Tuesday 1 November 1898

INFANT MORTALITY
Infant mortality in Johannesburg is increasing to an alarming degree (says [...] D. News) During the last two days as many as eight deaths have been announced, bronchitis appearing to be the prevailing malady. Yesterday, it is true, only two deaths were announced, those of baby Ellen Jane MUNDELL in the “Riviera” Township beyond the Houghton Estate: and baby Richard James Valentine DALY in Hoofd Street, Braamfontein. Still the changeable weather and winds are playing havoc among the little ones.

MR. W.B. SHAW
Today (says Saturday’s Cape Times) is the silver wedding day of Mr. and Mrs. W.B. SHAW, the esteemed leaders of the Wesleyan Forward Movement. Naturally the workers of the Movement are endeavouring to make the most of tomorrow’s services. Special hymns will be sung, and at the evening service the choir will be assisted by several friends, and also by an orchestra. Solos will be rendered by Mrs. TYLER, Miss HEEGAR and Mr. WEDDERBURN. Mr. W.B. SHAW will occupy the pulpit at both services.

A SOLDIER’S DEATH
On Friday evening Private REDMOND, Dublin Fusiliers, met his death under peculiar circumstances. He was riding one pony and leading another alongside, near Government Buildings, Maritzburg, when the animal REDMOND was riding became restive and he was thrown, the injuries proving so serious that he died.

Mr. and Mrs. T. FLEMMER, of Cradock, recently celebrated their silver wedding. Of the large company who attended at the nuptials twenty-five years ago, all but four are still alive.

A painfully sudden death occurred at the East London station on Wednesday evening. The wife of Mr. John BOCK, proprietor of the recently-imported merry-go-round which had been sent on to King, accompanied him to the station to leave by train. Mrs. BOCK, who suffered from heart trouble, was taken seriously ill on the way down and died in the waiting room to which she had been removed.

Thursday 3 November 1898

DROWNING AT DURBAN
On Sunday last a small party of young men were bathing at the [Back] Beach, Durban, when Richard JOHNSON, a fair swimmer, was carried out by the heavy backwash. He cried for help, and two of his companions managed in succession to reach him and clutch him, but the wash was so strong that neither was able to retain his hold. The poor fellow was consequently carried out to sea, and never seen again. The two other men reached the shore in an exhausted condition. Deceased, who was a resident of Durban, leaves a widow and two children in Capetown.

A SOLDIER’S GRAVE – DROWNED IN THE KAT
Two cape Policemen out on patrol on Mr. KNOTT’s farm, Botha’s Post, the other day found in a thick tangle of bush and undergrowth near the Kat River a long-forgotten grave. The inscription which was carved on the weatherworn headstone read:
William SMITH
1st Batt. 91st Regt.
who was drowned in the Kat River
on 21st January 18[4?]
Aged [41] years
This stone was erected by his comrade
V. [McKINNON]
The KNOTT family, upon ... [rest of sentence illegible].

Mr. Impey HILLIER, Town Clerk of Lady Grey, committed suicide on Thursday morning by shooting himself with a fowling-piece.

A pioneer colonist passed away lately at Boksburg in the person of Mr. John Ferguson BRISLIN, father of Mr. A.C. BRISLIN, the well-known Johannesburg architect. The deceased, who was born in Jersey on December 22nd 1823, had been most of his life in South Africa, and houses of his designing are to be found all over Grahamstown, where he lived for a number of years, only recently taking up his residence in the Transvaal. The cause of death seems to have been old age.

Saturday 5 November 1898

The death is announced of Mr. A. THORNTON, an old and highly respected resident of Graaffreinet. Mr. THORNTON was educated at the Blue Coat School in London. At the age of 21 he left England for the Cape Colony, and on his arrival in Port Elizabeth he came direct to Graaffreinet, where he had resided ever since, a period of 57 years. During the greater part of that long period he identified himself with much zeal with the public affairs of the place.

As Mr. Jacobus PIENAAR, of Secritariskraal, was going with his wife and children in a wagon to Murraysburg, to be present at the opening of the Presbytery, the other day, his youngest child, aged eighteen months, fell through one of the side windows of the wagon, with the result that the hind wheel passed over his head, killing him instantly.

One of the oldest farmers in Kaffraria, Mr. Theodore BECKER, died at Braunschweig on Saturday last. He was 86 years old, and two or three years ago celebrated his diamond wedding. Mr. BECKER was highly respected by his neighbours and those with whom he came in contact, and up till less than a week before his death was in excellent health. He leaves to mourn him his wife, who has reached the ripe old age of 87, and a numerous family of sons and daughters.

Tuesday 8 November 1898

South African Industrial and Arts Exhibition 1898-99
Grahamstown
Meeting of Settlers’ Families
A special committee has been appointed to organise a great gathering of the descendants of the British Settlers of 1820 during the Exhibition. The cooperation of all interested in such a movement will be heartily welcomed. Those willing to assist are cordially invited to send in their names to Mr. Geo. B. WEDDERBURN, S.A. Industrial and Arts Exhibition, Grahamstown.
Signed Jno. E. WOOD, Chairman, Settlers’ Committee
             J.S. WILLCOX, Chairman Executive Committee

DIED at Naauwspoort on 4th November 1898, William Albert WEIGHILL, aged 15 months and 24 days, infant son of F.M. and A. WEIGHILL.

DIED at Grahamstown on the 7th Nov, Annie Gertrude, aged 35, beloved wife of Clement VICE, of Adelaide, and youngest daughter of the late Geo. LEPPAN and of Sarah LEPPAN, of Tea Fountain.

