125.The Ravenscroft Family of Montagu

15th February 2025

Updated: 07/04/2025

The compilation of information for this story was triggered by a picture of a brass band (see later) on the Montagu History F/B page and the subsequent comment made by Pat Daykin.

Some History of the Ravenscroft’s by family members

Ravenscroft Family of South Africa – The Progenitors

by Diane Sharp

Edited by Sean Fraser.

Family legend has always had it that the progenitors of the Ravenscroft family in South Africa, George Ravenscroft and Marian (Anne) Weller, found themselves on the Atlantic Ocean island of St Helena when George was stationed there as an officer in the regiment that guarded Napoleon Bonaparte. George’s military records, however, show this to be little more than a myth.

George Ravenscroft was born in Reading, Berkshire, England, in 1802/3 (1) to George Ravenscroft (1765–1829) and Mary Smithers (1772–1860), his father’s third wife. George was one of nine children: five full siblings and four half-siblings. He was 19 when he married Marian (Anne) Weller on 17 November 1823 at St Laurence’s Church in Reading. The witnesses to their marriage were James Mills and Marian’s sister Hanna Weller.

Marian’s parents were Thomas Weller (1780–1865) and Mary (née unknown). She was the eldest of four children, her siblings being Hannah, Harriet and Thomas.

George and Marian welcomed their first child Mary Ann before January 1825. Their second-born was Harriet who was born in June1825. And then, on 5 October 1825, at the age of 21, George enlisted in the British East India Company army. So it was that three months later, on 19 January 1826, George, Anne and Harriet departed from Downs, England, aboard the Lord Lowther bound for St Helena, finally disembarking on the island on 19 March 1826 after two months at sea. (2) Mary Ann did not accompany them, but remained in England with her grandparents and was raised by them and her aunt Emma Ravenscroft (1807–1893).

Their arrival on St Helena marked five years since Napoleon Bonaparte had died there on the 5 May 1821 at the age of 51, having been exiled to St Helena on 15 October 1815 with those followers who voluntarily accompanied him after his defeat at Waterloo. (3)

We know from the Descriptive Roll of First Company St Helena Artillery that George was a gunner, his former occupation listed as a cordwain. Cordwainers were – and still are – shoemakers, highly skilled craftsmen who used the finest goatskin leather from Cordoba in Spain. (4) George would have learnt his trade from his father who, according to his 1802 marriage record, was a shoemaker.

George served in the EIC army on St Helena from 1826 to 1836. During this time, according to William Ravenscroft (5), George guarded the burial place of Napoleon on the Island to protect the body from the possibility of ‘clandestine removal’. It is most likely that this was the source from which the family myth evolved.

Sadly, George and Anne lost their daughter Harriet, who died on 17 May 1827. The tragedy, however, was followed by happier events, the births of their sons George (23 March 1828), Thomas (8 December 1829), William (14 November 1832) and John (11 July 1835).

George’s service in the EIC finally came to an end when a provision of the India Act of 1833 transferred control of St Helena from the East India Company to the Crown, with effect from 22 April 1834. The last Company governor, Charles Dallas, stayed in on in his post after the India Act came into force, not leaving until the first Crown governor George Middlemore arrived on 24 February 1836. (5)

George could have opted to return to England with his family or stay on with the EIC and be posted to Bombay; he, however, chose to join the 72nd Foot in the Cape Colony as a private. He and his family thus departed from St Helena and arrived in the Cape Colony sometime before 5 April 1836. (6) At the time, the 72nd Foot was heavily engaged in the Sixth Cape Frontier War, which raged from 1834 until May 1836, and the records show that George was on guard duty during this time (Regiment #882), being paid between 1d and 6d per diem. In June 1836, the Regiment’s headquarters were established in King William’s Town but were moved to Graham’s Town in October of that year. (7)

From January to March 1837, George found himself on detachment at Botha’s Point and at Double Drift (8, 9, 10). From April to June that year, his primary service was guard duty at the base and between July and December 1837, when not on active guard duty, George spent a total of 26 days in the Regimental Hospital (10 and 16 days respectively). Unfortunately, regimental records do not record the reason/s for this. From January to September 1838, George continued as a private in the Regiment, with a detachment to the Frontier between July and September that necessitated a five-day sea journey. (11) But just a month later, in October, the Regiment was relieved of its frontier duties and returned to Cape Town. (12)

From October 1838 to June 1839 George continued with his guard duties, spending 73 days on active duty and 19 days in the Regimental Hospital (once again, no reason is recorded) between July and September 1839. George remained in the 72nd Foot until 29 February 1840 when he was finally discharged, with a payment of £5.

