Thursday 5 October 1843

BIRTH at Belmont near Graham's Town on the 2nd inst, Mrs. Frederick REX of a Son.

BIRTH at Graham's Town on the 29th September, Mrs EATON of a Daughter.

Freemasons' Tavern
Graham's Town
Mrs PINNOCK has the pleasure to acquaint the Gentry of Graham's Town and its vicinity that the Hotel known as the Free Masons' Tavern has lately received very considerable alterations and improvements.
Those Gentlemen and families who may honor her with a call, will find accommodations of the most superior kind and charges low.
Mrs. P superintends the Establishment and pledges herself that every attention shall be paid.
NB Entrance to the Hotel in Bathurst-street.

Thursday 12 October 1843

Miss ELDER
Milliner and Dressmaker
Begs respectfully to notify to the Ladies residing in Graham's Town that she has commenced Business in the above line, and having had considerable experience in one of the first-rate houses in Edinburgh, she feels confident that those Ladies who may be pleased to honor her with their patronage will find every article made up in the neatest fashion, and at very low rates, viz. Ladies' Dresses, do. Caps, do. Bonnets, do. drawn do, Children's do.
Residence – Chapel Street – near the old Wesleyan Chapel, facing the premises of Mr. EDKINS Sen.
Graham's Town, 10th Oct 1843.

Thursday 19 October 1843

DIED at Uitenhage on Monday the 2nd Oct 1843, after a painful illness (asthma) Mrs Anna Maria MINNE, wife of Joachim BREHM, Deputy Sheriff for Uitenhage District, aged 53. She has left a husband and son, together with numerous relatives and friends, to deplore this calamitous dispensation of Divine Providence.

DEATH at Graham's Town on the 7th inst, in her 19th year, Mary Anne, wife of R.J. EATON Esq, Clerk of the Peace for Albany. Also, on the same day, her infant daughter, aged eight days.

Another solemn warning has been given to the community to live in perpetual remembrance of death, and to view it constantly in its solemn and important results. It is again our mournful task to record another instance of awful and sudden bereavement that has occurred. Little did we think in alluding to the premature fate of Mrs. R.J. EATON that within the brief period of one week we should mourn, with all ranks of the community, the yet more sudden death of this lady's father, Assistant-Commissary-General SANFORD, and under circumstances no less painful. He had, it seems, retired to rest at an early hour on Sunday night, complaining of fatigue. He had not been long asleep when he suddenly started up with violence and again fell upon the bed an almost lifeless corpse. Medical assistance was procured, but the case was hopeless, a blood vessel in the brain having been ruptured; and the patient lingered for a while insensible and then expired.
He was buried yesterday afternoon, all the military in garrison – consisting of the 91st Regiment – the Cape Mounted Rifles – and a detachment of the 7th Dragoon Guards, artillery &c, attended to funeral. Every shop was closed, and the busy hum of traffic suspended, whilst several hundred of the townspeople voluntarily swelled the mournful train, all anxious to pay the last tribute of respect to the memory of the departed – in life so honoured – so mourned in death.
Few men, placed in his responsible and difficult position, ever acquired or deserved the universal respect and esteem of the public more than Mr. SANFORD. His courtesy and affability to the community – even to the lowest of its members – were unvarying, whilst his time and means were at all seasons cheerfully given and his influence exerted to promote the intellectual benefit and the moral and religious improvement of his fellow creatures. He was a man of the strictest integrity, and of sincere piety and benevolence of heart. In his death the community have indeed lost a long, tried, useful and most highly valued friend – Her Majesty's government a valuable public servant – whilst to his bereaved wife, his orphan children, and his sorrowing friends, his loss is irreparable.
The late Mr. SANFORD commenced his career, we believe, as a permanent clerk in the commissariat department in 1811-1812, in which capacity he was sent with the army into the Spanish Peninsula. At the close of the war he returned to England, and was promoted in 1816 to the rank of Dep. Asst. Commissary-General. He was then placed upon half pay and employed for some time in the audit office. He was afterwards ordered out to the West Indies, and spent some years at Jamaica. Here he was attacked with the yellow fever, which broke out with violence and proved so fatal during his residence on that island that most of the officers in the commissariat department fell victims to it. But he recovered after a severe illness, and returned to England in a shattered state of health. From the effects of this fever and the West Indian climate he never, we believe, thoroughly recovered. He came to this colony in 1827, where he has permanently remained from that period. He was in his 49th year.
It is worthy of notice that yesterday was the second anniversary of the funeral of Miss SOMERSET, a niece of Mrs. SANFORD, who, it will be remembered, was, in a similar way, and with almost as little time for preparation, hurried into eternity.

Thursday 26 October 1843

DIED at Graham's Town on the 21st inst, Sarah, the wife of Mr. Richard CROUCH, aged 55 years, after a long and painful illness, deeply regretted by all who knew her.

