M.J. McKen, J.M. Wood and J.W. Haygarth

My name is Gordon Haygarth and I'm a great grandson of McKen and Haygarth.

Mark Johnson McKen arrived in SA in 1848. It would appear he first had a plot in Richmond, but was then employed by Durban Botanic Society as curator of Durban Botanic Gardens 1850-1852 and 1860-1872. He lived in a cottage - or thatched hut near Curries Fountain at the bottom of the gardens. Water had to be strained to remove tadpoles.

McKen arrived from Dumfries in Scotland after a visit to the West Indies to study sugar cane farming. During his career he also visited Mauritius for the same reason and brought back cane types for propogation in Natal. He was paid 50 pound per annum and corresponded worldwide exchanging plant material for cooperative development.

From 1852-1860 he was employed by the Saunders Family sugar farmers at Tongaat. He was the first to conduct experiments on Morewood's Mill and provide scientific results of the outcome of cane crushing. He did much to promote botany and exchanged material with Kew Gardens in the UK. He is mentioned in a book of paintings by Katherine Saunders as having together with JM Wood developed her interest in floral art. He married JM Wood's sister.

J.M. Wood, married Elizabeth Haygarth, sister of Joseph Williamson Haygarth who arrived in SA in 1852. He had been educated at the Blue Coat School in Liverpool. He became the first organist at St Paul's Church in Durban and was Durban's first music teacher. He travelled the Province giving musical recitals and was known as far afield as Kimberley. He and his wife had sons.

William Davenport was apprenticed by Sir John Robinson owner of the Mercury. A letter from Sir John dated 1892 thanks him for putting down the stike of that year. Davenport was at that time Works Foreman. He later became Works Manager and died of a stroke in 1927 after 49 years service.

He had married Agnes McKen and and they had 5 children: Medley, Raymond (my Father), Beryl, Vera and William Davenport Jnr. All served the Mercury (178 years in all): Medley (20 years) Raymond (44 years) Beryl (20 years) and William Jnr (45 years).

Medley emigrated to Australia in 1920 and returned to Cape Town in 1946. William Davenport (Snr) had a brother, Walter Jacques, who served the old Natal Goverment Railways as Chief Draughtsman taking early retirement upon Union in 1910 at 40 years of age. He had a long interest in botany and was adopted by J.M. Wood after his wife died at an early age. Through this association he had developed a lifelong love for flora and in Wood's Book on Trees of Natal many drawings are initialled either WJW or WJH. After retirement in 1910 he bought land in Kloof and carried on his interest in botany. Haygarth Road in Kloof is named after him.

John Medley Wood continued his work as person in charge of the Natal Herbarium and made an enormous contribution in the field of botany throughout Natal. He was rewarded for his work with an Honorary Doctorate in Science from the University of the Cape of Good Hope (now UCT) in 1913. He died in 1915. Medwood Gardens is named after Medley Wood, and a bust of him is mounted in the Gardens. There is also a bust of MJ McKen in the foyer of the Gardens' office. McKen's son Frank Healy McKen was closely involved in the Masonic Movement and achieved its highest degrees locally. He died in 1949.

I am Raymond's son and served in the Durban Municipality from 1946-1988, retiring after 12 years as Town Clerk/Chief Executive officer of Durban Municipality. I was also Past District Governor of Lions International, founder Chairman of Westville Homes for Senior Citizens, founder chairman of Port Natal/Ebhodwe Joint Services Board, MEC Local Government (Natal) member of the first Provincial Government of KZN 1994-1999 and past president of the senior golfers' society of KZN.

Gordon Haygarth

Further suggested reading:
'Natal, The Garden Colony' by Professor D McCracken (University of KZN) and Patricia McCracken.
The history of the Durban and Pietermaritzburg Botanic Gardens and mentions names such as McKen, John Medley Wood, Katharine Saunders etc.