After 12 years of service in the Cape Colony, the service companies of the Regiment were relieved in April 1840 and returned to England in May 1840, disembarking at Portsmouth on 8 June 1840. (The depot companies had already returned to Scotland in May 1838.) (13)

While with the Regiment and based in Graham’s Town, George and Anne’s son John died at the age of 17 months. Three months before his death, in September 1836, Maria was born, but she sadly died on 26 December 1837. James was born in Graham’s Town in 1838, followed by their last child Charles who was born in Wynberg, Cape Town, in June 1841.

It is not known when or where George and Anne died or where they are buried. According to family lore, George died some years after 1841 in the Cape and Anne, who had trained as a nursing sister in England, was very much welcomed by doctors in Cape Town.

Unfortunately, she felt that she was handicapped by her sons, so she decided to put them in the care of foster parents where they could learn a trade. (14)

The Ravenscroft family of South Africa can trace their ancestry from four of George and Marian (Anne)’s surviving sons: Thomas (1829–1907) (my great-great-grandfather), William (1832–1910), James (1838–1894) and Charles (1841–1912).

Photos

St Laurence’s Church c1845 by William Henry Fox Talbot (1880–1877) (15)

The ship Lord Lowther, commanded by Charles Stewart Esq., leaving the harbour of
Prince of Wales Island, engraved by Edward Duncan (1803–1882). (16)

Notes/References

(1) Descriptive Roll of First Company St Helena Artillery, The British Library, London, England. In October 1832, George Ravenscroft’s age is shown as 29 and in January 1833 it is shown as 30, so we can assume that he was born between November 1802 and January 1803. The January 1834 Roll still shows him as 30, with April 1834 indicating his age as 31, which moves his range of birth from between November 1802 and April 1803.

(2) Descriptive Roll of First Company St Helena Artillery and the ship’s records for the Lord Lowther, The British Library, London, England.

(3) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Napoleon-I/Exile-on-St-Helena

(4) https://cordwainers.org/

(5) Ravenscroft, William (1848–), Some Ravenscrofts, Telford E Stone.

(6) http://sainthelenaisland.info/eastindia.htm

(7) 72^nd Foot Quarterly Pay-List, 1st April 1836 to 30th June 1836, The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, England.

(8) Cannon, Richard (1848). Historical record of the Seventy-Second Regiment, or the Duke of Albany’s Own Highlanders: Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1778, and of its subsequent services to 1848 (PDF). Parker, Furnivall & Parker. OCLC 1083492049.

(9) https://www.artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/bldgframes_mob.php?bldgid=8505

(10) https://www.123rf.com/photo_26492282_fort-double-drift-in-great-fishriver- reserve-eastern-cape-south-africa.html

(11) 72^nd Foot Quarterly Pay-List, 1^st January 1837 to 31^st March 1837, The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, England.

(12) 72^nd Foot Quarterly Pay-List, 1^st July 1838 to 30^th September 1838, The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, England.

(13) Cannon, Richard (1848).

(14) Allmayer, Rudi. (2025). The Ravenscroft Family of Montagu. Montagu Museum. https://montagumuseum.co.za/montagu-stories/125-theravenscroft- family-of-montagu/

(15) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Laurence%27s_Church,_Reading,_c._1845.jpg

(16) https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-156531

A little more from the book Montagu Days by Margaret Minnie Stoddart (granddaughter of Charles Ravenscroft)

My father told me that some years after arriving in Cape Town, George died and his wife Ann, who was trained as a nursing sister in England, was very much welcomed by doctors in Cape Town. Unfortunately she was handicapped by the sons, so she decided to put them in the care of foster parents where they could learn a trade. My grandfather Charles went to live with a couple by the name of Van As, in Swellendam. They never had children of their own and had adopted a little orphan girl from Holland by the name of Cornelia Margaretha Linde.

The two chiIdren grew up together as brother and sister. Nelie, short for Cornelia, had to help Mrs. Van As in the house and learn all about cooking, sewing and how to run a home. Charlie learned all about wagon-building from old man Van As and the children did not see much of each other – until one afternoon. Charlie was sent to the kitchen with a message. He looked over the stable door, of which the bottom half was closed, to spot Nelie lying on the floor which she was supposed to be scrubbing. Instead, she was playing a game by herself, kicking her legs up, displaying lace and frills and singing merrily.

