India and your willingness to do me any benefit, emboldens me at present to trespass upon your attention." He went on to say that the two islands were being used by the REX family and that Steenbok Island being directly in front of the homestead, i.e. Melkhoutkraal, which his father had bought, as well as the other island, seemed to be "necessary appendages" to his property. Acting on his father's behalf he applied to buy them "at valuation". But in this he was unsuccessful and was informed that the islands were not public property, were not for sale and belonged to that part of the REX estate which the REX family still owned. However, relations between JOHN and the Colonial Secretary were very cordial as could be seen in his enquiries after Mrs. MONTAGU'S health, in sending his best regards to the MONTAGU boys, and giving MONTAGU all the details of his father's most recent letter from India.

At this time, i.e. 1846 / 47, there was the strong desire among the growing English population of the district for their own church and clergyman. THOMAS HENRY DUTHIE of Belvidere, WILLIAM NEWDIGATE of Plattenberg Bay and the Hon. HENRY BARRINGTON of Portland were all prime movers towards this end. JOHN SUTHERLAND was also of the same mind and wrote again to the Colonial Secretary describing the situation and circumstances which made the need so urgent: "....sixty miles from the nearest church, which is in George; the clergyman has never visited this place, so that a great portion of the Anglo-Dutch and Native population here derive no benefit whatsoever from his ministrations..." He mentioned the increase in the English population, augmented by a number of immigrants, the number of woodcutters in the forest who would benefit and the coloured population too. Basically he was stating a case for assistance from the goverment to swell the funds which he thought could be raised from a subscription by the residents of the district.

Part of the subscription list: The subscription list was drawn up and circulated and headed with an amount of 15 pounds from THOMAS HENRY DUTHIE. Five of the younger DUTHIE children were put down for 4/- each and there are donations of one shilling and sixpence from WILLIAM TITUS (of Belvidere), from "SOPHIE" and from "LILY" and many others, as well many contributions of sixpence from "ANDRINE", "MARTINUS", "BETSY JACOB" etc. These humble amounts woud have been very important to their donors. The largest contribution of all was JOHN'S own, being the sum of twenty pounds, and next to his name on the list is Miss NEALE, with the sum of fifteen pounds. The six COLERIDGE children, are all put down for one pound each, Mrs. WENTWORTH and family for five pounds, and the MELDRUMS and family for one pound 10 shillings. JOHN'S brothers, ROBERT now at Westford, and ERIC at Eastford, each contributed ten pounds.

THOMAS DUTHIE and WILLIAM NEWDIGATE took the subscriptions list which totalled 266 pounds.17.6d, accompanied by a Memorial from the residents of the district (addressed to the Govenor Sir HENRY POTTINGER), to hand over to Bishop GRAY, newly arrived in Cape Town. (see newsletter No. 30, p.2.)

JOHN SUTHERLAND was very much involved in the birth and growth of the "Newhaven" church as it was later dubbed. He served on the Building Committee, he donated the stone which was quarried on the Eastford farm, and it was in the little schoolhouse which he built, that the first services were held while the church was , so slowly and with so many setbacks, being built. This schoolhouse building still stands, rather appropriately, just off Montagu street, and has been used for many years as Knysna's Art Centre. The Rev. Dr. ANDREWS was the clergyman for the district and officiated there for the first visitation by Bishop GRAY on 17 September 1848, when the newly-erected building was bedecked with flowers and filled to overflowing with what the Bishop called "a devout congregation." "Mr. SUTHERLAND who has built a school here," he wrote in his diary, "has applied to me for a teacher." Several of the Dutch families of the district, who had come in nine wagons, attented the service, and twenty-seven of the congregation wre confirmed that day. A joyful occasion for all those who had worked so hard to this end.

Not only were church services held in the school house before the competion of the church, but it was also licenced for marriage services. JACOB GOVERT REX, third son of GEORGE REX, who at the age of 44 was married on 1 November 1849 to FRANCES AUGUSTA WENTWORTH, aged 22, was according to parish records, married in the "licenced schoolhouse." Other marriages which were solemised in the "licensed schoolhouse" wre those of CHARLES BULL (catechist and tutor to the DUTHIE children), aged 21, to LOUISA GEORGINA REX, aged 30, 5th daughter of GEORGE REX, on Christmas Day 1849; and ALEXANDER BERN, one of the stonemasons who built the two churches, St. Georges at Knysna and Holy Trinity at Belvidere, aged 27, to ANN ABERCROMBIE on 21 August 1850.

