ADDENDUM
1.
.
Jane Latham wrote her “Reminiscences of my Life” in 1879 whilst living on the farm “Roodebergkloof” which lies 12 miles outside of Garies in Namaqualand. She is buried there in a family graveyard next to her father and her husband, William Latham. She was born on the 20th July, 1830 in Dublin, Ireland and died on the 5th November, 1898 at “Roodebergkloof” near Garies, Namaqualand.
Jane’s father, Benjamin Dixon, used James Alexander’s[148] map which he made on his ox wagon trip in 1837 from Cape Town to Walvis Bay and followed in his tracks but, whereas, James Alexander could not get through the Kuiseb[149] to Walvis Bay by ox wagon, Dixon swung eastwards to “Jonkers Place” or Windhoek and thence through to Walvis Bay and was, no doubt, the first man to get there by ox wagon. Dixon also had Saul Sheapard, a Damara, who had been with James Alexander on his trip, as an interpreter and guide.
Jane was thirteen years old when she did this trip which left Cape Town on a Saturday in October 1843 and arrived in Walvis Bay eight months later - June 1844.
The following are the people who participated in this historic ox wagon trip:-
Benjamin Dixon from Ireland - died 1-3-1866.
Jane Ledevia (neé Manifold) born 1808 in Ireland - died 1900.
.
Their Children :
.
Jane : 13 years old, born 20-07-1830 and died 05-11-1898.
Rebecca : 10 years old, born 31-08-1833 and died 16-04-1923.
Benjamin : 8 years old, born 1835.
James : 5 years old, born 10-12-1838 and died 01-04-1916.
Mathew/Matt : 4 years old, born +- 1839 - Buried at O’Kiep, Namaqualand.
These children were all born in Dublin, Ireland.
Richard : 3 years old, presumed born on boat coming
to South Africa in 1840, died in Springbok, Namaqualand.
Tom : 6 weeks old, born August 1843 in Cape Town.
Joseph : born in 1846 at Rooibank and died in 1849 at
Amrals Kraal.
Robert : born in 1849 at Rooibank and died in early 1851
(15 months old) and was buried at Goanikontes
William/Willy : was born on 22-09-1851 near Springbok
at Grootberg and died on 07-09-1941.
Benjamin Dixon’s business partner, Mr. Morris, who together with his wife and two sons, the youngest who was less than a year old, were also on that journey. A third child, a daughter, was born in Walvis Bay in June/July, 1844; this being the first white child, I believe, to be born there.
The reason for this undertaking was that Messrs. Benjamin Dixon, Thomas Morris and their Cape-based partner, Thomas Lawton, had a British Government contract to supply meat, cattle and sheep, to the garrison on St. Helena. At first this undertaking went very well and then it went so badly that they could not carry out the contract and the business folded and the partnership broke up. In Charles John Anderssons’s book, “Lake Ngami”, he, on page 14, refers to this and also on page 18 to Dixon and Morris’ house at Sandfontein. Dixon founded and named Sandfontein three miles outside of Walvis Bay, no doubt on the banks of the Kuiseb River. Also in 1844 Dixon lived at Rooibank (or Scheppmansdorf, as it was previously known); he then moved house to Goanikontes and then, due to the lions, moved back to Rooibank. Charles John Andersson, in his book “Lake Ngami” on page 26, refers to “Sheppmansdorf – Roëbank – Abbanhous – as it is indifferently called – was first occupied as a mission station, in the year 1846, by the Rev. Scheppman[150], from whom it took its name. It is situated on the left bank of the river Kuisip;[151] and immediately behind rise enourmous masses of ridges of sand.”
Frank Bassingthwaighte[152] married “Becky”, Rebecca Dixon, in October 1852 and worked the Matchless Mine, a rich copper mine west of Windhoek. From 1853 Becky and Frank lived at Goanikontes. Their eldest son, James Benjamin, was born on 15-07-1853 (probably at Goanikontes). It was during this period, 1851 or 1852, that Jane married William Latham.
The vessel “Susan” often referred to in the “reminiscences” was owned by Thomas Lawton, senior partner and financier of the ventures.