Charlie was fascinated by this and as you can guess, before long started courting. They got married eventually, but still lived with the old people. When the latter died they left all that they possessed to Charlie and Nelie.

After some years Charlie decided to move further afield and packed a couple of wagons with their worldly goods, and travelled to Montagu, where they settled. He started a new wagon-building business, bought up a lot of land, which reached down to the Kingna River, planted vines and fruit trees and raised 12 children.

The eldest boy, born in 1863 was George, named after the St Helena George, no doubt. Then followed Nicolaas, Charles, Bertha – the only girl – William (Margaret’s father), Sam, John, Jimmy, Thomas, Edward and Peter. Most of the boys, as they grew older, worked in the workshop, the woodwork being done mostly by hand – there were only primitive tools in those days. Some did the painting of the carts and wagons when completed- Some were trained as blacksmiths, my father William, being one of them. Furthermore they harvested the grapes, made raisins and vinegar, but never wine – my grandfather was a strict teetotaler. They dried the fruit and then packed wagon-loads with produce which was then taken to the coast and sold or exchanged for dried fish to be carted back on the return trip.

Charles is also credited with the discovery of the Guano Cave

An extract from
The Montagu Guano Cave: South Africa’s latest show cave
Written by: Stephen A Craven
© British Cave Research Association 2018
ISSN 1356-191X

Discovery: 1878
Montagu Guano Cave is situated at 20°10′26″E, 33°50′8″S in the Palaeoproterozoic Langeberg Sandstone, about 7km southeast of Montagu in the Little Karoo of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The entrance chamber is about 12m. wide by 20m. deep by 20m. high, leading to a further 137m of steeply rising passage with guano on the floor. Its sheltered position, about 60m up a steep and narrow kloof with water at the bottom, provided an ideal residence for the original local inhabitants. On the other hand its elevated position on land unsuitable for agriculture was responsible for its late appearance in the modern historical record. It gave its name to the 605 hectare original farm No.163, subdivided from the Crown mountain land in January 1879.

The Cave is also an important bat roost site, housing Nycteris thebaica, Rhinolophus capensis, Myotis tricolor and Miniopterus schreibersii 2. Their droppings over very many years accumulated in vast quantities which, after their discovery in the late 1870’s, were exploited commercially.

The Cave and its bat guano, then situated on Crown land, are said to have been rediscovered in the late 1870’s by Charles Ravenscroft, a wagon builder of Montagu, while hunting game. During October 1878 its commercial potential prompted the Colonial Government to pay William Prosser to collect some of the guano, which was sent for analysis to Professor Paul Daniel Hahn of the Chemistry Department of the South African College. The latter reported enthusiastically that the guano was of very good quality, worth at least an estimated £17 per ton:

Prosser estimated that the Cave contained some 1,600,000 lbs (725,760 kg) of guano, and that the cost of removal and transport to Cape Town would be £4 per ton. Hahn’s report was tabled in the Legislative Council on 01 July 1879.

At the same time Prosser delivered bats, 13 specimens of Miniopterus schreibersii and one of Myotis tricolor, to the South African Museum in Cape Town. He claimed to have caught them, but it was later established that they had been donated by Charles Ravenscroft. There was some misunderstanding about who had been asked to collect and deliver the bats; the adjacent landowner was eventually reimbursed £1–7–6 for his costs. Prosser also collected some beetles, which the Curator was unable to identify, and other invertebrates that were abundant in the guano but details of which were not pursued further.

Thereafter the farm’s quitrent was auctioned on 10 October 1879, and sold for the reserve price of £100 per annum to the only bidder, Charles Ravenscroft.

Prosser was a somewhat disreputable character who came from Lancaster in the north of England. He had been elected a Fellow of the Geological Society in 1864, and in 1873 was removed from the list of Fellows for non-payment of his subscription. Despite this he continued to include “FGS” after his name. He arrived in the Cape in September 1876, calling himself a “projecting and contracting engineer”, for which no formal training was required. This enabled him to win a contract to build 5 – 6kms. of the Beaufort West railway line. Prosser and his partner, Philip Daniel Johannes van der Byl, a Worcester merchant, parted company and went to Court over the distribution of the profits.

