Saturday 1 March 1890

BIRTH at Herschel on Feb 22nd, Mrs.James E. SURMON of a daughter.

MARRIED on the 27th ult, by Special Licence, in Commemoration Church, by the Rev. H. COTTON (Brother-in-law to the bridegroom), Mr. J.D. TYSON, Accountant of the Bank of Africa, Pretoria, Transvaal, to Miss Alice Jane GOWIE, youngest daughter of C.R. GOWIE Esq, Frere Villa, Beaufort Street, Grahamstown.

THE LATE PRIVATE REED
We are informed that the late Private Robert REED, of A Company, 1st C.V., who was buried with full military honours a few days ago, had seen some very active service in his time, long before he became a citizen soldier. He was in the Crimean war, and witnessed the memorable Balaklava Charge, being seriously wounded in the leg the same day.

A MISSIONARY’S JUBILEE
On Tuesday night last the Rev. W.C. HOLDEN, one of the oldest and most respected missionaries in South Africa, celebrated the jubilee of his missionary work in this Colony by spending a pleasant evening with several ministerial colleagues. Those fifty years of well-spent life have been abundantly fruitful of good results among the native congregations to which he has ministered, and we trust that he will be spared to add still further to his record of service.

A MARRIAGE
On Thursday last Mr. John D. TYSON, son of the Rev. William TYSON, formerly of this City, but now of British Honduras, Central America, was married to Miss Alice GOWIE, second daughter of our esteemed fellow-citizen, Mr. C.R. GOWIE. The ceremony, which was a comparatively quiet one, took place in Commemoration Church during the morning, and was conducted by the Rev. H. COTTON, who is a brother-in-law of the bridegroom. We add our best wished to the hundreds of similar expressions already uttered.

TWO DEATHS
Scarcely an issue of the Journal has appeared for some tie without an obituary notice in it, and today two more names must be added to the long list of the departed. Mr. Jas. ADAIR, formerly employed at the High School and at St.Andrew’s College, has died at the Hospital from cancer, and Mr. John McCUNE, who has hardly ever been himself since his fall from a cart some time ago, has also succumbed to a sharp attack of illness. Mr. ADAIR was 50 years old, and Mr. McCUNE 36. Mr. McCUNE was a Freemason of long standing, and we presume the funeral will be attended by his brother Masons. With the bereaved ones we would express our sincere sympathy.

Thursday 13 March 1890

FOUND DEAD
On Monday (The E.P. herald reports) a native who had come in from Walmer reported to the authorities that he had found the body of a man among the bush in the Valley, but was not certain whether it was a black or white man. Police were sent out and examined the body, which proved to be that of a white man named William DOBSON; this discovery, however, was not made except by letters in his pocket. Recognition was impossible, the corpse being in a hideous state of decomposition, and is supposed to have lain there about a fortnight. DOBSON, we hear, was a man of respectable family connections, but most if not all of them live in England; he is, however, supposed to have one daughter in Paris. Deceased has held good positions in firms in this country in former years, but of late was little better than a pauper. Fond of wandering, he frequently found his way to the veld, especially when the flowers were plentiful, as they always appeared to be an additional attraction to him. It is known that he suffered acutely from rheumatism, which entirely crippled him, and it is surmised that perhaps during an attack of this complaint, or from other cause, he lay down for shelter in the bushes and died of exposure. He seems to have been last heard of about three weeks ago.

Saturday 15 March 1890

DIED at Grahamstown on the 13th March, after an illness of four days, and deeply lamented, Engela, fond wife of George H.B. SHAW Esq, and beloved daughter of the Rev. P.W. COPEMAN AM.
The thanks of her sorrowing family are hereby gratefully tendered to Drs. GREATHEAD, ATHERSTONE and CHEW, and to Mr. BAYLEY and other kind friends for their unwearied sympathy and attention.

INQUEST
Yesterday afternoon Mr. HEMMING concluded the inquest on the death of the young private, Geo. WATSON, of the Cape Police, who recently shot himself in the Police yard. The verdict was that deceased had killed himself while of unsound mind. Much sympathy is expressed with his bereaved wife and children.

