Hi Sharon Oops that was naughty of me. The book is called Rondebosch down the years 1657 to 1957 edited by F.J. Wagener. There is no publisher and it was printed by the Cape Times. Kind regards Heather Heather MacAlister Learning on Line 46 Hof Street Gardens 8001 Tel: 021-481 8316 -----Original Message----- From: Sharon Warr [mailto:snw@absamail.co.za] Sent: 31 October 2004 06:39 PM To: SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [South-Africa-Cape-Town] Rondebosch - a bit of History Part 3 Hi Heather Thanks for this interesting account of the History of Rondebosch - could you please give us your source? Thanks and regards Sharon View 1800s SOUTH AFRICAN PASSENGER LISTS at http://www.sagenealogy.co.za/DataArchive.htm SCRIBES PUBLISHING for Colonial Books on CD - visit http://www.sagenealogy.co.za/Scribes.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: "Heather MacAlister" <heather@ancestors.co.za> To: <SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2004 6:15 PM Subject: [South-Africa-Cape-Town] Rondebosch - a bit of History Part 3 > SOME EARLY VISITORS TO RONDEBOSCH AND THEIR IMPRESSIONS > > > > For more than 300 years-even before the Free Burghers settled on the banks > of the Liesbeek River-travellers have followed one route from the Castle to > Rondebosch. In his book "Old Cape Highways", Dr. Mossop has established that > "it is now beyond doubt that when we travel the Main Road to the suburbs by > Sir Lowry Road, Observatory and Rosebank, we are-as far as the hillock at > Rondebosch, now dominated by the Church of St. Paul-upon the very waggon > road of Van Riebeeck's wood-cutters". > > > > Along this road have come through the centuries a vast multitude of people. > In this article I have selected a few of the more famous of this multitude > who have fortunately left behind them their impressions of Rondebosch and > its environs, or whose visits have been recorded. Of necessity only those > who visited Rondebosch up till the middle of the 19th Century have been > included. > > > > These visitors came for a variety of reasons and made a variety of > observations. It was the age when the traveller frequently put down his > observations in book form, and we are fortunate that many of the impressions > of these early travellers have been recorded in books which have become > classics of our Africana. > > >From the fascinating pages of their books it would seem that the majority of > visitors journeyed to see the Company's Gardens at Rondebosch and Newlands. > The village is barely mentioned before 1811, and the official visits of > inspection were to see the conditions under which the Free Burghers were > farming. It was for this purpose that Commissioner Rykiof Van Goens, > Governor-General of Batavia, visited the settlement on the Liesbeek in March > 1657. He improved the conditions and made provision for one of the settlers > to be a burgher councillor. > > > > Nine years later, in December 1666, the Admiral of the French Fleet, > Monsieur de Monde Vergne, was one of the first of a long succession of > visitors who were entertained at Rustenburg, the Company's Country House at > Rondebosch in the Gardens. He is said to have referred to it as being > "well-built and very sumptuously furnished". > > > > The German, Peter Kolbe(n) who had been sent to the Cape to make > astronomical observations, and who remained there from 1705 till 1713, has > left a quaint description of the gardens at Rondebosch which deserves to be > quoted in full. "Several beautiful country seats, vineyards and gardens are > to be seen on almost every side of the Table-hill. The Company has here two > very spacious, rich and beautiful Gardens. In one of 'em stands, erected at > the Company's Expence, a noble Pleasure-House for the Governour, and near it > a beautiful Grove of Oaks, called the Round-Bush from which this Garden > takes its Name, being called the Round-Bush garden. The other Garden which > is at some distance from this is called Newland because but lately planted. > Both these gardens are finely watered by the Springs on the Table-Hill and > the Company draws from 'em a very considerable Revenue. > > > > "Between these Gardens and contiguous to the foremention'd Stable, lies a > lovely estate, called on Account of its Fertility, Bread and Wine. Between > those Gardens likewise stands Lonwens famous Brew-house, erected by Jacob > Lonwen who together with his family was transported to the Cape, at the > Company's expence, for this very purpose." > > > > Some thirty years later another German, Otto Mentzel arrived and left a > justly famous