This is a transcription of a column that appeared in South Africa magazine December 12, 1896. The column is titled "Domestic Announcements".

BIRTHS

SONS

BRADFORD, Mrs. W. R., Kimberley, November 10.

BROWN, Mrs. W. M., Johannesburg, November 2.

DOWSON, Mrs. R., Johannesburg, November 6.

LIMBRICK, Mrs. R. W., Port Elizabeth, November 8.

MANN—On November 27, at The Park, Parham, Wickham Market, Suffolk, the wife of Arthur Stanley Mann, late of Umhlatuzi, Zululand.

DAUGHTERS

GREEN, Mrs. A. F., Cape Town, November 10 (twins).

KRUMMECK, Mrs. P., Beaufort West, November 9.

MCLACHLAN, Mrs. H. R., Johannesburg, November 3.

MILLS, Mrs. W. S., Graaff-Reinet, November 7.

MARRIAGES

BLACK, R. St. G.—WRIGHT, B. I. H., Grahamstown, November 3.

COWAN—PHILLIPS—On October 21, at Concordia, Namaqualand, Michael Waistell Wilmshurst Cowan, M.B., C.M., eldest son of Michael Waistell Cowan, M.D., R.N., Inspector-General of Hospitals and Fleets, Leigh Lodge, near Worcester, to Myra, daughter of T. Phillips, Esq., Concordia.

DE VILLIERS, P. J.—PENTZ, L., Cape Town, November 10.

DUNCAN, A. A.—BAIN, K., Johannesburg, Nov. 2

GLANZ, G.—CANE, J., Beaconsfield, November 3.

OLIVEY—MESHAM—At St. Andrew’s Church, Ashley Place, Westminster, by the Rev. J. S. Northcote, Robert Hugh Olivey, eldest son of Colonel Walter Rice Olivey, K.C.B., to Annie Margaret, only daughter of the late Arthur Mesham, of Natal.

SLACK, W. R.—WILLIAMSON, K., Pretoria, Nov. 2.

WHITE-WHITE—On December 1, at St. Peter’s Church, Brockley, by the Rev. C. H. Grundy, William Blomfield White, Chief Officer S. S. Inyoni, to Jessie, second daughter of the late James Tench White, of Canterbury.

DEATHS

BERESFORD—On July 25, at his residence, 8, Pearson Street, Port Elizabeth, after many years’ intense suffering, Captain the Hon. Ralph Aubrey Dupres Beresford, youngest son of the late Lord Alfred Beresford, aged 46.

BELL, J. B., Johannesburg, November 6, aged 35.

DUNCAN, W. D., Cradock, November 4, aged 40.

GAUM, W. S., Johannesburg, November 4, aged 36.

HAMPSON, J., Queenstown, November 2, aged 73.

HIGH, J., Kimberley, November 3, aged 59.

JOEL, Mrs. J., East London, November 1, aged 69.

KITCHING, Rev. B. L. W., Walmer, November 7, aged 32.

MARTIN, E. A., Johannesburg, November 7, aged 23.

PHILLIPS—On December 5, at Southport, Sir Henry Lushington Phillips, K.C.M.G., aged 71.

SHEPSTONE—On November 15, at Pietermaritzburg, Natal, Florence, the beloved wife of Henrique Shepstone, C.M.G.

SUTHERLAND—At Pretoria, Transvaal, Douglas, second son of the late George Sutherland, of Kilmalcolm, N.B., aged 26.

Miscellaneous articles on the same page:

At a public service at Emfundisweni, Pondoland, the other day, nine babies received the rites of baptism, and were named as follows:--Mine, Reinet, Winifred, Elliot, Xata, Abednego, Annie Planche, Alice Lilian Moti, Olivet Netta, and Johnson Bema.

Mr. M. M. Loubser, the popular President of the Port Elizabeth Amateur Athletic and Cycling Union, who lately returned thither from a trip to Europe, was welcomed back at an entertainment given in his honour, where he was presented with a handsome punch bowl in token of the esteem in which he is held in local athletic circles.

THE SERVICES

The Transport Department of the Admiralty have arranged with the Union Steam Ship Company for the Spartan to convey to Cape Town about six officers and 450 men, women, and children, and 50 to 60 men, women, and children for Natal. The Spartan will sail from Southampton on Tuesday next, the 15^th inst. She will also call at St. Helena on the outward voyage to take on troops from that island to Cape Town, and will call at St. Helena homewards to bring reliefs from Cape Town to that Island.

Here is a portrait of the late Lieut. S. E. Schilling, of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, news of whose death we announced a few weeks ago, on receipt of a cablegram from Cape Town. Lieut. Schilling was aide-de-camp to Lord Rosmead, and when the mail left Cape Town on November 18, he was lying seriously ill at Government House, with an internal complaint, and arrangements had been made for an operation to be performed upon him. He joined the Army from the Militia in 1890, and was attached to Lord Rosmead’s staff in May of last year. The deceased gentleman, who was in his 28^th year, was buried with military honours.

