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The diary of Robert John Mullins (1833-1913)

  • Authors: Nicholls, B M , Charton, N C J , Knowling, Mary
  • Date: 1998
  • Subjects: Mullins, Robert John, 1833-1913 , Church of the Province of Southern Africa -- Clergy , Missions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Cattle Killing, 1856-1857 , St Mark's mission , St Luke's mission , Missionaries -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Education -- South Africa -- Cape of Good Hope , Bolotwa mission , St Peter's mission -- History , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History , Kaffir Institute -- Grahamstown
  • Language: English
  • Type: Book
  • Identifier: vital:527 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004350 , Mullins, Robert John, 1833-1913 , Church of the Province of Southern Africa -- Clergy , Missions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Cattle Killing, 1856-1857 , St Mark's mission , St Luke's mission , Missionaries -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Education -- South Africa -- Cape of Good Hope , Bolotwa mission , St Peter's mission -- History , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History , Kaffir Institute -- Grahamstown
  • Description: Summary of Content: This volume offers its readers extracts from the diary and the correspondence of Robert John Mullins, Anglican missionary, priest and in due time principal of what was called the Kafir Institution in Grahamstown and as such a pioneer in the field of western education to black South Africans. After his marriage to Jennie Roe he was assisted in all that he undertook by a loyal and devoted wife. The editors have made use of the earlier diaries and manuscripts because of the light they shed on the conditions in the eastern Cape frontier in the crucial years before and after the cattle-killing. While Mullins' own observations are those of a young missionary his remarks and the record of his experiences are themselves to be viewed in the light of the recent scholarship in regard to the cattle-killing which reveals the multisidedness of an appalling social tragedy. What Mullins wrote records, for better or for worse, episodes which show how South Africans of different origins have in the past regarded one another. Mullins was a committed Christian eager to offer to all whom he could reach the salvation of Christ in which he so fervently believed.He was often intolerant of Xhosa customs he could not understand as well as often perplexed and discouraged. But the overwhelming impact of this record is what it took to be a missionary: courage, commitment, humour, resilience, a capacity to endure physical hardship and enjoy physical activity. All these were qualities which Robert John Mullins possessed in abundance. As his diary shows they were the qualities the frontier demanded. Working over a long period of time Nancy Charton and Brenda Nicholls (who became a coeditor in 1991) have transcribed the diary entries and the correspondence working with the help of the sites of some of the missionary activity. The help of members of the Mullins family (notably Judy Sturrock and her husband) is gratefully acknowledged. Earlier generous contributions made it possible to obtain a typescript from which the editors could work. Every effort has been made to identify the individuals (Xhosa, Tembu and white) and events (both in South Africa and abroad) which are alluded to in the diary. This was a time consuming task and the editors are grateful to all who helped them with it. The book consists of an introduction and eleven chapters. The introduction describes the material and the methods of the editors, discusses the religious and social conditions of the time, addresses the problems of interpartition presented by the cattle-killings, turns attention to the dilemmas of missionaries and then focusses the attention of readers on the diarist Robert John Mullins (with Jennie as later stand-in) as well as the value of the diary. There is much to interest the educationist, the theologian, the economist, and the historian. Chapter 1 deals with Mullins' voyage to the Cape in 1854 and the extracts record the experiences of an exuberant as well as a dedicated lad of sixteen. Chapter 2 deals with the arrival at the Cape in 1854. Chapter 3 gives us a picture of Mullins' experience of Graham's Town in 1854. Chapter 4 deals with Mullins' experience at St Luke's Mission. Chapter 5 covers the period of 1856-57 when Mullins was at Balotwa and the cattle-killing frenzy developed. Chapter 6 describes the hunger and turmoil which followed in the wake of the cattle-killing. Chapter 7 describes the founding of a new station, St Peter's Gwytyu. Chapter 8 is concerned with life at St Peter's in the early months of 1858. Chapter 9 covers the last months at St Peter's and his journey to the Bashee. Chapters 10 and 11 cover the early years in the married life of Robert John Mullins and his wife Jennie. The Mullins' delight in family life is strongly evident in their joy in each other's company and their anxious joy over their first-born baby. Chapter 11 gives the reader the texts of letters written by Robert John and his wife Jennie in the years which marked the end of Mullins' career as a frontier missionary, and the opening to him of the opportunity to become Principal of the Kafir Institution. A map carefully prepared by Mr Oakley West of the Geography Department, with the assistance of Deby Brody, enables the reader to trace the frontier journeys of Robert John Mullins and his wife Jennie who were among the pioneers of frontier societies who did their best to make available to others what they believed to be the eternal benefits of the Christian faith, and the accompanying mores of the 'western' culture of their day.
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  • Date Issued: 1998