JOHN SUTHERLAND was elected a Commisioner to the George Divisional Board of Public Roads in 1847, serving on it for some years. From a letter addressed to JOHN MONTAGU on 21 December 1847, we learn of his proposal for opening a new road from Knysna to the Longkloof avoiding the "difficult, circuitous and rocky passes over the Devil's Kop and Paarde Kop." He estimated that a sum of about 600 pounds would be required to cut this route and asked whether there could be a loan granted over a period of ten years by means of a "sinking fund". The proposed road would run from the Knysna harbour, and the Roads Board had already allocated him a sum of 75 pounds towards the cutting of a bridle path on the route. The path was to run round the end of the Outeniqua range east of Spitzkop entering virgin forest about five miles from the anchorage. He requested permission to be able to use the timber cut to lay over the swampy parts of the way and to sell the remainder of the timber to help pay for the road, He hoped that the scheme would meet with MONTAGU'S approbation. (It is interesting to note that when THOMAS BAIN came to construct the final road to the Longkloof that the following appeared in the Cape Argus of 21 September 1858: "Mr. STRETCH has, we are glad to learn, very properly condemned BAIN'S proposed line and fixed upon that known as SUTHERLAND'S road, passing near Buffel's Kop leaving Paarde Kop 4 or 5 miles to the East past VELTMAN'S, the Vlugt, and coming out into the Longkloof at Zondag's. This road will not pass through a single river of any size...") JOHN seemed to have had an instinct similar to that of his father as far as judging the most suitable routes for roads to run was concerned, (see Newsletter No33, p.7.)

The bridle path was completed in September 1848 and the Secretary of the George Board of Public Roads reported to the Central Roads Board that "the bridle path has been opened between Knysna and the Lange Kloof, and the cattle have been driven through the whole line to the Knysna Market instead of as heretofore travelling over precipitous passes... The journey can now be performed in a day, formerly it required four days, and under difficulties scarely surmountable."

JOHN was appointed a Justice of the Peace and acted as such from 1849 - 1854, but resigned from the Georgr Divisional Board of Public Roads in January 1849. But his life at Melkhoutkraal was by no means all work and no play in spite of having to shoulder so many responsibilities (he was also on the School Committee of the new school next to the Reading Room built later). The legendary hospitality of Melkhoutkraal was upheld, as we read in THOMAS HENRY'S diary of 3 August 1848: "Dinner with SUTHERLAND, adjoined to smoking room, then supper room. Most hospitably entertained." When the Bishop arrived to take his first service in the SUTHERLAND schoolhouse he spent the night in the SUTHERLAND home. JOHN was ranked along with THOMAS HENRY DUTHIE and GEORGE REX Jnr. as the most promonent gentleman of the neighourhood who traditionally accompanied the Bishop on his arrival and departure from the district. When JOHN FISHER - SEWELL, son in law of GEORGR REX and later Harbour Master of Plettenburg Bay, visited him at Melkhoutkraal he found him a "very affable and social young gentleman, well educated, well informed and altogether a very agreeable companion." With a touch of justifiable envy he wrote: "I thought what a lucky fellow JOHN SUTHERLAND was to have a father who could afford to give him such a princely heritage, for with its barns, waggon houses, watermill and outbuildings and servants quaters, (it was) a much larger establishment than the village of Knysna.

But dark days lay ahead. The first shock was the news of the sudden death in India of the Colonel. On 24 October 1848 THOMAS HENRY DUTHIE wrote in his diary: "The Post arriving unusually early at 5 o clock brought the account of Colonel Sutherland's death in India. What a fearful blow to them all." Hea and CAROLINE (his wife) rode over to Melkhoutkraal some days later to offer their condolances but could gain no admittance. This was astonishing in the light of their friendship and of the numerous occasions on which JOHN had spent the night with the DUTHIES at Belvidere and availed himself of their hospitality. However, life went on and we read of JOHN soon coming and going again about his business and communicating with the DUTHIES in much the same manner as before. Melkhoutkraal was bequeathed to him in his father's will and his immediate task was to carry out the Colonel's instructions to lay out the village on its Western approaches. The village, to be called "Newhaven", was then surveyed by WILLIAM MUSGROVE HOPLEY, the same surveyor who went on to survey and lay out out the villages of Belvidere and Ashford for THOMAS DUTHIE in early 1849.

WILLIAM MUSGROVE HOPLEY'S father was an ex-naval man of the same name who came out to the Cape in 1806 and opened a school in 1812 later known as the "English Grammar School". He sent his wife and two sons from England and WILLIAM junior (born in England in 1795), taught "the elements, principles and practices of landscape drawing" at his school. In 1817 he was appointed a Land Surveyor and moved to Swellendam in 1820. Here he lived for 40 years becoming one of the "characters" of the Overberg, mahing the first detailed survey of the area and being responsible for "more buildings to his design standing to-day than is generally realised,"

JOHN SUTHERLAND had already sold some of his land to JOHN FISHER SEWELL before Newhaven was surveyed. "He induced me to purchase a piece of land from him in order that I might settle down there, and gave me the pick of the position, and I bought 1 ½ acres from him before the village of Newhaven was laid out. At this stage, although Messrs. THOMSON, WATSON and Co. of Cape Town still held the mortages on the SUTHERLAND properties, it seems that the Colonel's estate had not yet been declared insolvent.