THE LATE MRS. GEORGE H.B. SHAW
The funeral of the late Mrs. SHAW took place yesterday afternoon, the procession leaving the late residence of the deceased at 4 o’clock. The pall-bearers were Messrs. C.R. GOWIE, Ed. BAYLEY, H. WOOD and PHILLIPS. A considerable number of relatives and friends followed to the cemetery, where the funeral service was read by Rev. Messrs. Th. CHUBB and H. COTTON.

Thursday 20 March 1890

DROWNED
As the dredger Platypus was preparing to commence work in the Durban Bay one morning last week, the mate, MADONALD by name, fell from the stern of the hopper into the water. A rope was at once thrown to him, which he managed to grasp, but either lost his presence of mind, or the sudden immersion gave him cramp, for he almost immediately relinquished his hold and sank in 20 feet of water. Buoys were thrown from the dredger, but the poor fellow was never seen again. Deceased, who was about [55] years of age, was a recent arrival from the Cape Colony, and had only been on the dredger for a few days. Search has been made for the body, but without avail.

Saturday 22 March 1890

MARRIED at Grahamstown on 20th March1890 by the Rev. T. CHUBB BA, brother of the bride, Charles MANSFORD BA, late Vice-Principal of the Westminster Normal Training Institution, to Mary TAYLOR of Grahamstown.

FOUND DEAD
Between 12 noon and one o’clock on Thursday afternoon, Mrs. DENIER, who lives at the Somerset St. end of Donkin St., happened to see that her next door neighbour, Mr. William WRIGHT, an old gentleman of over three score years and ten, was lying on the floor of his kitchen. She only saw his feet, and conceived the idea that he had been taken with a fit, but on going to investigate she found that he was lying almost on his face, with his head in a pool of blood, while about a foot from his head were two other pools of blood. He was quite dead. A large stone was keeping the door open, and the kitchen floor is of brick, much worn in places, so that nodules stood up here and there. The theory is that Mr. WRIGHT was coming into the house, when his foot caught on the stone (his left foot was almost on it when he was found), and tripping, he fell with his forehead against one of the prominences in the floor. A deep cut,1½ inches long, was the result, and he must have lain as he fell for some time, only moving slightly at intervals, until he finally shifted his head into the position in which he was found. His nose was flattened against his cheek; so as to stop the nostrils, which he could not have used even if that had not been the case, for a pool of blood soon formed, and it is supposed that he was thus suffocated. Inspector LACEY was soon on the spot and the Magistrate also arrived and made a preliminary examination, after which the body was taken to the mortuary, where the District Surgeon held a post mortem examination. The inquest has not yet been held. On the right wrist, we omitted to state, were the trace of dirty finger marks which had gripped it firmly, for the hand was yellow and swollen, but the origin of the affair seems to be so self-evident that no suspicion of murder is entertained, especially as the deceased’s watch and money were undisturbed. The late Mr. WRIGHT was a son of Mr. William WRIGHT, who very many years ago had a business in Grahamstown, and whose wife after her husband’s death built and endowed Christ Church in Oatlands. The deceased was connected with many well-known Grahamstown families.

Thursday 27 March 1890

BIRTH at Port Elizabeth on Sunday March 23rd, the wife of T. CINNAMON of a daughter.

DIED suddenly at Tarkastad on 10th March 1890, in his 60th year, John Arthur MORGAN of Queenstown, second son of the late Dr. N. MORGAN of the 91st Regiment.

Saturday 29 March 1890

BIRTH at Grahamstown, the wife of E. BURNARD Esq. of Steynsburg of a son.

DEATH OF MRS. WALTON
We (Mercury) are grieved to announce the death of Mrs. Spencer WALTON at Capetown, telegraphic notice of which has been received in town. Mr. WALTON endeared himself to many during his recent mission: and we are sure that his numerous friends will hear of the sad event with deep sorrow and sympathy. It is less than a year since Mr. and Mrs. WALTON were married.