I have to be quick! :D In less than an hour I am off to here........... eeek. Eat your hearts out. Kleinemonde. east Coast...... Eastern Cape SA. Sorry it is so long, I wrote it years ago. Might need fixing? Many of you have settler families here? I would love to hear more. So while you are all reading, think of me lunching in style on a wooden deck at my best friends house :D :D I hope the whales frolic for me today. Then I can really brag. SEAFIELD: KLEINEMONDE. (Cawoods Bay). Situated along the two rivers known as Lynedoch and Wellington, the land between the rivers is known as “The Peninsula”. This seaside retreat has grown into a desirable and much sought after area to live in. The Baillie Party’s allotment of 1820 Settler land was between the Fish and Kleinemonde Rivers. The “Kleinemonden Rivier” farm, originally granted to John Baillie was transferred to Flanagan and Bowker, 1849. Another portion of “Klein Monden River” was transferred to John Fletcher from Thomas Bowker. Seafield, the allotment of John Chase’s grant, was transferred to Timothy Divine,in addition to his, farm “Thurlesby” in 1836. To skip a few generations, the two resorts served as holiday retreat for farmers from the entire Zuurveld region as well as other people who discovered this gem over the years. Wonderful stories are told by “old-timers” of memorable holidays spent at “Kleinemonde”. Of wagons and staff who came down with the families for their annual holidays. Of sheep, cattle and poultry that were brought with the wagons as “food” for later use. Stories of tents pitched, sleeping on the wagons; huts that were built by ‘regulars’ and later wood and iron houses that took the place of these huts. Evident everywhere, are some of these original wood and iron homes, (West Kleinemonde). West Kleinemonde, has its own identity, in that this portion of the area was part of “Tharfield Farm” belonging to Miles Bowker. He allocated plots from 1925 onwards to those who came regularly and wanted to build permanent structures. Kleinemonde grew from four cottages, (West) to 30 when Tom Webb sold 12 hectares of land to the Western Kleinemonde Owners Association, which became an entity on its own in which owners became shareholders. There was a strange building at one stage, which most old timers remember as “the barracks”. It is said that this was built as Barracks for troops in the Boer War. (Presumably from the regiments stationed in Grahamstown). Another tale is that the British troops were stationed here, and on certain nights the Boers crept up signal hill above East Kleinemonde, to light their signal fires to the Boer ships who were lying off the bay indicating that all was well to swim the horses onto the beach. This, over the very heads of the British troops. It might be an “urban legend” but many a ‘four drink fire’ has been enjoyed while these stories are retold. The 1820 Settlers were desperate to find a suitable port close to their Albany allotments. Port Jessie was established circa 1847 by the Cawood brothers. Only a few ships used this harbour, but closed in about 1848 after the “Waterloo”was wrecked. There were numerous shipwrecks off Kleinemonde. “The Waterloo” “.S. Finland” and the “S.S. Umvolosi” whose mast is still visible in in the sea near Clayton’s Rocks. Stories of the cargo include railway coaches, sleepers and some heavy gold-mining equipment. Divers on the other hand, have found evidence of rifles, earthenware jars and ivory. Since the entire region from the Fish River, (Lower Albany) was a ‘frontier’ zone under tension between the Xhosa advancing from the West, and the British Colonial Government pushing eastwards, the whole area, of which Kleinemonde is part; suffered intensely from the severe hostilities.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 08:15:43 +0000