Prosser was also employed as Secretary of the city’s Tramway Company, and of the city’s Steam Laundry Company. He used his own money to buy some machinery, which he promptly sold at a profit to the latter Company. This prompted a local magazine to publish a scurrilous article against Prosser. He sued for £1000 libel damages, but was awarded a mere £25 plus costs. Prosser used his withdrawn Fellowship to move in academic circles. On 31 October 1877 he was elected an Ordinary Member of the South African Philosophical Society, and delivered a lecture on, “The Devonian and Ash beds of the Karoo and Gouph”. His year’s work on the railway contract may have enabled him to do some field work. On 30 January 1878 he lectured on, “The Limestones of the Colony” but, despite his professed geological expertise, made no mention of any cave nor of the solubility of limestone. On 29 May 1878 he motivated to the Society that it should form an Ethnological Section with particular interest in the Bushmen and their artefacts. Shortly thereafter he disappeared from the Cape records.

Exploitation of the guano was not as profitable as had been anticipated. Ravenscroft defaulted on his quitrent payment after two years, the arrears being written off in 1883 as irrecoverable. In 1895 and 1897 the farm was further subdivided, and sold to neighbouring farmers.

Charles en Cornelia se kinders geb. tussen 1840 en 1885.

Al die kinders is in Montagu gebore

George William (Oom Jors) DOB/1863- 1943

Nicolaas Jacobus DOB/1865 – 1937

Charles Thomas DOB/1867

Alberta Adriana Maria DOB/1869

William DOB/1870

George DOB/1871- 1958

Jacobus Johannes DOB/1873

John Samuel DOB/1875

James DOB/1877

Samuel DOB/1878 -1905

John DOB/1880 – 1945

Pieter (Peter) Christian Rainer DOB/1884 – 1944

Inligting: https://www.ravenscroft.za.net/

Notes:

It has not been possible to say without doubt how many children were born to Charles and Cornelia.
In Margaret Stoddart’s book Montagu Days she mentions 11 children. She also mentions an Edward which cannot be found on the Ravenscroft family website.
The list of names shown above which comes from the Ravenscroft family website shows 12 names.

L/R: William, Charles William (b.1905 oldest son), Francina, Daniel John (second son b. 1908) and Oupa Charles.

Picture: https://www.ravenscroft.za.net/

Oupa Charles en sy ongeluk

Uittreksel uit die boek Montagu Days

Ek onthou my pa se oudste broer, George. Vir my was hy ‘n ou oom met ‘n welige bos spierwit baard wat oor sy bors gehang het, kompleet soos Vader Krismis. Ek was baie lugtig vir oom Jors wat geen nonsens verdra het nie. Hy het koning gekraai in die werkswinkel, almal gehiet en gebied en in sy huis langsaan, moes almal na sy pype dans. Miskien het omstandighede horn daartoe gelei om so baasspelerig te wees. Julle sien, sy pa – my oupa Charlie – vir wie ek nooit die voorreg gehad het om te ken nie, maar van wie ek baie vertel is, het ‘n ongeluk gehad. Dit was so. Hy was op ‘n kol weer op een van sy togte in die Boland iewers. Sy geselskap het bestaan uit manne wat dinamiet laat ontplof het in ‘n groot meer. Die dooie visse het dan bo-op die water gedryf wat opgepik was vir latere verkoopdoeleindes. Wat toe gebeur het is dat van die dinamiet in my oupa se hand ontplof het met rampspoedige gevolge. Sy linkerhand is toe naby sy elmboog weggeskiet. Dit word vertel dat hy die stompie met velle, bene en bloed net so met sy regterhand vasgevat het en beveel het dat die perdekar onmiddellik ingespan moes word en hom dadelik na die naaste dokter neem. Dit het so-te-se ‘n hele dag gevat want die perde moes elke drie uur uitgespan word om te rus en asem te skep. Met sy hemp, om as verbande te dien om die beseerde arm gewikkel, het hulle oplaas by ‘n dokter opgedaag. Daar moes laasgenoemde, noodgedwonge die arm tot by die elmboog afsit. Oupa Charlie het herstel maar sonder sy linkerhand kon hy nie weer met sy ambag voortgaan nie. Dis hier waar oom Jors oorgevat het.