The lots in the new village were put up for sale and in May 1849 HENDRIK CHARLES STROEBEL bought 4 lots: 8 Long street, 2 Graham street and no's 2 & 4 Spring street at 15 pounds each, and for his wife MARIA THERESA CATHARINA, nee' FAUCONNIER, (a well known name in the neighbouthood), a further 2 lots: 2 Queen street and 3 Church street, @ 22.10 pounds. Perhaps this was a little over-ambitious because with the purchase price not having been paid within the statutory 6 months a fine was added, and with the final load of transfer fees, it was all too much. The STROEBELS went insolvent in the following year and disappeared. But before any of the buyers of the plots could get freehold title JOHN SUTHERLAND had to arrange for the bonholders to apply on his behalf, to the Colonial goverment for permission to redeem "the Perpetual Quitrent" on the land, he "having disposed of sundry erven within the said Township to parties who are desirous of locating themselves thereon and building Houses and Stores as soon as proper titles in Freehold can be granted to them...".

Early in 1850, on 24 January, the following advertisement appeared in the Cape of Good Hope Goverment Gazette:

"NEWHAVEN - KNYSNA"

To repectable Tradesmen.- A capital opening presents itself in this flourishing township, - particularly to Wagon makers, Stone cutters, Bricklayers, Blacksmiths, Shoemakers, Tailors, and Tinsmiths.-A Tannery, to any one of moderate capital, would be a sure and profitable speculation. House rent, with garden ground attached, from 6 - 15 pounds per annum."

The advertiser did not give his name so one can only suppose that a buyer of some of the village lots was hoping to let them.

Two years later JOHN sold Westford farm to BRYAN DARNELL whom he had known for some time (according to THOMAS DUTHIE's diary of 10 November 1849: "...after dinner SUTHERLAND, CLEMENTSON (an "Indian"), and DARNELL came up by boat."), and whom six years later was to become his brother in law. But in the meantime he left Knysna and went to Queenstown where he bought a farm called "Gallen Water" near Whittlesea. It was in 1858 at the age of 35 that he married CELIA ELIZABETH COLERIDGE then only 17 years old. The marriage was solemnised at Belvidere Church on the same day, 11 February 1858, by Rev. Dr. WILLIAM ANDREWS, as that of BRYAN DAENELL (37) to Celia's sister ROSALIE SARAH COLERIDGE (19).The witnesses were ARCHIBALD HAMILTON DUTHIE, JOHN N. COLERIDGE and ANNIE B. DUTHIE. The DARNELL entry was the first in the brand new Marriage Register at the church and the SUTHERLAND's was the second.

In the following year 200 Newhaven erven were put up for Auction offering purchaser sof a single erf the refusal "of those adjoining it in the same street marked of equal value." The Notice of the sale was inserted in the Cape of Good Hope Goverment Gazette on 6 September 1859 signed by JOHN SUTHERLAND, Gallen Water, Whittlesea, supported by Messrs Thomson, Watson & Co., Cape Town and R.H. ATKINSON of Knysna (who married SARAH REX in 1843). It is not known how many erven were sold or to whom at this time, but all was not well at Gallen Water for JOHN. His estate was assigned in July 1865 and sequestered in January 1866. By 1870 he was declared insolvent. The General Estate and Orphan Chamber advertised the sale of Eastford Farm, and about 370 erven at Newhaven "in the Insolvent Estate of the late Lieut,-Col. SUTHERLAND, snr." in 1868. In the same advertisement in the South African Commercial Advertiser dd. 11.4.1868, two cottages , Prospect Cottage and Vley Cottage, in the insolvent estate of COENRAAD WILLEM NELSON (who married CHRISTINA REX in 1843), were also to go under the hammer. Insolvencies seemed to be more the rule than the exception! The Eastford Estate was bought by the Anglican Church as glebe land. The last of the SUTHERLAND "empire", poor JOHN SUTHERLAND's personal legacy of Melkhoutkraal with its outbuildings and 1000 morgen of land remaining after the village had been laid out, and 148 lots ("positions described") still available in Newhaven, were put up for sale together in his insolvent estate on 9 July 1872, advertised in the Cape of Good Hope Goverment Gazette. Practically every erf was sold at this time, but there did not appear to be a buyer for Melkhoutkraal.

2. Ibid. C.O. 4035, no. 72. 12.5.1847

3. Ibid. CO. 4033, no. 148

4. Ibid. C.o. 4035, no,74. 21.12.1847

5. Crail cards. In South African Library

6. Rex, F. Muller. The Kntsna story. In Cory Library for Historical research, Rhodes University, Grahamstown. Ref/ no. 2724

7. Phillip, Peter. British residents at the Cape 1795 - 1819. Cape Town, 1981. pp 190 - 1

8. Burrows, E.H. Overberg outspan. Cape Town, 1952. p.66

9. Rex, F. Muller, The Knysna story. In Cory Library...

10. State Archives Service, Cape Town. C.O. 4050, no. 80. 12.12.1849

------------------------------------------------

Bibliography

Cape of Good Hope Almanacs - 1846 - 1861

Duthie, T.H. Diary, 1848 - 1849

Beddy, A.J. Rex, Genealogy of the Rex family, Cape Town, 1971

Gray, Robert Bp. of Cape Town (...Journals of two visitations in 1848 and 1850...) London, 1849 & 1852.

