Today in Kimberley's History
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Sir Benjamin D’Urban, for whom the city Durban was named, assumes office as Governor of the Cape of Good Hope - 1834
Benjamin D'Urban was born in Suffolk, England and joined the British Army in 1793. He soon rose to prominence, serving in most major battles, including Salamanca and Toulouse. As part of his foreign service, he became the governor of Antigua in 1819, as well as British Guiana in 1831. On 16 January 1834, D'Urban assumed office as Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, at which time his administration was forced to contend with the Great Trek and the outbreak of the 6th Xhosa War.
Under D'Urban's leadership, the territory between the Keiskamma and Groot Kei rivers was annexed and present-day KwaZulu Natal was occupied. This led to the renaming of the principal port from Port Natal to Durban. D'Urban was fairly popular amongst White colonists, but despite this, was dismissed after being criticized for his harsh behaviour towards Africans.
Evidence of his unfair treatment was given before a parliamentary committee by the missionary and philanthropist, Dr John Phillip. D'Urban remained governor until the arrival of his successor in 1838. In 1842, D'Urban was appointed as the commander of the British forces in British North America (Canada) and remained in this position until his death in 1849.
Benjamin D'Urban was born in Suffolk, England and joined the British Army in 1793. He soon rose to prominence, serving in most major battles, including Salamanca and Toulouse. As part of his foreign service, he became the governor of Antigua in 1819, as well as British Guiana in 1831. On 16 January 1834, D'Urban assumed office as Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, at which time his administration was forced to contend with the Great Trek and the outbreak of the 6th Xhosa War.
Under D'Urban's leadership, the territory between the Keiskamma and Groot Kei rivers was annexed and present-day KwaZulu Natal was occupied. This led to the renaming of the principal port from Port Natal to Durban. D'Urban was fairly popular amongst White colonists, but despite this, was dismissed after being criticized for his harsh behaviour towards Africans.
Evidence of his unfair treatment was given before a parliamentary committee by the missionary and philanthropist, Dr John Phillip. D'Urban remained governor until the arrival of his successor in 1838. In 1842, D'Urban was appointed as the commander of the British forces in British North America (Canada) and remained in this position until his death in 1849.
Mining starts in earnest at the newly discovered Wesselton Diamond Mine - 1891
The actual date of discovery of the Wesselton Mine (originally known as the Premier Mine) has not been recorded, although the month of September 1890 has been mooted by both Gardner Williams and Irvine Grimmer. Fabricius and his employer Henry A Ward managed to keep their discovery reasonably quiet, particularly the former as he only came to an agreement with Ward on 29 November 1890 - some two months after the discovery – whereby he was allowed to prospect the farm by sinking shafts. Ward was quite satisfied by December 1890 that Fabricius had actually found a mine and by 16 January 1891 Fabricius had employed at least five men to work the mine for him. These men were Owen Hall, Nott, Cellier, Ranier and McCullum. There may have been another two also working, Jones and Benfield.
Whatever the story, the news was only broken to the public of Kimberley in the Diamond Fields Advertiser in early January 1891 with a paragraph titled “The New Mine”, followed by a slightly longer story titled “The New diamond Mine on Wessels Farm” in mid-January. The newspaper inspected the area of the new mine and described it as being situated a few hundred yards from to the south of Mr Mylchreest’s former floors and compound, and only a short distance from the Orange Free State border. In a note to the De Beers Company on 6 January 1891 a certain F. Starkey describes the mine as being “…on a very slight kopje.”
The newspaper stated that Fabricius and his partner Nott, who were working the land under the agreement with Ward, were riding over the veld “some months ago” and Fabricius observed something glittering in the sand. Alighting from his horse, he picked up some ground that included the glittering stone and returned home to wash the soil. Not only was the glittering stone a diamond but the soil also contained a more than average amount of carbon and garnets. He returned to the region and did some more prospecting (with the permission of Henry Ward), coming to the conclusion that surface indications were that there was another mine underfoot. Each load washed was producing at least a half-carat diamond.
Irvine Grimmer, who at the time of the discovery was the Assistant Secretary for De Beers, states that Fabricius stumbled upon indications of diamondiferous ground in soil dug up from an ant bear hole, and then followed up his discovery. George Beet, who was in Kimberley at the time, suggests it was a meerkat scrape rather than ant bears. Gardner Williams discounts the rather romantic tale of the ant bear hole by saying Fabricius was wandering around rather aimlessly and at random sunk a prospecting hole and thus discovered the diamondiferous ground rather luckily. Williams at the time was the General Manager for De Beers. However, Grimmer’s tale has a more authentic ring to it than Williams’ version. There was intense litigation between Ward and Fabricius, as well as between Wessels, Ward and several persons who claimed the latter had given them shares. According to the agreement between Ward and Fabricius, Fabricius was paid £1000 for the discovery of the mine by Ward. As the Diamond Fields Advertiser reported, “Fabricius got just what he asked.”