A history of Grahamstown, 1918-1945

  • Authors: Torlesse, Ann Catherine Marjorie
  • Date: 1993
  • Subjects: Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- Economic conditions
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2565 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002418 , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- Economic conditions
  • Description: This study in local history describes socio-economic developments in Grahamstown between 1918 - 1945, and analyses the extent to which these developments mirrored trends in the macrocosm. During these years the city failed to become ndustrialised, but enhanced her reputation as an eminent educational centre. Despite being financially handicapped, the City Council undertook large public works schemes for the provision of essential services, such as electricity and an adequate supply of water. In addition a water-borne sewerage scheme was introduced, and roads were repaired and tarred. The influx of a large number of poor rural Blacks into the urban area placed a considerable strain on the city's health services, and housing projects had to be implemented. Local political affiliations and race relations are examined against the background of national developments, especially the growing entrenchment by the State of the policy of segregation. Attention is also devoted to the impact upon the community of international political crises. The cultural and sporting pursuits, as well as the entertainments enjoyed by Grahamstonians, are investigated; and a picture of the local "mentalite" is presented.
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  • Date Issued: 1993

An approach to the urban history of early Victorian Grahamstown, 1832-53, with particular reference to the interiors and material culture of domestic dwellings

  • Authors: Scott, Patricia Elena
  • Date: 1988
  • Subjects: Interior decoration -- Grahamstown -- History , Housing -- South Africa -- Grahamstown -- History , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2555 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002408 , Interior decoration -- Grahamstown -- History , Housing -- South Africa -- Grahamstown -- History , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
  • Description: This study is a venture in urban history in that although housing has been the subject of a number of recent studies, little attempt has been made within the British urban history framework to give serious study to what lies behind the architectural facade, the material domestic culture of an urban community. An important objective of this study is to examine the material culture of domestic dwellings in early Victorian Grahamstown, also referring to other parts of the Cape Colony. Where possible these facts are related to the occupants of the dwellings. No community, urban or rural, can be divorced from the influences which lie beyond its immediate locality in region or metropol. As a preliminary to this study the urban background of industrial Britain is examined, as are English and Dutch cultural influences on the interiors of Cape homes in general. The occupational stratification and spatial structure of early Victorian Grahamstown are then explored, leading into· a discussion of the material domestic culture of the interiors of Grahamstown dwellings. In the final analysis, this study is an attempt to uncover the character of early Victorian Grahamstown and its possible implications for English cultural influences at the Cape. In so doing, not only what constitutes the domestic material culture of Grahamstown is established, but beyond that, a comparison made with domestic material cultural developments in another colonial, though not frontier, settlement with roots in Georgian and Victorian England, namely Australia.
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  • Date Issued: 1988

A period of transition: a history of Grahamstown, 1902-1918

  • Authors: Southey, Nicholas
  • Date: 1984
  • Subjects: Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2558 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002411 , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
  • Description: A Period of Transition : A History of Grahamstown 1902-1918 attempts to show that the trends begun in the nineteenth century were confirmed by developments in the first two decades of the twentieth century. In this period, Grahamstown was forced to abandon ideas of economic recovery and political importance, as it adapted to its role in the post-Union dispensation. The city has been firmly grounded in the wider environment, though comparison with towns of similar position and outlook has been impossible because of a lack of source material.4 It is clearly evident that Grahamstown was under pressure from the macrocosm; nonetheless, local initiatives and developments also lent clarity to broader trends. This is particularly clear in the emerging pattern of racial segregation in the City, to cope with the economic and social problems posed by a burgeoning black population. The limited financial resources of a corporation the size of Grahamstown restricted its effectiveness to improve schemes of public works and public health, and further underlined the dependence of the city on the government for assistance. Grahamstown's transition was predominantly one of acceptance of a changed political, social and economic environment.
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  • Date Issued: 1984