Met behulp van ‘n uitvindsel gemaak van leer en ‘n ysterhaak (sien foto bo) kon oupa Charlie taamlik goed oor die weg kom. Aan die haak kon ‘n mes aangeskroef word wat vleis en ander groente kon sny. My pa vertel dat daar ‘n ou tante, wat daar naby gewoon het, omtrent elke dag besoek afgelê het en met so ‘n huilstemmetjies gesê het “Ag neef Charlie, ek voel so jammer dat jy nou jou hand gaan staan en verloor het.” My oupa het so moeg en sat geword vir haar sedige gekerm dat hy eendag vir haar gesê het “Kyk, Ta Hessie, dank jy maar die Vader dat jy vingers het om jou hol mee te krap.”

An extract from a document found in Montagu Museum
AAN DIE AFSTAMMELINGE VAN OUPA LE ROUX:
HERMANUS ABRAHAM FRANCOIS LE ROUX (18.3.1832 – 8.4.1917)
VAN BOONTJIESRIVIER, MONTAGU
Gebore Wellington / Oorlede Montagu
Geskryf deur Pietie le Roux

Met die werwing onder die Montagu-boere, het die manne van Scheepers ‘n klompie “Town Guards” gevang, waarondere ‘n sekere Charles Ravenscroft was, wie in sy jong dae die deel van sy arm onderkant sy elmboog verloor het, en wat vervang was met ‘n staalhaak. Die boere besluit toe om die gevangenes elk ‘n pak slae te gee, behalwe die af-arm man, en te laat loop. Die af-arm man, het hulle toe maar met die goeie regterarm agter sy rug vasgemaak en hom opgehang aan ‘n boomtak aan sy haakarm. Daar het hy ‘n dag of wat gehang totdat sy makkers weer die moed gekry het om hom te gaan red.

The picture below which appeared on the Montagu History Facebook page triggered this article

1907 Montagu Brass Band

Back L/R: G. Diedericks, William Ravenscroft, Karremacher, Du Toit
Standing L/R: M. Siebert, H. Cloete, Dan du Toit, L. Knipe, Pierre du Toit, F. Warmenhove en Pieter Ravenscroft
Sitting L/R: Du Toit, Mr. Esterhuysen & son (Band Leader), Beukes
Front L/R: Gawie Viktor, Johnnie Stemmet, Rocco Esterhuysen, Henry Stemmett, Jan Stemmett

Picture: Montagu History F/B page

^1. WOW! My grandfather, Pieter Christian Ravenscroft, and his brother, William Ravenscroft, both featured in this picture music ran in the family. My mother, Elise Ravenscroft, who couldn’t read a note of music, was proficient on the organ, the violin and the trumpet

^2. My father (William) loved music in any form and could play quite a few musical instruments. He was also the conductor of the local Brass Band. I recall a scene on a Sunday morning in our “voorhuis” when the men had a band practice. I can still see the sun shining through the big window and the gleam on the brass instruments but strangely enough I cannot remember any sound coming forth. I went to the kitchen where my mother was busy making a sago pudding, and that is how I knew it to be Sunday, as we never had pudding during the week.

https://www.ravenscroft.za.net/

Pat Daykin : My grandfather, Pieter Ravenscroft

Picture: Montagu History F/B page

^1. My grandfather Pieter Christiaan Rainer Ravenscroft, his wife Maria Petronella neé Fouché, my mother Elizabeth and my uncle Stephen John.

^1. My grandfather (Pieter) and grandmother (Maria). On my grandfather’s right is my mother (Elizabeth) holding my elder brother. To my grandmother’s left is Aunty Flossie (Cornelia), Aunty Stella (with the bow), and Aunty Miriam.

^1. Three sisters L/R: Miriam (55), Stella (60), Flossie (67). This picture was taken in 1985 and those were their ages then.

Aunt Maria (Meraai) en Oom Peet (Pieter Ravenscroft)

Children: Elizabeth 1909-1972/Stephen, John 1914-1967/Cornelia 1917-?/Stella 1924-?/Miriam 1923-?/Charles Samuel Peter Sorrow 1921