-------------------------------------

Copyright by Margaret Parkes and V.M. Williams

------------------------------------

The spirit of change is in the very air we breathe, every action we perform, every purchase we contemplate. The Friends of the Museum Society have not escaped this inevitable fate.

Our subscriptions must be raised. Is R5 per annum too drastic a change? To continue the Newsletters which are of such ineffable value, we must raise the subscription and the R5 barely covers the cost of the paper and postage of the letters. Please help us to continue the rich flow of information about our environs and founders of long ago.

Dorothy Burger

CHAIRMAN

Another link with Scotland

Old Knysna has many a link with Scotland, and one of these at which we are taking a look in this newsletter goes back in history to the time when "Melville" and "Newhaven" were the names of the two tiny settlements on the Knysna river estuary.

Melville, the Naval village, was named after Viscount Melville of Scotland who was First Lord of the Admiralty from 1812 - 1830. and Newhaven was the village laid out a little later by the young JOHN SUTHERLAND on the instructions of his Scottish-born father in the Indian Army, Lt.-Col. JOHN SUTHERLAND of the 2nd Bombay Light Cavalry. The land on which Newhaven was laid out was part of the GEORGE REX estate which Col. SUTHERLAND bought in 1844.

The Southernmost boundaries of the two littlehamlets met at only one point and that was in the South at the river's edge, the land widening towards the North in the form of a wedge. A third tiny hamlet was later established here known as "Eastford village" which was also part of the REX deceased-estate land bought by Col. SUTHERLAND, and this was later sold to the Anglican Church. The naval ground on which Melville stood was exchanged with the Colonial Goverment in 1860 for land in Simons Bay harbour, and once a Municipality was formed in our area in 1882, the three little villages were almalgamated into the town of Knysna which took its name from the river. Thus the reason why today we cannot find a road across Knysna which runs parallel with our Main road from East to West, is because ot that "wedge" which was once "Eastford" and which was not included in the village of Newhaven laid out by JOHN SUTHERLAND.

Lt. Col. JOHN SUTHERLAND was to take Knysna by storm in 1845 when he arrived with his family and friends with much pomp and ceremony on his second visit to take up residence at Melkhoutkraal.

Who was this Colonel then who caused such a stir? The Grahamstown Journal of 24 April 1845 reparted: "Lieut.- Colonel SUTHERLAND, whose approach to any part of the colony has become the signalfor sociality and festivity, gave a splendid ball on Monday, 24th ult., to the inhabitants of this Town...." Like GEORGE REX he had many a romantic legend attached to him. He is said by some of his descendants to have stemmed from the Earls of SUTHERLAND and DUFFUS, an old Morayshire Scottish noble family whose scions once owned Thunderton House in Elgin, chief town in Morayshire; to have "married" a Persian princess, sister to the contemporary Begum AGA KHAN; and to have had a great deal of wealth. That he was a charismatic man, and a man of intelligence and compassion is obvious in his words and deeds and the progress of his military career in India. There is no record of his personally claiming relationship to titled SUTHERLAND'S, and he at no time refers to the mother of his children, USHRUT or "BIBI", as his wife. As was usually the case with relationships between British army officers and the graceful, often beautiful Indian women to whom they were exposed, in Victorian Indian Empire times, such a marriage could have cost an officer his career.

The Colonel was born probably in 1792 as his baptismal certificate is dated 1.1.1793 and states: "...Mr. ERRICK SUTHERLAND in Rosevalley with his spouse JEAN LAWSON had a lawful son baptized and named (JOHN) witness Mr. JOHN LAWSON in Achrosk and Mr. JOHN LAWSON Oldmills, Mrs. LAWSON Auchrosk and Miss JEAN TODD Phinphin." Three of JOHN'S siblings are also mentioned - ALEXANDER (christened on 25 July 1791), JEAN (christened on 3 July 1794) and ERRICK (born on 1 May 1798). In 1791 ERRICK SUTHERLAND is described as "portioner of Keam" -("portioner" - in Scots law the holder of a small feu originally part of a greater). Rosevalley no longer exists, it was a farm probably acquired by the Forestry Commission and planted with trees. It was situated very near the coast on Burghead Bay in the parish of Duffus at the head of the Morayshire Firth. JOHN was educated at Forres Grammar School, a little to the south west near Findhorn Bay, and became a cadet in the infantry in 1809 at the age of eighteen or nineteen. In his cadet papers his father is described as a farmer.

