JACK MONTAGUE WATSON
Jack was born to Alexander Richards Watson and Ella Maud Watson in East London (SA) on the 4th April 1912. He married Hildegard Alida Walls (b Strand 6/4/1922) on the 10th October 1948. They had two sons and a daughter, all born in Gwelo in Southern Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe).
They first lived in Rhodesia. Jack evidently had a hand in laying out farms and coincidently this included the one that his brother Dennis was to later move to.
They farmed there before moving to Zevenfontein, a predominantly wine farm near Kuilsrivier in the Cape. (Zevenfontein was combined with the neighbouring farm and became Zevenwacht when he retired http://www.zevenwacht.co.za/). I visited on several occasions. The house was built in 1800 and has the date on its Cape Dutch gable. I have a fond memory of eating large grapes straight from the vine while riding a horse; of exploring the two historical hand dug tin mines; of trying to shoot guinea fowl who out-smarted us and of trying to fish in the dam. The dam had been constructed by Jack. Also of interest on the farm were two hand dug tin mines from an earlier era. We explored them a bit, but water hindered much progress.
I took this picture in the 1970s while still the family home.
In a handwritten letter from Jack to my father, Brian, Jack he says : I had great difficulty reading some the words. but here goes. He is evidently responding to the latter with a request to provide memories of their early years and family experiences. (I also remember my father's terrible writing - strange as his labelling on architectural drawings was quite different). This letter is dated 24/5/94. I will pick out some parts here and include other comments under other sections on the family.
I do not remember moving to 4 Botha Rd. it must have been done when I was at Boarding School. John apthorp came to stay with me over Easter. We had lots of cars then and Auburn ###, Studebaker, Studebaker etc. I think the value of the house then was £4500. at that time the TRAMS were doing the full circle, & we left our House. Race Course. Blind river, Orient Beach. Town. Home for 1/-. (Blind River is a small estuary at Eastern Beach that only flows to the sea after heavy rains. The remains of the tram bridge are still visible).
I can remember Miss Latimer Showing me the ceolacanth at the Museum. She had in [after she had, had it for a few days in some solution] but did not know what it was except that is very strange - Strange Geof Thomas worked at the Union Castle Co. then & he had to be the last person off the boat in the Roadstead after 10.11 at nigth. I used to go over with him and He & I know the man who found it very well: as he was often tied up next to teh U, Castle Quay. I used to go out to the Castle boat & go up in the basket often.
For the coelacanth see : https://www.eastlondon.org.za/coelacanth.html. The Union Castle mail ships were the main link between East London and the UK and other South African ports. The "roadstead" refers to the anchorage outside the river harbour mouth prior to the port being widened sufficiently for such ships. The "basket" was the means for crew, passengers and visitors to board and leave the ship. It was hoisted over the side onto a smaller boat.
Jack then reminisces about where the family lived. He has no recollection of the St Peters Road house, but does of Argo House. We had a Car there a 1914 Star, type of two seater (parafin lights) & we had a lovely Big Garden with a tall Swing where a great family friend majorie miller used to swing me. I also remembeer that the water well supply was in the centre of the house & one night the Servant girl fell down the well into the water : Parafin lights & candles. I can remember peering down at her as ropes and ladders were fetched to save her.
Much of Jack's letter mentions family friends and various addresses, including the family homes, not all of which I can make out clearly. Southern Africa was still revealing its riches. S Rhodesia is full of loose gold : Gwelo Municipal land had about 10 mines (old) worked on it :
I know about Perkins [most of the Gold mines in Rhodesia is mixed with arsenic heavy rock, which has to be heated off] : this is blown out with the Smoke Stack, being almost as heavy as lead it falls out with the prevailing wind and kills all the grass & trees for two miles ? round wind side: it pays to do it, in a rich gold mine: Perkins must have stuck in a big lode of arsenic and must have got in touch with Dad. who was importing it from Japan in 10 ton lots in wooden boxes, to make cattle dip. Gonubie was reported to be the heaviest infected area in the world of the bluetick.
I don't know of any connection between Alexander Richards Watson's cattle dip productionand the chemicals used in gold extraction, but Jack's remark makes one wonder.
I have a handwritten letter from Jack to my father Brian and Nessie, his second wife. It is confusingly dated 18/12/1901, but perhaps through all the reminiscing or just a slip of the pen - it is meant to be 2001. Anyway in it he mentions some interesting experiences. The following is about the Quinera River which was at that time north east of East London (but is now well within it).
When I was younger we youngsters used to go up the Quinera River untl we could not move over the shallow Rocks, but it must have changed since we were last there. Before 1939. I don't think I have ever been back but I had seen your House with one of "Babes" (Graham) friend's from a distance.
I am unsure whether he is refering to the beach shack described under Alexander Richards Watson. My father, Brian, invested in the purchase of two sites upstream in the 1970s in what was becoming Beacon Bay. In the 1980s my wife and I built a home on one of them. This was opposite the island. The river is tidal up to here depending on whether the mouth is blocked or not, but this may explain possible different experiences by Jack and his brothers decades earlier when boating.
Jack continues :
The Quinera was far away from East London and there were few cars in those days. 5 houses?
In his letter of 24/5/94 he mentions going there twice by ox wagon, that took all Day (8 to 12 stops!)
He then goes on to note a trip to Scotland, including the Isle of Sky (sic) "for 3 days" with the sun till up at 11'o'clock at night.
I always brag about being the only man who has been from Cape to Cairo by foot. There is an almighty beach from the Nile River to the RED SEA
This is accompanied by a hand drawn map with SEA on one side and RED SEA on the other divided by a lot of sand. The word SAND appears 6 times.
We took up about 100? 70? Trucks from NAIROBI and Hit this sand. Not 1 TRUCK GOT Through the Beach Sand on its own power. They all had to be pulled by Wagon Chains [LUCKILY 1 TRUCK HAD a full load of ox wagon chains and every car was pulled eventually.
He also mentions not getting much news of "Mugabe" in Rhodesia and still getting a pension from them since ?1940/or50 but their money is very Thin and not everybody gets it.
He ends his letter with reference to his and Maggie's (his new partner) flat almost on Strand Beach and having since moved to another home for his health.
WATSON Jack Montague [Foxy] passed away peacefully at the age of 90 years at the Strand on Sunday the 26th May 2002. Beloved Eldest Brother of Brian and Graham [Babe] and the twins Dennis and Scott [Both deceased]. (Extract from funeral notice in the Daily Dispatch as submitted by Brian).