Uittreksel uit die boek Montagu Days deur Margaret Stoddart

Joubertstraat 23 die huis van Pieter en Meraai Ravenscroft

Foto: Google StreetView

Ook twee mense wat nooit moes getrou het nie! Oom Peet, onthou ek, was ‘n lang en groot man met ‘n paar voete wat ‘n size 13 soos niks gevul het. Wanneer hy ‘n paar nuwe skoene gekoop het, moes hy twee snye soos ‘n X by sy groottoon aanbring, om sy geweldige bunion te akkommodeer. Tog het hy die pragtigste paar oë gehad wat ek ooit gesien het – violet blou – amper pers. Ek kon my verkyk het daaraan elke keer wat hy ons besoek het. Sy geaardheid was een van opgeruimdheid, lekker gesels, grappe maak, spot en lag. Hy kon baie van Montagu se karakters namaak en wys hoe hulle loop of gesigte trek, ‘n Ware jollie oom om te hê. Nietemin was hy ook’n diepdenkende mens. Ek onthou een agtermiddag – ek was toe al op Hoërskool – het oom Peet by ons opgedaag en vertel dat hy nou net ‘n wonderlike ondervinding op Kanonkop beleef het. Hy vertel: “Ek het daar tussen die bloekombome op Kanonkop gesit en afkyk op die Oudam met hier en daar ‘n mens wat rustig tussen die huisies beweeg, ‘n hoenderhaan hoor kraai, ‘n hond wat blaf, so kalm en rustig; bedaard en vreedsaam. En die musiek wat ek gehoor het van die wind in die bloekombome – onbeskryflik impromptu.” My oom se hele gesig het gestraal. Ek het hom altyd bewonder.

^1. Grandfather Pieter on the right. He was a cabinetmaker and I have two upholstered mahogany chairs he made. Left: Chrisjan J. Nothling

Picture: https://www.ravenscroft.za.net/

Oom Peet was ‘n ware ‘Jack of all trades and master of none’. Wat sy eintlike beroep was kan ek nie sê nie. Ek onthou hoe sy kinders my dikwels saamgesleep het om vir hulle pa te gaan kos wegbring. Destyds was hy besig om net oorkant die warmbad ‘n huis te bou vir die miljoenêr by name van Schlessenger. Dit was ‘n groot job en het ‘n tyd geneem. Ek dink amper dat hy die meeste fancy afrondings van die houtwerk aangebring het. In sy spaartyd het hy vriende gemaak met ‘n familie streepmuise. Hulle het saam met hom kom eet en so mak geword dat hy hulle liefgekry het en toe sy werk afgehandel was en dit tyd word vir oppak, het hy nie die hart gehad om hulle net so aan genade oor te laat nie. Hy het ‘n kassie aanmekaar getimmer en die muise saam huistoe gekarwei. Aunt Meraai was die joos in, maar oom Peet het ‘n netjiese groot hok gemaak op stelte met kuikendraad langs die kante sodat almal die streepmuise kon besigtig. ‘n Groot vreugde vir sy kinders en kuiergaste wanneer hulle die spul betraag waar hulle in- en uitgaan na hulle slaapplek.

Aunt Meraai, aan die anderkant, was weer ‘a different kettle of fish’. Sy was altyd bekommerd oor hulle finansies want oom Peet het nooit ‘n werk vir lank gehou nie. Sy was onseker oor die toekoms, veral daar sy dikwels ‘n nuwe kleintjie in die wêreld moes bring. Oom Peet was ‘don’t care’. Dis op hierdie tydstip dat aunt Meraai en my ma besluit het om saam ‘n kleremakery besigheid op te sit. My ma was vaardig met die masjien en kon ook doen met ‘n ekstra inkomste. Hulle het alles goed uitgedink en oom Peet gedwing om die eenkant van die voorstoep toe te bou met planke, en vensters aan te bring vir voldoende lig en ook ‘n deur wat kan sluit. Binne was ‘n gerieflike mat wat die hele sementvloer bedek het, twee naaimasjiene en ‘n ruim tafel vir die uitknip van patrone. Daar is besluit dat siende dat aunt Meraai so baie kinders gehad het, en my ma net na my moes omsien dat ek en my ma elke agtermiddag die entjie sal stap van ons huis hoër op in dieselfde straat na die ‘Dress-making’.

Ek moes so vier jaar oud gewees het en alles staan my nog so goed voor die gees. Daar aangekom het my ma my sitgemaak op die mat langs haar masjien. Afval lappies en spelde was my speelgoed. My ma was nie danig ywerig dat ek met ‘n spul uitbundige niggietjies meng nie. Daar was Elize, die oudste dogter, Stephen, die enigste seun, Flossie, Stella en Miriam. Ek was net tussen Flossie en Stella ouderdomsgewys.