Thursday 10 November 1898

SARGENT
At East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, on Oct 13th last, Rosetta Louisa, the dearly beloved eldest daughter of Henry and Louisa SARGENT (late of Grahamstown), after a lingering illness, aged 18 years.
The deceased was well-known in connection with the Convent School, where she attained high honours, and was greatly beloved by all who knew her.
“Thy will be done”.

The wife of a certain bookseller presented him with 11 sons, one after another. The good man carried his professional spirit into family life, so he named them Primus, Secundus, Tertius and so on till Decimus. He concluded it was time to stop after the eleventh, so he named him Finis, but it was not finis. There was yet another to come; a daughter this time, so he called her Errata.

Saturday 12 November 1898

At Barberton Mr. Wallace BUTTON, another son of Mr. A.R. BUTTON, died on Tuesday afternoon from the same mysterious disease which carried off Donald a week ago. Both brothers took to bed and succumbed within five days of the attack. The disease is a mystery, but as a wire has just been received that a third brother, Harry BUTTON, who left here a week ago for Pilgrim’s Rest, is down with smallpox there, the belief is growing that the two brothers died from malignant smallpox.

An old voortrekker known locally as “Cootje” VERMEULEN has died at the Rand. He was 78 years of age, and had had interesting experiences. He was at Boomplaats, and was there shot in the leg. The bullet remained in the limb until about six years ago, when it was extracted by his medical attendant. He was hardly grateful for this, declaring afterwards that he missed his friend the bullet.

At Bloemfontein on Monday the funeral took place of Mr. Tom SCREECH, for very many years the doorkeeper of the Government Buildings, and a kind of Sergeant at Arms to the Volksraad. The funeral was conducted with Masonic honours. The President, Chief Justice, Mr. FRASER and other prominent men were pall bearers.

Tuesday 15 November 1898

We regret to learn that Lieutenant-Colonel READER, the Officer Commanding the 1st Leicester Regiment, has died at Fort Napier, Maritzburg, from erysipelas in the head.

On Saturday Col. David HARRIS M.L.A. and Mrs. HARRIS, of Kimberley, celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of their marriage, the happy event having taken place at Bultonfontein on the 12th November 1873. Col. HARRIS, with characteristic generosity and public spirit, has decided to [signify] his silver wedding by a series of gifts to local benevolent institutions.

Saturday 19 November 1898

The marriage took place on the 17th at Johannesburg of Mr. Percy Cato HAW, of Grahamstown, and Miss Elizabeth Agnes Maxwell TOWERT, of Capetown.

Tuesday 22 November 1898

BIRTH at Grahamstown on the 21st November 1898, the wife of O.P.STIRK of a son.

MARRIED on Nov 7th 1898 at Trinity Church, Kalk Bay, by the Rev. Percy Hillyard, Walter THOMAS Esq. J.P., of Welbedacht, Oudtshoorn, to Ada Louise, daughter of R. MEDLEY Esq. of Ventnor, Isle of Wight.

It is our sad duty to chronicle the death on Saturday last at 1pm of Mr. CROZIER of this city, grandson of the late Hon. Geo. WOOD. Mr. CROZIER, who has suffered intense pain for years past, a victim to an incurable affliction of the lungs, passed away quite peacefully at the last. He was well known here, and highly respected and esteemed. He leaves a wife and family besides other near relatives to mourn their loss. The funeral took place on Sunday afternoon last, when deceased was tenderly laid to rest.

The death took place at the Kimberley Hospital on Thursday of Dr. William Stokes GRIFFITH, a senior house surgeon at that institution. Dr. GRIFFITH, who was only 34 years of age, was a doctor and surgeon of considerable capacity, and there is little doubt that, had he been spared, a brilliant career in his profession lay before him.

Thursday 24 November 1898

BIRTH at African Street, Grahamstown, on 23rd Nov 1898, the wife of Clifford George PALMER of a son.

BIRTH on November [22nd] at [Th...field] House, [...]-street, the wife of H.R. [illegible] of a daughter.

DIED at Grahamstown on November 23rd 1898, Oswald Norman, beloved twin son of Charles William and Mary Jane WEBBER, aged 15 months and 12 days.
“Not lost but gone before”

DIED at Grahamstown on 23rd November, Eliza, widow of the late John PATRICK of Grahamstown, aged 60 years.
The funeral of the above will leave the residence of her son-in-law, Mr. P. BURROWS, Upper George-street, tomorrow (Friday) afternoon at 4 o’clock. Friends are respectfully invited to attend.
A. WILL
Undertaker

Saturday 26 November 1898

DIED in the Johannesburg Hospital on 24th November 1898, Martha Jane Shaw ROBINSON, aged 35 years, youngest daughter of the late John and Elizabeth MARSHALL.

Tuesday 29 November 1898

BIRTH at Somerset-street on the 28th inst, the wife of Rev. M. Jameson LETCHER of a daughter.

BIRTH at Grahamstown on 22nd November 1898, the wife of M.W. GRADWELL of a daughter.

ENTERED INTO REST at Grahamstown, 26th November 1898, Joseph TROWER, aged 76 years and 8 months.
“For so he giveth his beloved sleep”

The Graaffreinet Advertiser regrets to report that Mr. Willie COLLETT, son of Mr. Jas. COLLETT of Rynehealth [sic, should be Rynheath], was thrown from his horse while riding on his father’s farm. He fell on his head and was rendered unconscious. Dr. WELCHMAN arrived as speedily as possible, but on his return to town he reported the patient to be still insensible. Some eight months ago young Mr. COLLETT was the victim of a precisely similar accident.

One of the deaths registered with the Johannesburg Town Council some days ago was that of Minnie ROBINSON, 26, of Grahamstown, Cape Colony, from enteric fever