It is the intention of the South Africa Company to apply for permission to confer its war medal, just sanctioned for the operations of 1893, on those who have assisted in quelling the recent rising; and if this be granted, a large contingent of officers and men will come in for it, including, of course, Prince Alexander of Teck, who received his baptism of fire as a subaltern of the 7^th Hussars.

The 9^th Lancers, by last accounts, had settled down comfortably at Pietermaritzburg, and had given up the idea of active service. It was a great disappointment to all ranks when they arrived to find that, instead of going to the front, as was expected, the orders were for them to be landed at Maritzburg; but they accepted the situation with soldierly good feeling, and received a most cordial reception.

The 2^nd Battalion King’s Royal Rifles were to have gone to India this winter. They were lately, it may be remembered, sent to South Africa, and it has now been decided to retain them at the Cape in case any further troubles should arise.

What has become of Colonel Raleigh Grey’s C.M.G. decoration? On last New Year’s Day, while the gallant Colonel was dashing across the veld with the Jameson raiders for Johannesburg, the announcement appeared here that the Queen had conferred the C.M.G upon him in recognition of his services in Rhodesia. He will be out of Holloway about New Year’s Day, ready to take up his really well-earned distinction, if it be still there for him.

A kindly act on the part of Captain O’Callaghan of H.M.S. Philomel, is reported from Port Elizabeth. When the vessel left that port one afternoon recently, a stoker named George Cowd was lying in a very critical state owing to weakness of the heart. Outside the harbour the vessel experienced rough weather, and fearing that the consequent motion on board might accelerate the sick man’s death, the captain put back into port. The case, however, was a hopeless one, and at eight o’clock that night the stoker quietly passed away.

Captain Holford, one of the Prince of Wales’ equerries, who recently succeeded General Ellis in office, and is now with H.R.H. at Hall Barn, has had an unusually long spell off duty. He went to South Africa to escort his sister, Lady Grey, when she rejoined her husband, who succeeded Dr. Jameson as Administrator of the Chartered Company.

IMPORTANT BANK TEST CASE

In the Supreme Court at Cape Town the other day, before the full Bench, the case of the Colonial Government v. National Bank, S.A.R. was heard. Mr. Shiel was for plaintiff, and Mr. Innes, with whom was Mr. Benjamin, for the defendant.

This was a special case set down for the decision of the Court in the following terms:--The plaintiff was the Assistant Treasurer of the Colony, and the defendant was the National Bank of the South African Republic, which had a branch in Cape Town and another in Port Elizabeth, the head office being in Pretoria. It had a capital of £1,200,000, and under the provisions of the Colonial Act of 1864, as amended by that of 1884, the Bank was a joint stock concern, and was indebted to the Colonial Government in the sum of £501, being 1s per £100 on the subscribed capital. The defendant’s plea was that the Bank was not a joint stock concern, and therefore not liable. On this point the decision of the Court was now asked. After argument, the Chief Justice said that under Schedule B of the Act of 1864, an annual licence was imposed on every joint stock company carrying on business in this Colony, and no doubt the defendant company would have been liable under this schedule had it not proceeded to define what the meaning of “joint stock companies” was. The domicile of the Bank was in Pretoria, where the meetings of Directors were held, who had the power to establish branches wherever they thought advisable. In the case of Hepworth, quoted in the argument of counsel, the Court looked upon the articles of association and not at any resolution arrived at by shareholders. Under all the circumstances the judgment of the Court must be for the defendant, with costs.

Their Lordships concurred, and the Court adjourned.

In Bloemfontein the other night, the Criterion Hotel was completely gutted by fire, and a visitor at the hotel named Stoddard was burnt to death.

Speaking at Queenstown, recently, the Hon. J. Frost said he was not going into the question of the South African League, nor had he any intention of joining it. He hoped the League was going to be a success, but he did not think it advisable to stir up any more race feeling in the country. The two races had got to live and work together somehow, and the more amicably they did it the better it would be for all concerned.

The charitable contributions of Port Elizabeth and Cape Town recently received a welcome augmentation to their funds through the liberal bequests of the late Mr. J. Soloman, who was for many years a resident of Port Elizabeth, but lived the latter part of his life in Hamburg. Among others, the Ladies’ Benevolent Society received £1000, the Provincial Hospital £500, and the Jewish Community £200. Altogether the various charitable institutions of Port Elizabeth and Cape Town have benefited to the extent of £3300.

Regards,

Ellen Stanton

Email: harprulz@bellsouth.net