Thursday 2 November 1843

DIED at Graham's Town on the 30th Oct 1843, aged 13 months, Anne Jane Elizabeth, daughter of Garrison Sergt-Major Henry DRENNAN.

MARRIED at Graaff-Reinet on Monday Oct 23 by the Rev A. Murray, Mr. Andries Johannes HARTZENBERG to Elizabeth Alida, fourth daughter of A.G. BAIN.

Robbery
The butcher's shop lately opened by Mr. FORD in Bathurst-street was forcibly entered by thieves the other evening through the window, who stole some knives, loaves, and a few coppers that were lying in one of the drawers of the counter. Very little meat was taken away, but a great deal was spoiled by being hacked. The slaughter house in the rear of the premises was also entered through the thatch, which was broken, and it was found that the hind quarters of four sheep that were hanging up had been devoured by dogs who had crept in through the aperture.

WE are sorry to hear that a little boy, the son of Sergeant WALLACE, 91st Regiment, died the other day under the following afflicting circumstances. He had, it appears, fallen down amongst some sharp fragments of glass bottles that had been thrown into a ditch, where he cut his foot very severely, and the wound continued to grow worse until mortification ensued and put a period to his sufferings.

Notice to Creditors
In the Insolvent Estate of Thomas MILLER of Morgan's Party
All Persons claiming to be Creditors under this Estate are required to take notice that the Undersigned has been duly elected to, and confirmed in, the appointment of Sole Trustee of the said Estate, and that the Master has appointed the third Meeting to be held before the Resident Magistrate at his Office, Graham's Town, on Saturday the 25th November 1843, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, for the Proof of Debts, for receiving the Trustee's Report, and also for the purpose of giving directions to the said Trustees as to the management of the said Estate.
And all persons indebted to the said Estate are required to pay the same to the Undersigned on or before that day, or proceedings will be instituted against them.
Geo. WOOD
Sole Trustee
Graham's Town, Oct 19 1843

Notice to Creditors
In the Insolvent Estate of Willem Christian BOUWER, late of Graham's Town
All Persons claiming to be Creditors under this Estate are required to take notice that the Undersigned has been duly elected to, and confirmed in, the appointment of Joint Trustees of the said Estate, and that the Master has appointed the third Meeting to be held before the Resident Magistrate at his Office, Graham's Town, on Saturday the 11th November 1843 at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, for the proof of Debts, for receiving the Trustee's Report, and also for the purpose of giving directions to the said Trustees as to the management of the said Estate. And all persons indebted to the said Estate are required to pay the same on or before the 30th November next, or proceedings will be instituted against them.
L.H. MEURANT
Charles POTE
Joint Trustees

Thursday 9 November 1843

BAPTISED at Graham's Town by the Rev J. Monro, of Cradock, on Monday Nov 6, a daughter of Mr. L.H. MEURANT, named Charlotte Cornelia Johanna.

Thursday 16 November 1843

BIRTH at Cypress Cottage, Graham's Town, on the 13th inst, the lady of Capt. GUNN, of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, of a Son.

BIRTH on Sunday 12th inst, at Graham's Town, Mrs. W. SIMPSON of a daughter.

BIRTH on the 15th inst, 6pm, at Graham's Town, the wife of Mr. A.W. HOOLE of a daughter.

DIED at Port Elizabeth on the 3rd inst, after a protracted illness, Sarah, wife of Mr. Chas. GURNEY, Market-master, deeply regretted by numerous relatives and friends.

Thursday 23 November 1843

On Tuesday Graham's Town was visited by a violent hail storm. Many panes of glass were broken by it. One large hail stone was driven with such violence through a pane as to make a round hole without starring the glass, Some of the stones measured three inches in circumference.

Thursday 30 November 1843

BIRTH at Graham's Town on the 27th inst, the Lady of W.C. EDDIE Esq, Surgeon of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, of a Daughter.

MARRIED in Graham's Town on Tuesday the 28th instant, by the Rev John Heavyside, Colonial Chaplain, Mr. J.J. H. STONE, Solicitor, to Sarah, eldest daughter of Mr. Chas. FULLER.

