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M O U N T F R E R E IN THE SEVENTIES JOHN McGREGOR
"I suppose the early settlers of these parts had very hard times?" "Your surmise is quite correct; the early settlers had very hard times indeed, and great changes have taken place in East Griqualand." "Who was the first Magistrate at Mount Frere?" "Mr James Henry Garner was the first Magistrate to the Bacas, and his father, the Rev William Hinde Garner was the first Missionary to the Bacas. The present Resident Magistate of Kokstad, Mr W Power Leary, had his first fixed appointment in the Civil Service as Clerk to Mr JH Garner, RM, Mount Frere. Mount Frere was named by Mr JH Garner. Mr Garner with a detachment of FAMP, under Inspector Jock Maclean, was stationed on the Osborn Wesleyan Mission Station, about five miles from Mount Frere. Mr Garner moved into his huts at the top of the Mount the day Sir Bartle Frere, the Governor of the Colony, arrived in Table Bay. In due time Mr Garner wired to His Excellency if he would allow the district to be named after him, to which he kindly consented. That was how Mount Frere came by its name. "The Chief Magistrate of East Griqualand at the time was Capt Blyth. The European who welcomed Mr Garner's family, after they crossed the Tina Bridge, was Mr JS Simpson, now of Kokstad, and whose first fixed appointment in the Civil Service was with Mr Ben Shaw, RM of Qumbu District, and later on he was with Mr Hamilton Hope, who was killed in the Qumbu district, and he was the first one to carry Agnes Garner, a wee baby of six week's old, when Mr Garner's waggons crossed the Tina. The drift was so slippery that it took the whole day to get through the river. Then when a halt was made after climbing the monkey road, Noweka Hill, thinking all was comfortably settled, a constable appeared on the scene, with a very long face to report that the waggons containing furniture and food stuffs had met with an accident. The waggon chains had broken and the waggons went down the hill. An Inspection took place. There was a glorious mixture of salmon, sardines and biscuit tins, all mixed with furniture, etc. etc. In those days there were no roads or bridges, only foot paths. There were only a few small trading stations in the district. On the Wesleyan Mission station, Mr JW Freemantle carried on business, and a few miles off at the Emthaze, was Mr TW Venn. The first business house in the Village of Mount Frere was that of Mr John Macgregor, father of Mrs Donald McKay. The first goods sold at Mount Frere was by that thorough old Scotsman, and his goods were brought up on the waggons of Mr Donald McKay, who afterwards married Miss Jean Macgregor. Mr John Macgregor's wife ably assisted him. She was an excellent woman, and his mother, "Grannie Macgregor", was goodness itself. She loved making "Haggis" and treating her friends to same. "Mr Macgregor brought four big loads of goods, and in six weeks everything was sold. The business was then established. That practically was the start of the commercial part of the Village of Mount Frere, and the total white population at that time was not more than twelve. Mrs Garner made out the indents for the late Mr John Macgregor before he came to Mount Frere, and she got samples of blankets, beads, wire, handkerchiefs, etc. etc. and sent to him to Kingwilliamstown. She had heard that Mr Macgregor was a just and honest trader with Natives, and was anxious for him to come to Mount Frere. "About a year after Mr Macgregor was established, Mr JJ Yates came with two loads of goods, and his waybill stipulated that the goods were to be delivered at Mount Frere. The carrier refused to go any further than the Magistracy, which he considered was Mount Frere. The Magistracy was a little higher up than where it is now. There was a Government Office in the course of erection, and as there were no builders to go on with the building, which was in a half finished condition, the only alternative was for the Magistrate to allow Mr Yates to put his goods into this half finished office. Owing to his encouraging competition, for a little time his life was not a bed of roses. Mr Yates died; his brother, Mr WP Yates, is now carrying on the old established business. After a time Mr Macgregor left for Kokstad District, where he carried on farming. His business was purchased by his Son-in-Law, Mr Donald McKay. Both Mr Donald McKay's sons, Jack and Kenneth, are farming in the Kokstad district. Mr Donald McKay died and the business is now carried on by Mrs Donald McKay. "The Osborn Wesleyan Mission Station was under the charges of the Rev Charles White, uncle of Mr Pemberton White, Wool Buyer, Durban, Natal, and brother to the well known Mrs Jenkins, of the Emfundisweni Mission Station, Pondoland. "Mrs Jenkins on one occasion sent a message to Sir Bartle Frere, through Mrs Garner, and received His Excellency's reply also through Mrs Garner. He said: 'Tell Mrs Jenkins she is the only woman I have not been able to comfort'.
"There was also in the Mount Frere district a progressive farmer, Mr James Usher, very well known in the Mount Frere ..." DONALD McKAY
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