NEWMAN FAMILY
You will find the more prominent (to me) Newman family members under their own sections. I have chosen to cover a few others here.
Fred Newman
Fred Newman wrote to Brian Watson on the 28th May 1979 in response to some family history queries. In the first part he mentions various family members and friends who may help and notes that he can only offer approximate dates. Much of this overlaps with the lives of their relatives, the Watsons.
My father A. W. Newman came from London, England in approx 1880. He landed at Port Elizabeth and eventually settled in East London where he built a very successful shipping business. In 1902 he took the whole family to England on the “Walmer Castle” maiden voyage there with the idea of settling but unfortunately whilst over there he received a cable to say that the big fire had destroyed two of his warehouses there so he had to return to East London and we all followed later. I suppose this must have been the lost fortune referred to.
Tom and I were born in the “Ferns” which was almost opposite the double story house in St Peters Road, which residence was built about 1908. By the way the date of our birth was 29th December1896. In 1910 we were sent to Kingswood College, Grahamstown from Selborne College, East London. On my father's death in 1912 we were sent back to East London, but not to the Double Storeyed House but another house in St Peters Road, so this must have been the period when my father's business folded up. Pat and Clarissa were rushed back from Rhodesia to look after family. I forgot to tell you that George was at that time working in the Power Station he went up to Johannesburg about 1910.
The whole family lived at Argo House after 1912 and it was abut this time your Dad joined Put in a Coal business and Clarissa was teaching in Cambridge. [A great deal is overlapping with the Watson family stories. Cambridge is a suburb of East London (SA) and can also refer to the high school]. If I remember your Dad prior to this was working in the Standard Bank. I got my first job with G. North and Sons in January 1913.and your Dad told me that the Bank wanted young men for their Johannesburg Head Office so wrote to them was accepted and on 24th June 1914 arrived in Johannesburg – Tom in the meantime was in the Standard Bank in East London - and when War broke out on the 4th August he was called up and joined the Kaffrarian Rifles the rgiment was involved in the Touws River train disaster – he was lucky he was thrown clear with a nasty bump on the head. He eventually went up to South West Africa and when that campaign ended in 1915 was transferred up here and joined the Bank with George. My Mother came here and lived in a house in Regent St Yeoville – In December 1915 Gen. Smuts called for 25,000 to go up to German East Africa and next month we went up with thousands to Potchestroom to get ready for the trip, we sailed from Durban in January 1916 on the “Gaika” 2000 + of us – as you know that campaign was a disaster. Tom was sent back by Hospital Ship full of fever but I went on until they (Smuts) had no food for us and we returned home in the “Kinfaurs Castle” in February 1917. I was in Hospital in Tempe (Bloemfontein) for 4months suffering from heart strain & malaria. Once I was finally discharged in December 1917. Talking about photographs George I know has a large number and some real Africana. I wish I had a photo of my dad if you have a spare one please let me have it. [Note how a picture was then a thing one possessed and finite in number compared to today when they are readily produced and reproduced]. I remember Kimberlings visit to East London, if my memory is right. [See the Kimberling picture and references under WATSON ALEXANDER RICHARDS]. George had a picture of the famous Airman outside the Big house in St Peters Road with Pat in the foreground handing him a drink- the plane being taken to the Golf Course where it flew 100 yards or so!
This is the Newman family at Christmas at the family home Still Waters overlooking the upper Nahoon River, East London, South Africa. Doro, Clarissa, Noggs, Di, ?, ?
