M E N     O F     T H E     L A N D  .  .  .

DAVID BROWN
1861 Settler from Scotland

PHOTOGRAPH of David Brown taken in King Williams Town.

The eldest son of George Brown and Elspeth Anderson, David was born in 1840 at Crail, a fishing village in Fife. George Brown worked as a ploughman. Robert Anderson, father of Elspeth, also worked on the land. Elspeth Anderson's mother was Elspeth Watson. The Andersons and Watsons lived in St Andrews. At the age of 21 David Brown sailed aboard the 'Coldstream ll' which arrived in Port Elizabeth in 1861. He initially worked at Fort Beaufort in the E. Cape where wages earned at the time for farm workers were £15-20 a year plus board and lodging. The Scots were in great demand because they were known to be hardworking and reliable. In time, David Brown acquired his own property in the King William's Town and Komgha districts. He married CHRISTINA McKAY in about 1869 at Pirie Mission, King Williams's Town. He farmed; and worked as a transport rider with his McKay brothers-in-law.

1861: DAVID BROWN aboard the 'Coldstream ll'

The McKAY Family were from Farr, Sutherlandshire. The parents of George McKay were ROBERT and CHRISTINA McKAY.
The parents of Christina McKay were DONALD McKAY and CATHERINE DUNCAN, who married in Farr in 1803.

Sutherland in Scotland suffered greatly at the time of the HIGHLAND CLEARANCES, and the son of Donald McKay and Catherine Duncan, DONALD McKAY, had joined the British Army. Donald served in the E. Cape, where he retired. He encouraged his sister, CHRISTINA and her husband GEORGE McKAY, to settle in the area.

George McKay, and wife Christina McKay, and their children (Donald, Robert, Christina, Hugh, and David Sutherland McKay) sailed in 1859 aboard the 'Ascendant'. Arrived Port Elizabeth 25.12.1859.

1859: McKAY family aboard the 'Ascendant'

Son of George McKay and Christina McKay - Donald McKay, and wife Jane McGregor, settled in Mount Frere and it was while trekking there in 1885 that David Brown died. His wife, CHRISTINA (McKay) BROWN, and their children settled in East Griqualand, naming their farm 'Broban'. David Brown's daughter and granddaughter married two Dorning brothers: Henry and Fred.

1885 - OBITUARY of David Brown

Please note: The above Obituary incorrectly states David Brown was from Perthshire. He travelled aboard the 'Coldstream ll' with George Peebles, it is George Peebles who was from Perthshire. DAVID BROWN and MARGARET McINTOSH (grandparents of David Brown) were married in Tibbermore, Perthshire in 1810.

HUGH DONALD BROWN
Born in 1886 Hugh was the youngest son of DAVID BROWN and CHRISTINA McKAY. He was born 4 months after the death of his father and was named after the McKay brothers: Hugh and Donald, who had come to the aid of Christina when David Brown unexpectedly died. He purchased a farming property 'Harefield' on the Cedarville flats known as 'The Retreat'.

1910 - EAST GRIQUALAND PROPERTY PURCHASE
The signatures on the Purchase agreement for this property are of interest. James Cole was a well known name in the EG district. He owned many shops serving the needs of the people of East Griqualand.

Property dealings can provide paperwork that brings History alive when something is known of ancestor's everyday lives.

DONALD TOLLNER BROWN
Donald was the only son of HUGH DONALD BROWN and GEORGINA TOLLNER. He was born in 1918. Farming was his passion, not just a means of earning a living. He had a great love of the land. This was not surprising considering he was a man descended from generations of 'agriculturists' in Scotland. They were truly 'men of the land'. These men who tended the land can be traced back for generations in the Family Trees of both of his parents.

1974 - EAST GRIQUALAND PROPERTY SALE
"Record Dispersal Sale: One of the most well attended and well organised dispersal sales was held on behalf of Mr D Brown, 'Con Amore', Cedarville. The organisation and presentation of the stock was exceptional and once again potential of livestock in East Griqualand was realised. Mr Brown's merino sheep were in the peak of condition and his Sussex and crossbred beef cattle were likewise. Buyers from Natal, Northern Natal, South Coast and a very large number of local people attended." (This report appeared in THE KOKSTAD ADVERTISER.)

In seeking ancestors who were 'men of the land' what a thrill it is to find an entry such as that below. Not only confirming heritage but also discovering that properties in S Africa had been named after the original homesteads in Scotland. A part of the family history long forgotten and not passed on.

1841 - SCOTLAND
JOHN GIFFORD farming at 'Grange of Bladnoch' [See CENSUS below.]
John was the father of ALEXANDER GIFFORD - 1851 Natal Settler - and the great grandfather of East Griqualand wife and mother: Georgina (Tollner) Brown. It is interesting to note that to date, 'The Grange' at Umhlali, Natal, is still in the possession of the Gifford family. One of only two properties to still belong to the descendants of the original Title Deed owners in the area.

The GIFFORD FAMILY Tombstone is located in the above Churchyard.
PENNINGHAME, Wigtownshire, Scotland

The Monumental Inscriptions read:
ALEXANDER GIFFORD, farmer in Barwinnock, erector of this stone died 17.6.1829 aged 89 years.
His wife, MARGARET JORIE died 1.2.1829 aged 85 years.
ELIZABETH HANNAY, wife of JOHN GIFFORD, farmer in Grange, died 21.1.1806 aged 37 years

MARY AGNES (Gifford) TOLLNER

Granddaughter of JOHN GIFFORD
and Grandmother of DONALD TOLLNER BROWN