Capt. BELL of the Conch
Port Elizabeth, Nov 13 1843
To the Editor: Sir, I believe that all friends of order and good government have yielded their willing praise the Capt. BELL of the Conch, for the prompt and able manner in which he conveyed relief to the closely blockaded little garrison at Natal. The more intimately persons were made acquainted with his arduous services and the dangers and chances against his life and property which he ventured, the more unbounded have been the public voice in their commendation of his bravery and generous devotion in risking all to serve his country. And yet, have this bravery and devoted interest been acknowledged by Government by something more substantial than praise? No! It appears that our rulers have always felt, and have acted as they felt, that too much care and diligence could not be used to distinguish merit, and adequately reward it. The Western and Eastern Indies have exhibited this discriminating, wise & prudent policy, without speaking of home – of Europe – where this is of daily occurrence; what do we find of China, Afghanistan, of Cabul, and but yesterday, as if on the Indus. But to overlook many examples, for they are to be limited only by the individuals contained in, or connected with, our armies, in which devoted braver and patriotic courage have been recognised, as entailing a debt of gratitude upon our country, of which the praise and more substantial rewards bestowed, seemed as but a small return for the uncalculating gallantry of willing hearts – to overlook the examples I cannot omit to mention an instance which occurred so lately as last March on the Indus, and as the case bears some resemblance to that of Capt. BELL, I will state it: Here we have the owner of a boat singled out in the general orders of the Governor General of India, as meriting particular acknowledgement. The words of the proclamation are "The Governor General directs that the Tindel or owner of the boat should be paid a gratuity in addition to the due compensation for damages done to his boat, and that instant promotion and his express thanks should be tendered to all concerned for their valour and devotion." With both of these transactions of Natal and the Indus, the name of NAPIER is mixed up, and complete success has attended both; that though, in this respect, they are alike, you must allow that similar rewards have not been granted to both, though the claim is greatly in favour of Capt. BELL. In the case of the Indus the owner of the boat had no option but acquiescence, for the occupation of it was the affair of an hour, - there could be no escape from death perhaps in case of refusal to men hunted for their lives, with arms in their hands, - so that the owner makes a virtue of necessity, but in the case of Capt. BELL how different, and how well calculated in every act of his to excite admiration. We all know the situation of Capt. SMITH and his little garrison; we know the number of well armed boers who surrounded a handful of men who occupied Natal, and who with cannons and small arms, were posted strongly and favourably, to prevent the landing of any relief to the besieged; we remember the sympathy felt here by everyone for the almost hopeless situation of the party of the 27th Regt, confined there within their little entrenchment, having to contend against an incessant attack, famine and disease, and Capt. BELL going with the relief was considered as going to almost instant death. Yet in defiance of all the promptings of prudence he proceeds, meditating for days on the passage upon their discouraging circumstances, - that he enters the narrow channel, where more than ordinary caution is requisite, in the coolest frame of mind; a double range of guns from sheltered enemies stare him in the face, with a party of boers secured in the natural chamber of a rock, overhanging the channel, in such a manner as to enable them to rake the deck of his little vessel with deadly effect. In such a moment as this, when the man of war, the case hardened soldier, is known to feel some misgiving at the heart before the deadly onset, Capt. BELL enters the dangerous channel, without personal interest, save in the company of kindred brave hearts, and his love of country, - without arms, but his hands placed on the helm – takes his measures as coolly; shapes his course as steadily, and makes his arrangements, exposed to the hottest fire of the secreted enemy; even as Nelson himself from the quarter-deck of the Victory. Persons may smile at the comparison, but is it the less true for ridicule? Could the heart that sustained the one be less brave than the other, for his country took good care then and has done since of the fame and property of Nelson and his family, but in exposing himself, Capt. BELL endangered his little all, and the little all of his family. He did so. He acted like a man and a Christian. He felt that he could not venture too much for men whose provisions failed, who had only horse flesh for weeks for their subsistence, and he was considered, as all were who knew them, that the men of a hundred fights, the brave 27th would (if all other provisions failed them) rather gnaw their shoes and knapsacks than yield, and would die, as they lived, fighting bravely for their Queen, their country, and their own fame, preferring that their flesh should become the prey, and that even their bones should be picked by vultures, rather than abandon their post of honor. We have heard that Capt. BELL had been nominated as Port Captain of Natal. He well deserves such a situation to look after the well being of a place, which he so mainly contributed to preserve,
Justitia.

Thursday 21 December 1843

BIRTH on Tuesday the 19th instant, Mrs. BLAINE of a Son.

BIRTH at Uitenhage on the 17th inst, the Lady of the Rev Dr ROUX of a Daughter.

Accident
On Tuesday last, as Mr. FITZGERALD, of the 91st Regt, was riding with one of his brother officers at a brisk trot round the parade on Barrack Hill, the animal on which he rode fell and rolled on his rider, by which Mr. F's leg was broken, and he received beside some serious contusions. Fortunately the surgeon of the Regt was on the hill, and instantly repaired to his assistance. In a communication on this subject that has been transmitted to us for publication, it is stated as a matter of wonder that Mr. FITZGERALD was suffered to remain nearly two hours upon the spot where he was thrown before he was taken to a house.

Thursday 28 December 1843

DIED at Fort Brown on Christmas Day, the infant son of J. and C. MEWETT, aged four months.