description of the Cape of Good Hope. Of the Company's gardens > on the other side of the Devils Berg he says: "The first of these is about > two hours or one German mile distant from the town, and is named the 'Ronde > Boschje' from a circular plantation of young oak trees in the neighbourhood. > My own opinion is that the garden has obtained this name from its own > somewhat round appearance, for owing to the action of the South-East wind > the branches of all fruit trees standing on the boundary lean towards the > passerby. Within this garden there is a summer house of modest designe for > the pleasure of the Governor and other prominent persons." > > > > Mentzel was extremely impressed by the success of the pomegranate which grew > in the gardens, and has some pleasant remarks to make about the climate. > "These gardens are watered by a stream, that flows from the Table Mountain > and enters the Salt River. They are more attractive than the one in the town > because they provide a finer view, and purer air. The neighbouring mountains > cast cooling shadows and the frequent cloud coverings on top mitigate the > heat of the sun. The prevailing summer winds are not so vehement nor so > sudden in their onslaught as in the town." > > > > In 1769 Rear-Admiral John Splinter Stavorinus, who was in the service of the > States-General of Holland, visited the Cape on his way to the Far East. He > described the gardens "on the acclivity of the Devils Mountain, one of which > is called Newland, and the other Het Ronde Bosch (The Round Grove)". He > found both "adorned with shady walks and planted with a great number of > fruit trees". At Newlands he was greatly impressed by an apricot tree "which > was so large and had spread its branches so wide that more than twenty men > could be sheltered under them, and it produced very good fruit at the same > time". Stavorinus was almost alone among the visitors in remarking that "it > is a great pity that these pleasant country seats are so subject to the > violent attacks of the furious south-east winds which continually sweep down > the mountain". Other travellers remark how comparatively sheltered this area > appeared. > > > > About the same time Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, the famous French author of > Paul et Virginie visited Cape Town, and mentioned that although the price of > board and lodging was very high, one could always spend some days at his > landlord's country house at "Driekoppjes or Rondebosch" without extra > expense. It seems that some of the ordinary citizens of Cape Town already > had country seats at Rondebósch. > > > > In 1772 the famous Swedish professor of Physics at Stockholm University, > Andrew Sparrman, visited the Cape and stayed for some time at Alphen. He > found a rare animal vivera putorius (probably a kind of genet) at "Mr > Dreijer's farm at Rondebosch, situated nearer to the Cape than Alphen". > > Even old Rondebosch residents will no doubt be surprised to hear that in one > of his "excursions between Alphen and Rondebosch near a marshy place in a > dale", Sparrman came upon an animal with which he was totally unacquainted > and realised that it was a hippopotamus or sea-cow, which had probably > strayed from Zeekoe Vlei. > > > > Sparrman's Swedish colleague, Charles Peter Thnnberg, Professor of Botany at > Upsala University, visited the Cape at about the same time, and as a > botanist his impressions were largely related to plants and fruits. He > refers to Rondebosch which he visited on the 30th June 1772, as "a villa > belonging to the Governor", and says: "On this Eastern side, along Table > Mountain, the South East wind does not blow so hard as at the Cape, for > which reason both trees and shrubs grow here. Among other trees the pine > (pinus sylvestris) was conspicuous by its elegant crown. Wild vines made a > distinguished figure at this time with their red berries which resembled > cherries and were eatable". > > > > Thunberg again visited Rondebosch in 1774 and remarks that the Governor has > country houses at Rondebosch and Newlands "to which he may retire at > pleasure, and unbend his mind when oppressed with the cares of state". > > On the 15th September 1795, Rondebosch received two famous visitors when the > Cape was surrendered to General Craig and Admiral Elphinstone at Rustenburg. > > During the first British Occupation we have a description of Rustenburg by > the famous Lady Anne Barnard. "At Rondebosch," she remarks, "is the > pleasantest country house belonging to Government, four miles distance from > the Cape." In one of her letters