His promotion was very regular and by 1838 he had attained the rank of Lieut.-Col., three years later being appointed Govenor-General's Agent in Rajputana and Commissioner of Ajmere. He distinguished himself in Oriental studies and showed an intense interest in the language and customs of India. He was on the personal staff of the Hon. MOUNTSTUART ELPHINSTONE while Govenor of Bombay, and to quote from his obituary in the Bombay Times of 12/7/1848 reprinted in the Scottish Forres Gazette of 9/10/1848: "... In 1833 he was private secretary to Sir C. METCALFE then Deputy Govenor of the NorthernProvinces; and subsequently Agent for the Govenor-General of the Rajputana States where through his means and those of his very able assistants, (the horror of) suttee (the custom of the Indian widow burning herself on her husband's pyre), the sale of children into slavery and other monstrous usages which had flourished since time immemorial, were abolished."

He devoted all his energies to the improvement of Rajputana supporting self-help schemes and subscribing personally to the establishing of a medical college. The writer of his Obituary also stated: "... he had no wish to relinquish the task he had undertaken, or to return to his native country." He had become truly a devoted son of India. A marble statue was erected in his honour in Ajmere, and at home in the SUTHERLAND Family burial enclosure in the old church St. Peter at Duffus is the following inscription:

"This tablet is erected to the memory of ERIC SUTHERLAND who died 1817 and of JANE LAWSON his wife who died in 1798, and of their secondson, JOHN SUTHERLAND, Colonel 4th Regt. Bombay Cavalry, who after highly distinguishing himself in the Civil as well as the Military affairs of British India died at Bhurtpore on 24.6/1848."

And yet on his Death Notice in the Cape Archives filed on 3 April 1849 the information is bald in the extreme. The details were supplied on behalf of the Colonel's son, JOHN, by one ROBERT IZEEL (?). The following discrepancies appear: 1. Names of the Parents of the deceased. Not known.

2. Age of the Deceased. Propably about 60 years.

3. Condition in life. Lieut. Colonel 2 Regt. Bombay Light Cavalry.

4.Married or unmarried, Widower or widow. Unmarried.

5.The Day of the decease. July 1848.

6.At what House, or where the person died. Rajapottana.

7.Names of the Children of the Deceased, and whether Monors or Majors. The following illegiti- children.

JOHN SUTHERLAND a Major

ROBERT SUTHERLAND age not known

ERIC SUTHERLAND age not known

Three daughters names and ages not known.

------------------------------------------------------------

"The will of Lt. Col. JOHN SUTHERLAND is dated Joadpur, 16th Feb. 1847 and Probate was granted on 4th January 1849. The following are named as Beneficiaries:

'My four sons JOHN, ROBERT, ERICK and ALEXANDER

'My three daughters (not married)

'To the mother of my children, USHRUT

'The poor of my Native Parish of Duffers, Morayshire

'My brother ALEXANDER SUTHERLAND, Esq., near Elgin, Morayshire

'My sister, Mrs. Anderson (of) Elgin

'and to my dear friends and bebefactors Dr. and Mrs. COLERIDGE of Rajpootana."

It is not known how much, if anything, the beneficiaries named in the will received after the death of the Colonel because, to the dismay of everyone concerned, it turned out that his estate was bankrupt.

There was talk of his bank in India having failed. WINIFRED TAPSON writes of two banks having failed and of a foreign claim in India against the estate. The properties in Knysna which the Colonel bought had been mortaged to Messrs. THOMSON, WATSON & Co., a shipping firm in Cape Town.

Of the four sons mentioned in the will only JOHN and ERIC remained in Knysna, but, before their "era" we must go back to the time when the Colonel arrived at the Cape from India on two year's furlough. He had just previous to his arrival been granted two month's sick leave in Bombay, was travelling alone with his servant, and was not yet fully recovered.

He sailed from Bombay on 7 January 1843 on the barque Herefordshire, arriving in Table Bay on 15 February 1844. The Cape was a popular place with the "Indians" at that time and many ot these British-born members of the British East India Co., or of the Indian Army were welcome and popular visitors, some returning to settle who then "held important posts in the Cape Goverment." They were usually public-spirited and took an interest in the affairs of the Colony. Several of them published books in Cape Town, and amongst them was our Colonel SUTHERLAND whose concern for the African peoples led him to publish, in two volumes, "A memoir respecting the Kaffers, Hottentots and Bosjemans of South Africa", printed by Pike and Phillip in 1845 and 1846. In this account he quoted long passages from well-known authorities and travellers such as BARROW, LICHENSTEIN, MOODIE and BANNISTER, and held discussions with C.L. STRETCH, one-time Inspector of Roads in Knysna, and H. F. FYNN whom he visited in the eastern districts.

The Colonel kept a diary of his journey from Cape Town via Mossel Bay to Graaff Rienet and on to the eastern frontier from 16 February - 22 December, 1844. He recorded his amazement at the growth of Cape Town since his previous visit 19 years before noting the effects of the abolition of the slave trade on the various farms, noting the prices of various commodities, the climate of the Cape and the state of the labour market. It is thought that he may have been interested not only in drawing comparisons with life in India but also keenly observing these matters witha view of purchasing land in the Coloney for himself and his famiy. After spending two-and-a-half months in Cape Town and its environs, he set off on 27 April on board the SS Phoenix for Mossel Bay, intending to land at Algoa Bay to examine the districts of Albany, Somerset (East) and Uitenhage, returning through George to Mossel Bay to catch a steamer back to Table Bay. However, on landing at Mossel Bay, he found he could hire a saddle horse for himself and a covered wagon for his servant and his kit and so reversed the order of his plans deciding to proceed overland to the eastern districts and catch the steamer back from Port Elizabeth.

