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From: "Kearney & Roberts" <>
Subject: Re: [Cape town notables - 1832]
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 15:18:32 +1100
References: <20020124031717.928.qmail@cpdvg203.cms.usa.net>


Thanks Keith. that's great. In case you're interested, below is a transcript
of a letter written from Capetown on 7 February 1832, by a Yorkshireman,
Reverend William Watson, on his way to New South Wales to commence a mission
to the Aborigines. Thanks again for your help.

David R
Newcastle, NSW

=================

"They day after we arrived here we went on shore intending to return in the
evening to make daily visits so long as we saw it wd be beneficial either to
our health or our souls. I thought it my duty as a Xtn Missionary to call &
pay my respects to the Revd Dr Philip who kindly & pressingly invited us to
make his house our home so long as the ship should remain. We thankfully
accepted his invitation & I bless God that we did for his house was to us an
earthly Paradise. His prayers, his judicious, & truly missionary
conversation was made of very great advantage to us, it is impossible for me
to con in words the sensible benefit I have derived from his sober & well
digested remarks. Had we been his own children he & his excellent partner
Mrs P. could not have taken a more lively interest in our welfare or paid us
the more attention & regarded such true Xtn Philanthropy could not but make
a deep impression on our hearts & we felt & do feel & I trust ever shall
feel our hearts closely interwoven with theirs. This was one of the happiest
& I hope most useful seasons I ever experienced or enjoy'd. Mrs Philip very
kindly supplied me with more than two hundred Tracts & small books of an
interesting nature for the use of the Pensioners &c. I waited on the Revd Mr
Hough Colonial Chaplain, Rev Dr Wakes (from who I recd a letter of
Introduction to a person of high respectability in Sydney) Revd Dr Burrows &
was very kindly & affectionately recd by them all as well as by Revd Dr
Adamson of the Scotch Church, Revd Mr Beck of Dutch Mission Church etc - The
day on which we went on shore was the anniversary of the Infant School & the
meeting was then assembled under the Presidency of his Excellency the
Governor. The scene which here presented itself to our notice was
interesting. A congregation of persons chiefly English & most of them ladies
assembled to behold nearly 150 Black infants go through the various
departments of Spelling reading singing praying &c which they perform'd in
an excellent manner. The pleasure we experienced can be better conceiv'd
than described. During our Stay in Cape Town we visited the Infant Schools
& the School of Industry & was much pleased with their order & with the
piety of their respective Teachers. On Sunday evening I assisted in the
formation of a visiting society on the plan of Islington district visiting
society & I was much gratified with the addresses delivered on that
occasion.

William Watson
7 february 1832


----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith Meintjes" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 2:17 PM
Subject: [Re: [Cape town notables - 1832]


> John Phillip (born Philip), superintendent of the London Missionary
Society
> in
> South Africa. DSAB 1. A controversial figure, you will find him in any
> history of South Africa.
>
> George Hough, Anglican minister at the Cape (Simonstown, 1813). Performed
> the
> duties of Robert Jones, civilian chaplain in Cape Town. Appointed senior
> colonial chaplain in January 1817, a position he held for thirty years.
DSAB
> 1.
>
> James Constantine Adamson, arrived in November 1827 as the first minister
of
> St. Andrew's Presbyterian church. DSAB 1.
>
> [DSAB 1 = Dictionary of SA Biography, Volume 1.]
>
> It seems to me he was meeting with the ministers of various congregations.
> The others may have included Methodist and Congregational, but not
Catholic.
> There was a reverend Beck of the NGK (Dutch Reformed Church) in the
previous
> century. However, most of the Beck families in SA were of German origin
and
> members of the Lutheran Church. (Recall that "Duits" means "German".
> "Dutch"
> would be "Hollands" or "Nederlands".)
>
> Perhaps you have stumbled on the first meeting of the SA Council of
> Churches!!
>
> Best wishes,
> Keith
> ======================
>
> "Kearney & Roberts" <> wrote:
> Can anyone submit any infomation on these gentlemen. They all met
Reverend
> William Watson, a missionary from London, who stayed in Capetown in
February
> 1832 on his way to Australia. I transcribed a four page letter from
Watson,
> dated Table Bay, 28 February 1832, which I'd be glad to share with
> interested parties.
>
> Mentioned by Watson:
> Revd Dr Burrows - Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge
> Revd Dr Philip (missionary?)
> Revd Mr Hough Colonial Chaplain
> Rev Dr Wakes
> Revd Dr Burrows
> Revd Dr Adamson of the Scotch Church
> Revd Mr Beck of Dutch Mission Church
>
> Watson also refers to the Infant Schools & the School of Industry. Does
> anyone know of these?
>
> David R
> Newcastle, NSW
>
>
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