Jane Latham was 49 years old when she wrote her “Reminiscences” and died when she was 69 years old on her father’s farm “Roodebergkloof”. It has not been successful to trace why the “Reminiscences” ended unfinished very suddenly.
Her father, Benjamin Dixon, died 01-03-1866 - the same year as her husband, William Latham, who died in January, 1866 at ‘Spektakel’ or ‘Bontkoei’. Her mother, Jane Ledivia, died in 1900 at the age of 92 and in all probability was responsible for all the accuracy of the stories in the “reminiscences”.
Compiled by :
Frank Archibald Bassingthwaighte.
Hermanus, South Africa.
Rebecca : 10 years old, born 31-08-1833 and died 16-04-1923.
Benjamin : 8 years old, born 1835.
James : 5 years old, born 10-12-1838 and died 01-04-1916.
Mathew/Matt : 4 years old, born +- 1839 - Buried at O’Kiep, Namaqualand.
These children were all born in Dublin, Ireland.
Richard : 3 years old, presumed born on boat coming
to South Africa in 1840, died in Springbok, Namaqualand.
Tom : 6 weeks old, born August 1843 in Cape Town.
Joseph : born in 1846 at Rooibank and died in 1849 at
Amrals Kraal.
Robert : born in 1849 at Rooibank and died in early 1851
(15 months old) and was buried at Goanikontes
William/Willy : was born on 22-09-1851 near Springbok
at Grootberg and died on 07-09-1941.
Benjamin Dixon’s business partner, Mr. Morris, who together with his wife and two sons, the youngest who was less than a year old, were also on that journey. A third child, a daughter, was born in Walvis Bay in June/July, 1844; this being the first white child, I believe, to be born there.
The reason for this undertaking was that Messrs. Benjamin Dixon, Thomas Morris and their Cape-based partner, Thomas Lawton, had a British Government contract to supply meat, cattle and sheep, to the garrison on St. Helena. At first this undertaking went very well and then it went so badly that they could not carry out the contract and the business folded and the partnership broke up. In Charles John Anderssons’s book, “Lake Ngami”, he, on page 14, refers to this and also on page 18 to Dixon and Morris’ house at Sandfontein. Dixon founded and named Sandfontein three miles outside of Walvis Bay, no doubt on the banks of the Kuiseb River. Also in 1844 Dixon lived at Rooibank (or Scheppmansdorf, as it was previously known); he then moved house to Goanikontes and then, due to the lions, moved back to Rooibank. Charles John Andersson, in his book “Lake Ngami” on page 26, refers to “Sheppmansdorf – Roëbank – Abbanhous – as it is indifferently called – was first occupied as a mission station, in the year 1846, by the Rev. Scheppman[150], from whom it took its name. It is situated on the left bank of the river Kuisip;[151] and immediately behind rise enourmous masses of ridges of sand.”
Frank Bassingthwaighte[152] married “Becky”, Rebecca Dixon, in October 1852 and worked the Matchless Mine, a rich copper mine west of Windhoek. From 1853 Becky and Frank lived at Goanikontes. Their eldest son, James Benjamin, was born on 15-07-1853 (probably at Goanikontes). It was during this period, 1851 or 1852, that Jane married William Latham.
The vessel “Susan” often referred to in the “reminiscences” was owned by Thomas Lawton, senior partner and financier of the ventures.
Jane Latham was 49 years old when she wrote her “Reminiscences” and died when she was 69 years old on her father’s farm “Roodebergkloof”. It has not been successful to trace why the “Reminiscences” ended unfinished very suddenly.
Her father, Benjamin Dixon, died 01-03-1866 - the same year as her husband, William Latham, who died in January, 1866 at ‘Spektakel’ or ‘Bontkoei’. Her mother, Jane Ledivia, died in 1900 at the age of 92 and in all probability was responsible for all the accuracy of the stories in the “reminiscences”.
Compiled by :
Frank Archibald Bassingthwaighte.
Hermanus, South Africa.
.
.
1 comment:
You might find these posts on our family history blog interesting: The Dixon family of Namaqualand (book review) | Hayes & Greene family history and Morris family of Cape Town, Namaland and Damaraland | Hayes & Greene family history and the families seem to have known each other and sometimes were business partners.
Post a Comment