He admired the setting of Mossel Bay a good deal more than the "only six or eight good houses in the place and a few huts" of which the village consisted, and considered that once the formidable Cradock Pass was replaced with a proper way through the Outeniqua mountains from the interior, the fine harbour of the village would attract a flourishing shipping trade for the products brought doen from the farms over the mountains. Before he left Mossel Bay he was glad to contribute something towards the completion of a church able to accomodate a congregation of five- to six hundred from the surrounding districts. He then set off for Georgetown delighted to see flowers and shrubs and a cave on the way which reminded him pleasurably of India, and Ajmere in particular. He rode up the hill to a wellknown landmark, Bottelierskop, said to resemble "a butler's head", but more likely named after ensign Beutler, whose goverment-sponsored expedition passed that way nearly a hundred years earlier, in 1752. He was accompanied by various local people on his journey from time to time with whom he was able to exchange views and find out a good deal of what he wanted to know concerning the countryside through which he was travelling. He spent a pleasant evening at Hulmes, the "halfway house" between Mossel Bay and George where the birthday of one of the children was being celebrated by the propietors, the mother of the child being MAGDALENA ALTENSTAEDT, stepdaughter of Baron VON LUDWIG of Cape Town.

Col. SUTHERLAND crossed the new bridge over the Great Salt (Brak) river, built by Commissioner of the District MOODIE, and reached George at about 4 p.m. on 3 May. He found it much smaller than he had imagined "one of the Capitals of the S. Eastern Frontier" to be.

On 5 May he rode up the Cradock Pass taking two hours to reach the top from where he marvelled at the views to the north and to the south to the sea being reminded of his childhood spent not at the sea but within earshot of the surge of the sea in the Moray firth.

The Cradock Pass, built in 1812 to replace the treacherous Duiwelskloof passage, by Landrost VAN KERVEL in two months at a cost of only 5000 rixdollars (R750). was a notoriously bad pass. Although it was only five-and-a-half miles long it sometimes took an ox-wagon three days to get over it, and was often described as 'fit only for baboons.' It got progressively worse over the years until in 1840 Surveyor-General CHARLES MICHELL declared there was no alternative to building a completely new pass over the mountains.

SUTHERLAND saw the beginnings of the new road and worked out where there would have to be stone walling to support it. The barrenness of the mountains and sparseness of human habitation led him to muse on the contrast between this and similar elevations on the lower Himilayas in India where cities and temples, mosques and pagodas crowded the plains. He was constantly to write of this dearth of inhabitants which so struck him as he proceeded on his travels -one-and-one-eighth inhabitant to the square mile!

He remained in the George area for a few days visiting amongst others, ex-sea Captain RICHARD ALLEN's farm "Blackwater" (Zwartrivier), consisting of about 1000 acres beautifully situated with the Outeniqua mountains to the north and the sea to the south. Here he bred merino and crossbred sheep on the well-watered land, but although the pasturage was good there was the usual lack of labour. Captain ALLEN was married to MAGDALENA KUYS, daughter of the Clerk of the Peace in George, whose other two daughters were married to CHARLES CURREY and JOHN HASWELL, both connected with Knysna. The Colonel also visited Dr. BALLOT, the Dutch Reformed Minister, on his farm, which also had fine views and even finer merino sheep, and angora goatsas well, all better cared for by the clergyman's better control of the local labour.

On 9 May he prepared to set off for the Knysna having purchased two fresh horses and hired an ox-wagon for 1 pound a day, and went straight to captain ALLEN who fulfilled his promise to row him up the Swart river and round the waterfall, also up the Kaaiman's through the gorge to the small waterfall. The waterfall on the Swart river may well be remembered as one of the photographs appearing in the S.A.R. carriages. It was subsequently covered up with stone and rubble (the waterfall, not the photograph), with the building of the national road, but with the more recent widening of the road it has been cleared and a new picnic site made before the Swart river bridge near Far Hills.

As SUTHERLAND travelled on he found the country becoming more picturesque and more wooded. From Captain ALLEN's farm he proceeded to that of ALBERT KENNEDY at Woodville where he dined on fresh fish from the lake. He noted the lie of the lakes "along an extensive line of the sea coast, in between two ridges of sandhills formed of the drift sand from the sea shore..." pondering on the manner in which they had been originally formed. He appraised critically everything he saw, nated the vegetation and the methoda of farming. The great extent of the farms in comparison with the small amount of pastoral, and particularly agricultural, products which they yielded, continuously astonished him. He had not set eyes on a plough since he left the Cape. Farming seemed to be the subsistence level with wool selling @ 1/- per lb, and sheep @ 6/- and 10/- each.