A study in local history: Grahamstown, 1883-1904

  • Authors: Sellick, Rose-Mary
  • Date: 1983
  • Subjects: Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2556 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002409 , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
  • Description: [From the Preface]: A Study in Local History: Grahamstown 1883-1904 aims to draw into a coherent picture the threads of political attitudes, approaches to racial issues and changes confronting the late Victorians in Grahamstown, particularly in the areas of sanitation, public health and shifting commercial frontiers. The relation of local development to national affairs has been investigated, although attempts to define exactly how the former influenced the latter, and vice versa, would involve one in the proverbial chicken-and-egg syndrome. Let it suffice to say that an understanding of events in the microcosm, or locality, lends clarity to the cross-current of affairs at the national level. It begins at the point where Grahamstown's commercial importance in the Eastern Cape declines after a flourish of hopes in the prospects of the Port Alfred harbour as a means of bringing trade back to Grahamstown. The study concludes when the foundation of Rhodes University College in 1904, provides a new centre of development for the city.
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  • Date Issued: 1983

Historic tree was just a nuisance

Letter from Mr. F.C. Metrowich responding to C.J. Skead

  • Authors: Metrowich, F C (Frederick Charles)
  • Date: 1959-06-06
  • Subjects: Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History , Trees -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: mixed material , correspondence
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/65947 , vital:28864
  • Description: Letter written by Mr. F.C. Metrowich to C.J Skead. This letter was in response to a letter sent by Skead requesting for references indicating where the information was obtained as to the tree where Lieut. Col. Graham and Capt. Stockenstrom decided to establish the town of Grahamstown.
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  • Date Issued: 1959-06-06

Letter from C.J. Skead to Mr. F.C. Metrowich

  • Authors: Skead, C J (Cuthbert John)
  • Date: 1959
  • Subjects: Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History , Trees -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: mixed material , correspondence
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/65926 , vital:28861
  • Description: Letter written by C.J Skead to Mr. F.C. Metrowich, authot of "The valiant but once". In the letter Skead submits a request for references indicating where the inforamtion was obtained as to the tree where Lieut. Col. Graham and Capt. Stockenstrom decided to establish the town of Grahamstown.
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  • Date Issued: 1959

Fearless woman remembered

  • Authors: Daily Dispatch (East London, South Africa)
  • Date: 1958-08-15
  • Subjects: South Africa -- History -- Frontier Wars, 1811-1878 , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , clippings , ephemera
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/71911 , vital:29974
  • Description: Newspaper article: "Fearless woman remembered. A beautiful monument in Grahamstown, shown in this picture above, was erected to commemorate an act of outstanding bravery by a woman during the battle of Grahamstown in 1819. She was Elizabeth Margaret Salt who, with her husband Sergeant Salt, was among those besieged in Fort England, which was surrounded by hordes of Kafirs.”
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  • Date Issued: 1958-08-15