Julle sal verstaan dat die huisgesin vir my ‘n geweldige aantrekkingskrag ingehou het. My broer was sewe jaar ouer as ek en was doenig met sy maters, skoolboeke en sport.

Ek het gesmag om tussen die klomp te baljaar. Daar was ‘n jong Kleurling oppasser in die gelid wat ons as Nanie aangespreek het. Sy het sulke wonderlike ringkink episodes uitgedink. Een van die gunstelinge was om ‘n ou kombers in die agterplaas onder ‘n boom oop te gooi in die warm seisoene. Daar het Nanie ons almal sitgemaak rondom haar, die ghitaar nadergetrek en begin tokkel. Somtyds het ons almal saamgesing en party van die liedjies was nie altyd van die gehalte wat my ma sou goedkeur nie. Dan het Nanie vir ons asynbier gaan aanmaak. Dit was ‘n mengsel van water, asyn en suiker en het dit heerlik gesmaak!

‘n Ander lid van die huisgesin was Moses, ‘n groot swart hond met sulke krulhare. Hy was altyd by ons en op ons en wanneer die kinders hulle ma gaan pla het in die werkskamers was Aunt Meraai se eerste uitroep “Moses! Opsy!” Moses het sy naam gekry van oom Peet. Daar was ‘n poel aan die onderent van die werf waar riete welig gegroei het. Toe my oom die klein hondjie vir die eerste keer huistoe gebring het, het die diertjie byna in die rietepoel verdrink, en dis toe dat hy Moses gedoop is. Die jongste dogtertjie, wat op daardie tydstip gebore is, het die naam van Miriam gekry. Ons het haar almal Miri genoem.

Op ‘n tyd het aunt Meraai besluit om by die Salvation Army aan te sluit. Ek kan nog so goed onthou hoedat my pa en ma, met my aan die hand, na die Salvation Army Band gaan luister het. Van vêr af kon jy al die doef-doef van die groot drom hoor soos dit aangesweef kom oor die stilte van die warm aand. Ek sien nog al die lede met hulle uniforms en epulets op die skouers, hartlik saamsing, die ‘Captain’ sy preek lewer en die kollektebordjie wat rondgaan. Aunt Meraai was ook so geklee in die mondering met ‘army bonnet’ en al. Op ‘n keer nadat sy taamlik geld gemaak het met die ‘dress-making’ het sy die army bonnet gebruik om haar geld in te spaar. Sy het gereken dat dit ‘n goeie wegsteekplek is en dat haar man dit nooit sou vind nie. Maar wie gesê, dis net daar wat hy op ‘n dag op die army bonnet met geld en al afkom. Hy en aunt Meraai het ‘n ewige bakleiery aangehad en oom Peet het sy baadjie gevat en eers na vier dae teruggekom

Below is an extract from a document that was written by Esther Hofmeyr. It is undated and one can only assume that Esther was making notes on the Ravenscroft family. It appears that the information made available to Esther came from one of Pieter Ravenscroft’s daughters Cornelia Beytell (married name). The interesting information pertains to the buildings that she claims were built/completed by her father. He is credited with building/completing Qui Si Sana and Lady Philips house (Little Sanctuary). Both these properties are still standing (2025) and have long and colourful histories.

Muscadel Festival 1954

^1. On the running board my Aunt Miriam, directly behind the driver Lou Kriel, my mum, Elizabeth (Elise). My aunt, was a milliner. My mum was a buyer at Brink Brothers. They are, the children of Pieter “Peter” Christian Rainer and Maria Cornelia Ravenscroft nee Fouché. Their address was Joubertstraat 23, where my mum and I also lived during my high school years. Two other sisters were Cornelia (Flossie) and Stella.

Picture: Anelma Oosthuizen

^1.My mother, Elizabeth, is the one with her head on the guitar; to her right is my aunt, Miriam, laughing with an open mouth; to her left, with glasses, my uncle Stephen. Front row, five from the right, with her right hand behind her back and looking to her right, my uncle Stephen’s wife, Laetitia (Lettie). Extreme left bottom, seated, uncle Pieter Joubert of P.J. Joubert Wineries.

^1. My mother, Elizabeth’s marriage to stepdad, Andries Strauss, in 1958 whereafter my mom and I moved to The Cottage, Montagu South. On my mother’s left is my grandmother, Maria Petronella Ravenscroft.