At EDWARD KENNEDY'S farm, equally as large as his brother's, he found the house very prettily situated on the banks of a stream and surrounded by fruit trees, but could not see anything more than their being able just to support themselves, having to be "content to live far from the enjoyments of society and of refined life."

His next visit to a farmer was to the MEEDINGS at Ruigtevlei where he saw Mr. JACOBUS MEEDING sowing his barley in the old-fashioned manner (no plough), of broadcasting the seed on to unploughed land being followed by a black servant who merely turned the seed and soil over witha spade, step three being undertaken by MEEDING himself going over the ground with a rake to remove the weeds.

The young ladies of the house entertained the Colonel with bread-and-butter and the book collection of the house. With a great deal of pride they showed him the Family Bible printed in Holland in 1660.

The next morning, May 14, he continued his journey to Belvidere, considered by many travellers to be the loveliest part of the Colony. Here he was given "a soldier's welcome" by Lieut. THOMAS HENRY DUTHIE, was introduced to Mrs. DUTHIE, the dinner table and a comfortable bed for the night.

It was obvious that SUTHERLAND had read the various accounts of the early travellers who had passed through the Knysna, and was also well-informed on the birth of the port. He rode the hills above Belvidere and Brenton along to the top of the western head marvelling at the passage (which he calls the "chasm"), through the Heads which all the vessels entering or leaving the harbour had to get through.

THOMAS DUTHIE took the Colonel over the lagoon in his boat to visit his brother-in-law, NELSON, married to his wife's sister (another daughter of GEORGE REX) who lived in the little naval village of Melville. The next stop eas at Melkhoutkraal which since the death of GEORGE REX was on the market, but still occupied, in the absence of a buyer, by four of his sons, some of the minor children and their mother. The property Eastford, also part of the deceased estate, was also for sale (once more) having been sold unsuccessfully in 1843 to one LEWIS W. HEATH, by JOHN REX, one of the Executors and the late GEORGE REX's second son. Mr. HEATH failed to comply with the conditions of sale and left the country, so the farm was re-integrated with the estate.

Colonel SUTHERLAND knew all about the late "Proprietor of Knysna" and his legendry hospitality to all who came through the Knysna in the early days, comparing him in this respect with JAMES SKINNER (1778 - 1844) of Belaphont House, and of the famous "Skinner's Horse" regiment of Light Cavalry in India, but was critical of his having kept his sons at home instead of settling them on his five estates so that the farms would be properly worked. As it was, the properties had all been allowed to fall into decay in the last five years, not the least Melkhoutkraal itself. In spite of so many members of the family living in the house he found it in a most "neglected condition and in a state of disrepair - the outhouses almost roofless and uninhabitable - whilst the beautiful sloping lands are all around uncultivated - the garden neglected, the apple, pear, peach, apricots and guava and fig trees unpruned and unmanured......etc. etc". no attempts made by the five able-bodied sons still at home to do anything about it - EDWARD, aged 42 who had previously been in charge of the cattle: JOHN 41, one of the Executors of the estate: JOCOB aged 39, who had been responsible for the stock; GEORGE 21 and THOMAS who at the age of 10, could be excused. SUTHERLAND supposed that a contributory cause could be the emancipation of the slaves who used to do the manual labour on the lands.

On the death of GEORGE REX in 1839, the estate was fragmented with a share to each of the 13 children and 3 shares to their mother. Two of these shares fell away, one with the death of ANNE, the eldest daughter, and FREDERICK's share which he took out rather prematurely, causing him to be in debt to the estate.

The estate took a long time to finalise with THOMAS DUTHIE accusing JOHN REX of not managing his duties as an Executor in a proper manner. (the other two Executors were EDWARD, the eldest son who was deaf, and CAROLINA, their stepmother). Matters came to a head with THOMAS employing an "honest attorney" to be present at an interview with JOHN REX who was in Cape Town at the same time as THOMAS. "I also retained the Attorney General," wrote THOMAS DUTHIE to his brother in England on 9 December 1841, "in the event of their being disposed to give me trouble." Mr. JOHN REX requested to have 3 months time to make up the accounts which I was agreeable to.....My interest in the estate is comparatively small but I cannot remain silent and see the children sufferers, which they must have been wre the system of management continued which has been going on during the last two years. THOMAS DUTHIE having brought matters firmly to a head, JOHN REX set about his business to do his duty and the two brothers-in-law apparently buried the hatchet. Small wonder that the estate was not kept up. JOHN REX's chief interests in life were never the management of the land or stock or tilling of the soil, he was far more interested in the mercantile side of the REX estate, which was the timber business.