Grahamstown: a socio-ecological study of a small South African Town

  • Authors: Watts, Hilstan Lett
  • Date: 1958
  • Subjects: Grahamstown (South Africa) -- Buildings , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- Social conditions , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- Economic conditions
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:3386 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013424
  • Description: Little is known at present about the development, structure, and functions of small towns in the Union of South Africa, and there is a need to fill this gap in our knowledge. A study has been made of Grahamstown, a small South African town. This study is monographic and intensive in character, and heuristic in aim. Ad hoc hypotheses have been formulated on the basis of the findings of the study, and these must be tested by subsequent studies of other small towns. Grahamstown, the subject of the study, was chosen largely for reasons of convenience, and also because of its interesting development. It is suggested that in many ways the town is possibly a typical small town, but at this stage we cannot know if this is so. Only the white population of the town was investigated, as it was necessary to limit research to manageable proportions, and in addition several studies have already been made of the non-white populations of the town. The analysis has been described as socio-ecological, as basically the methodological approach used is an attempt to wed the methods of the urban demographer and the social ecologist. Time and space are used as the two co-ordinates for the analysis, so that both a social historical and an ecological-demographic analysis of the town have been made. The historical analysis of the development and functions of Grahamstown relies heavily on material collected from the early newspapers of the town. Grahamstown, once the most important town in the Eastern Cape Province, known as the ''Emporium" and ''Metropolis" of the Eastern Cape, and the most progressive town in the Colony, is to-day a small static town with, on the whole, relatively restricted influence. This fundamental change in the historical development of the town, hitherto unexplained, is the result of the changes in the socioecological make-up of the region around the town. Founded in 1812 as a strategic outpost on the frontier of the Colony, Grahamstown dominated a wide region; as the gateway to and the supply centre for, the frontier, the town flourished and reigned supreme. From the mid 19th Century onwards the region began to change to a developed one, with the frontier more and more inland. Grahamstown, no longer a strategic outpost in a frontier region, lost its dominant ecological position to Port Elizabeth, the natural supply base for, and gateway to, the new settled region. As one town among many in the new settled region, Grahamstown gradually lost many of its former functions, and began to stagnate. The town is to-day mainly known for its important educational function. This function, a relic from the days of the town's zenith, has saved the town from complete stagnation. The town is what it is to-day largely because of the socio-ecological regional influences which have operated on it since its foundation. To-day Grahamstown is located within the Port Elizabeth metropolitan district. The town is the centre of a wide variety of regional services of an ad hoc type, and the modal region served seems to be that settled by the 1820 Settlers - basically the town is mainly a supply centre for its surrounding rural areas. The demographic structure of the town reveals a static population. Growth of the white population has been practically static since about 1880, and the age structure is that of a stationary population. Particularly noticeable is the under-representation of the young working group in the population, and it is suggested that due to the lack of economic opportunities in the town, the young workers of the town, especially the unmarried males, migrate to larger urban areas to seek employment, and advancement. The sex-ratio of the population shows an excess of females, and this may be due to migration out of an excess of young males, and possibly migration in of older spinsters. Retired persons definitely migrate to the town to settle. The town, a predominantly English speaking one, has practically no industries, and so the population contains a majority of workers engaged in professional, administrative, and commercial activities. This stresses the service and supply functions of the town. The ecological analysis delineated various natural areas and zones in the town. The pattern approximates to patterns revealed by studies of American towns. Although the areas involved were relatively small, ecological differentiation was marked. The spatial distribution of demographic and other social phenomena was studied in detail. The results of the study have allowed several ad hoc hypotheses concerning the development, functions, and structures of small towns in South Africa to be formulated. These may be tested by subsequent studies, and so ultimately knowledge and theories about our small towns may be built up.
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  • Date Issued: 1958

Letter from James Veitch & Sons, on behalf of the Royal Exotic Nursery, to Walter Jardine regarding a bill of landing for Cambrians sent, 1869

Appointment letter of Walter Jardine to the position of curator of the Grahamstown Botanical Gardens, 1867

  • Authors: Murray, Robert , Jardine, Walter
  • Date: 1867-05-14 , 2021-09-29
  • Subjects: Jardine, Walter , Botanical Gardens -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
  • Type: text , letter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/197483 , vital:45881 , Cory Library for Humanities Research, Rhodes University
  • Description: Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly July 2021. Transcription: Grahamstown May 14th 1867. My dear Sir Although I have a broken leg I went across to assist in obtaining the situation of Superintendent of the Botanic Garden for you yesterday. We succeeded. You are appointed at a salary of £150 a year and the use of a cottage good enough for a bachelor. I congratulate you. I am sure if you are careful to work and please that you will get on well. The gardens are prettily situated but have been badly kept and I think you will soon astonish them. You are to come at once as Mr Stone will write you. Let me advise you to bring any nice bits of seed you have especially Calceolarias, Cinerarias and such like. I brought the double Petunia and lost it. There is none here. Our geraniums are not first rate either. I hope you will be here before I leave for Cape Town. Yours Rbt [Robert?] Murray Mr McGibbon sent a […?...] testimonial for you. Be sure to thank him for it.
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Letter from Richard Graham Stone to Walter Jardine offering position of curator of Grahamstown Botanical Gardens, 1867

  • Authors: Stone, Richard Graham , Jardine, Walter
  • Date: 1867-05-14 , 2021-09-29
  • Subjects: Jardine, Walter , Botanical Gardens -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
  • Type: text , letter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/196730 , vital:45798 , Cory Library for Humanities Research, Rhodes University
  • Description: Jardine Correspondence transcribed by Jean Kelly July 2021. Transcription: Grahams Town 14 May 1867 Mr W. Jardine Newlands Cape Town Sir I have much pleasure to inform you that your application for the Curatorship of the Botanic Garden has been accepted and that the Committee gave you preference, being strongly recommended by Mr McGibbon, the Gardener of the Colony. Salary £150 per annum (One Hundred and fifty pounds) per annum. The Committee will be glad to hear of your early departure from Cape Town. Yours truly R.G Stone Secretary.
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