(Courtesy Steve Lunderstedt, Kimberley Calls...and Recalls)
The actual date of discovery of the Wesselton Mine (originally known as the Premier Mine) has not been recorded, although the month of September 1890 has been mooted by both Gardner Williams and Irvine Grimmer. Fabricius and his employer Henry A Ward managed to keep their discovery reasonably quiet, particularly the former as he only came to an agreement with Ward on 29 November 1890 - some two months after the discovery – whereby he was allowed to prospect the farm by sinking shafts. Ward was quite satisfied by December 1890 that Fabricius had actually found a mine and by 16 January 1891 Fabricius had employed at least five men to work the mine for him. These men were Owen Hall, Nott, Cellier, Ranier and McCullum. There may have been another two also working, Jones and Benfield.
Whatever the story, the news was only broken to the public of Kimberley in the Diamond Fields Advertiser in early January 1891 with a paragraph titled “The New Mine”, followed by a slightly longer story titled “The New diamond Mine on Wessels Farm” in mid-January. The newspaper inspected the area of the new mine and described it as being situated a few hundred yards from to the south of Mr Mylchreest’s former floors and compound, and only a short distance from the Orange Free State border. In a note to the De Beers Company on 6 January 1891 a certain F. Starkey describes the mine as being “…on a very slight kopje.”
The newspaper stated that Fabricius and his partner Nott, who were working the land under the agreement with Ward, were riding over the veld “some months ago” and Fabricius observed something glittering in the sand. Alighting from his horse, he picked up some ground that included the glittering stone and returned home to wash the soil. Not only was the glittering stone a diamond but the soil also contained a more than average amount of carbon and garnets. He returned to the region and did some more prospecting (with the permission of Henry Ward), coming to the conclusion that surface indications were that there was another mine underfoot. Each load washed was producing at least a half-carat diamond.
Irvine Grimmer, who at the time of the discovery was the Assistant Secretary for De Beers, states that Fabricius stumbled upon indications of diamondiferous ground in soil dug up from an ant bear hole, and then followed up his discovery. George Beet, who was in Kimberley at the time, suggests it was a meerkat scrape rather than ant bears. Gardner Williams discounts the rather romantic tale of the ant bear hole by saying Fabricius was wandering around rather aimlessly and at random sunk a prospecting hole and thus discovered the diamondiferous ground rather luckily. Williams at the time was the General Manager for De Beers. However, Grimmer’s tale has a more authentic ring to it than Williams’ version. There was intense litigation between Ward and Fabricius, as well as between Wessels, Ward and several persons who claimed the latter had given them shares. According to the agreement between Ward and Fabricius, Fabricius was paid £1000 for the discovery of the mine by Ward. As the Diamond Fields Advertiser reported, “Fabricius got just what he asked.”
(Courtesy Steve Lunderstedt, Kimberley Calls...and Recalls)
93 days since beginning of the Siege of Kimberley, 1900
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
Jack has managed to get bacon and arrowroot for his sick troopers. The former is the remainder of the consignments for Bulawayo that did not go bad at the station. Hans Badenhorst brought in the instruction that all loyal inhabitants are to leave Barkly before the 22nd of this month. If true this will be a terrible time for them as there are only three carts left in the place.
Round us the enemy have thrown up earthworks and dug more trenches at Carter's Ridge. The general idea here is that they are expecting some of the 15-pounders they captured from the British at Colenso, for which, so it is reported, they have been making shells at Begbie's foundry in Johannesburg. However, they bombarded us to-day from Carters, from Olifantsfontein, from Kamfersdam, and from Wimbledon with their usual guns, and did no damage worth mentioning, though the noise was annoying. Otto's Kopje had a shelling from both sides. We responded sparingly. This evening, from the Wesselton Conning Tower, a heavy bombardment of the Boer positions between Scholtz's Nek and Magersfontein was seen to be in progress, being directed, evidently, by a War Balloon.
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
Jack has managed to get bacon and arrowroot for his sick troopers. The former is the remainder of the consignments for Bulawayo that did not go bad at the station. Hans Badenhorst brought in the instruction that all loyal inhabitants are to leave Barkly before the 22nd of this month. If true this will be a terrible time for them as there are only three carts left in the place.
Round us the enemy have thrown up earthworks and dug more trenches at Carter's Ridge. The general idea here is that they are expecting some of the 15-pounders they captured from the British at Colenso, for which, so it is reported, they have been making shells at Begbie's foundry in Johannesburg. However, they bombarded us to-day from Carters, from Olifantsfontein, from Kamfersdam, and from Wimbledon with their usual guns, and did no damage worth mentioning, though the noise was annoying. Otto's Kopje had a shelling from both sides. We responded sparingly. This evening, from the Wesselton Conning Tower, a heavy bombardment of the Boer positions between Scholtz's Nek and Magersfontein was seen to be in progress, being directed, evidently, by a War Balloon.