Colonel SUTHERLAND left the Knysna after a week, on 21 May, after visiting the REX's once more and listening to the description of the good old days from the old lady who told him the property was up for sale for 3000 pounds (which he well knew). He wrote in his diary: "...I have seen nothing in the Coloney which promises so well - nothing so beautiful - with such a range of corn and grazing lands - and if anything is ever to proper in Sothern Africa it must be such a property so situated - ships at its very door - Mr. REX was employed all the morning in shipping his wood for the Cape - Yet beautiful as is the place, good the climate, enchanting as were my rides, & kind my hosts, it was with no small satisfaction that I mounted my horse at 2 o' clock - for there is an air of desolation and loneliness in all things which sickened & sunk my heart..."

He travelled on in leisurely fashion to Graaff Rienet and from there, in spite of all his misgivings about the "decay" of the Knysna, wrote a letter to THOMAS DUTHIE informing him that he was buying all the REX property that was for sale! The part of Melkhoutkraal for 3000 pounds, Eastford for 1000 pounds and from THOMAS DUTHIE himself, Westford farm for 2200 pounds. He enclosed a copy of a letter he had written to his agents to purchase all the places without further advice for 6200 pounds, and to secure the title deeds. He said he would leave Graaff Rienet in a week or two for the eastern districts, take the steamer for Cape Town, stay a month, take the steamer to Mossel Bay and come to the Knysna presumably to visit his newly acquired estates.

THOMAS DUTHIE wrote to CAROLINA to tell her all about it - "you will excuse the haste in which I write," he apologised to his mother-in-law, "the sudden manner in which Colonel SUTHERLAND has made up his mind must astonish us all - and I sincerely trust it may be of advantage to you and all of us - I cannot but think it will, provided the money is well secured."

The sale of the properties went through at the end of the year with JOHN REX acting as Executor for the estates of Melkhoutkraal and Eastford, In the case of Melkhoutkraal, one morgen of ground near the village of Melville which GEORGE REX had given for the building of a church was reserved. The portion of Melkhoutkraal estate which was not included in the sale included Woodbourne, Hunter's Home, Ashmead and Rexford, and it was on Rexford that the REXES built their new home which was, and still is called "New Place."

Colonel SUTHERLAND returned to Knysna in style in the following year with a large entourage of family, friends and servants in a cavalcade of sixteen wagons from Mossel Bay. His brother and sister-in-law had joined him coming out from Scotland, three sons, two of whom had been studying in Edinburgh, three little daughters came out from India, his friends Dr. and Mrs. COLERIDGE and their children completed the party. Knysna was stirred up for a month with what THOMAS DUTHIE called "great doings" in a letter to his brother. The party then all dispersed, with the Colonel going back to India and the rest whence they came, with the exception of 21-year-old JOHN SUTHERLAND who remained to lay out a village on part of the western boundaries of Melkhoutkraal with plots for sale. The Colonel had seen quite enough of subsistence farming to attempt to re=deveop Melkhoutkraal in that way. But sadly, he was never to see it again in any way, for when out riding, (such a favourite pastime), back in India with his friend the MAHARAJAH of BHURTPORE, he had an attack of sunstroke and died in his friend's palace on 24 June 1848. He was buried at Agra, the whole station, civilian and military, joining in the funeral procession, which included the Lieut.-Govenor. His brother officers erected a marble statue to his memory in the Jullunder Gardens at Ajmere.

-----------------------------------------

NOTES.

(1) Information supplied by Ms. Moira Innes, for Director of Libraries, Elgin, Moray, Scotland, 20/9/1989.

(2) Cape Archives Depot. C.O.3924, ref. p.153, and Crail cards in S.A. Library

(3) Information supplied by Ms. Moira Innes for director of Libraries, Elgin, Moray, Scotland, 23/8/1989

(4) Crail cards ...

(5) Tapson, Winifred. Timber and tides, Cape Town, 1973. p.37

(6) Langham-Carter, R.R. The "Indians" in Cape Town In: Quarterly Bulletin of the S>A> Library, v.35, No.4, June 1981

(7) Sutherland. John, Diary of a journey from Mossel Bay to Graaff Rienet via the Eastern Frontier, Cape Archives Depot. Accession Collection, A453

(8) See Millwood House Museum Newsletter No.23

(9) Reply to Memorial of Mr. John Rex ... Colonial Office, 26.1.1844. In: Long, Una. An index to authors of unofficial privately-owned documents...

(10) Rex family papers. Box 10. Item 447. In: S.A. Library

(11) Ibid. Box 1, Folder 1, Item 15.

Copyright by Margaret Parkes and V.M. Williams.

-----------

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Mrs. Parke's sicere thanks to:

Dr. W. Saunders

Mr. and Mrs. Wylie Martin of Scotland

Ms. M. Innes, Elgin Library, Moray, Scotland.

I have obtained copies of newsletters no's 33, 34, 35 and 36 from the Millwood museum in Knysna. Portions thereof contain information relating to the SUTHERLAND family and I will post excerpts thereof in a series of articles.

Acknowledgement for the research and publication of the articles / newsletters to Messrs Margaret Parkes, Dorothy Burger and Ros Thesen.