she writes: "All is sweet you know that > grows in the neighbourhood of Constantia and Rondebosch." > > Also during the first British Occupation Robert Semple in his delightful > book "Walks and Sketches at the Cape of Good Hope" describes a visit through > Rondebosch to the Brewery of Mr. van Reenen. "A mile from Cape Town we > passed the lines, a range of redoubts and blockhouses . . . Having passed > the lines the road winds further to the right and in about half an hour > brought us through an avenue of trees to Rondybosch the seat of the > Lieutenant-Governor of the Cape. A little beyond Rondybosch we ascended a > small rising ground towards the right and eontinuing to approach still > nearer the hills, arrived at the Brewery, the estate of D. van Reenen, as > well known and as famous at the Cape as that of Constantia; and here we > stopped to take some refreshment. > > > > The house of Mr van Reenen though not yet compleated, is by far the most > elegant of any building public or private in the whole colony. It was > planned by Thibault a French engineer." > > Ten years later, in December 1811, the great English naturalist William > Burcheil visited Rondebosch and left us a most charming description. > "Rondebosch (Round-wood) is an assemblage of villas and gardens, distributed > along the first part of the road; and here many of the inhabitants of Cape > Town have their country seats. A little farther on, we crossed the > Liesbeecks river, a plentiful streamlet, at a place called Westervoort > Bridge. Hereabouts the country becomes exceedingly beautiful, every where > shaded with groves, and large trees of luxuriant growth, between which are > interspersed vineyards, gardens, and many handsome buildings. Turning to the > right or westward out of the Wynberg road, we followed another equally broad > and good, and delightfully shaded by large oaks. This led us by Nieuwlands > (Newlands) at that time the seat of General Grey; but which has since become > the official country residence of the Governor. Near this place is a > beautiful spot called the Brewery where in the midst groves and plantations > stands an elegant mansion built after the designs of Mons. Thibault, the > government architect and surveyor." > > Rondebosch residents will perceive a familiar note when Burchell mentions > that at Roodebloem "we felt the symptoms of an approaching hot day; but at > Rondebosch, owing perhaps to a cool and more open situation, the thermometer > fell to 73". > > Some years later, in 1838, Rondebosch began to assume its present character. > Charles Bunbury, foreign secretary of the geological society, describes a > drive to Muizenberg. "Our way," he writes, "lay at first along the foot of > the Devils Mountain, and skirting the flats past the pretty little village > of Rondebosch; in this part, the broad level road, bordered by high hedges, > and shaded by oak or fir trees, the neat cottages and gardens by the wayside > and the public houses with English names on their signs, put me much in view > of my own country." > > > > A curious visit was paid to Rondebosch by Andrew Geddes Bain the great road > engineer; when in search of coal he put down a borehole on the "Rondebosch > Flats to test the lignite found there". > > A frequent visitor in the middle of the nineteenth century was Thomas > Bowler, the artist who gave drawing lessons at "Bishops". Three of the > pictures of Rondebosch subjects he painted at this time are illustrated in > this booklet. > > Rondebosch has come a long way through the centuries from the days when Van > Riebeeck settled the Free Burghers on the banks of the Liesbeek. It has not, > however, lost the early charm and individuality which made such an appeal to > these early travellers. > > More still to come > kind regards > Heather > > > Visit South Africa's Premier Genealogy Web Sites www.ancestry.mweb.co.za and > www.familytree.co.za > > Join the Cape Town Family History Society > www.ancestors.co.za/society/socweb.htm > > > > ==== SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN Mailing List ==== > FamilyTree.co.za.......it's the place to hang out and do your Family Tree > > ============================== > OneWorldTree - The World's largest family tree. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13971/rd.ashx > > ==== SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN Mailing List ==== Heather's South African Genealogy Help List www.genealogy.co.za ============================== New! OneWorldTree. Building Trees. Connecting Families. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13970/rd.ashx