Pictures: Pat Daykin

Some anecdotal stories from Pat Daykin

Minnie mentions in her book that my grandmother was always worried about finances. This is so true. I remember her complaining about having to pay ‘wielbelasting’ “en ek het nie eers ‘n kar nie”. In the back garden of 23 Joubert Street behind the little flatlet was a concrete dam with a water tank where my mom and aunts used to swim. Because this, too, was liable for tax, my grandmother had a huge hole hacked out of the dam wall to avoid said tax. Many is the time I hid in the dam when I was not prepared to parade in front of visitors! Talking of the flatlet, I was appalled when an outa came with a bucket of cow manure and spread it all over the concrete floor. Truth be told, once it had dried out, there was no smell and my mother had it covered with linoleum; and there my mom and I lived until she married Andries Strauss.

Once a week my mom, Aunt Miriam and I would have a bath. The geyser was indoors. My mom would collect planks which were set in the bottom receptacle of the geyser. When these planks were set alight and the water in the geyser started to boil, we all took to our heels as the boiling water came spitting out of a pipe not always landing in the bath.

And the ‘nagwa’ (night wagon). We kids would be playing in the street and when the call came out we scattered as the stench was so powerful.

In the back garden Ouma had a chicken run, next to a plum tree which bore so many juicy red fruit that the branches used to crack under the weight. Every Christmas Ouma would take a chicken to the block and chop its head off! Christmas was when all the Ravenscroft sisters and their offspring gathered in Joubert Street. The house was painted with white Muralo and Meraai was brought in from the ‘lokasie’ (township) to help clean the house. As my grandmother was also known as Meraai, she had the title of Mies Meraai to distinguish between the two. Christmas lunch was a real feast with the poor old chicken duly roasted in the coal stove, a plethora of vegetables and salads and to round off, Ouma would make a ‘silver tiekie’ (threepence) pudding. I never found the tickey. Thereafter it became popular to stud the boiled pudding with silver charms, but this later fell into disuse due to safety reasons.

Later in the afternoon, cake and milk tart was eaten with strong black coffee. I can still recall the bitter smell as the coffee beans were roasted and ground.

Aunty Flossie, Uncle Martie and their sons would come from Stilfontein by car, much to my Ouma’s delight as she loved being driven around in the car. In later years, when she was in her eighties and living further down Joubert Street with my mum and stepdad, we used to go and visit from Cape Town and she insisted on going somewhere by car. The saying in the family was “as die wiel draai, is Ouma daar.”

My granddmother was a staunch Christian. She paid to have a pew reserved for the Ravenscroft’s in the N.G. Kerk. The reserved pews had brass nameplates and no one would dare to encroach on another’s pew. Every Sunday morning and Wednesday we had to all go to church. We children were not allowed to play in the street on Sundays as it was a day of rest. I used to play with my paper dolls or gloat over my collection of sweet wrappers. Those days foil wrappers were rare. My mum would sometimes be gifted chocolates and I would carefully stroke the wrappers flat and add them to my cache.

Nowadays it is fashionable to utilise pomegranate seeds in cooking; seventy six years ago my grandmother had a pomegranate tree in the garden. Utterly neglected, it would nevertheless produce luscious fruit which would burst open on the tree, displaying ruby red seeds. I was warned not to eat these as the seeds would get stuck in my appendix. I ate them and had to have an appendectomy in my mid-twenties, but seriously doubt this was due to the pomegranate gems!

In the Joubert Street garden besides the massive old pear tree which no longer bore fruit and the heavily bearing plum tree, there were apricot, nectarine and peach trees. The boundary fence next to where I think the Mallets lived (or Oom Hannes Freeman before he moved to Montagu South) was a ‘kweperheining’ (quince hedge). We would dip slices of the quince into very salty water. Fruit and food was in abundance.

Document: Pat Daykin

https://www.ravenscroft.za.net

William and Francina(Frances)

Le Rouxstraat 17

Le Rouxstraat 17(above comment by Margaret Stoddart in her book)

Fotos : Die Boek Montagu Days 1996

Le Rouxstraat 17

Fotos: Google Street View 2023

Ravenscroft and Gibson family members at 17 Le Roux Street

Terecia Francina Swanepoel wife of William. (Ouma Frances)
Samuel Ravenscroft (son of William one of original 12 children)
Margaret Stoddart (The Story Teller)
Samuel’s wife, Elizabeth Martha (née Coetzee)

Photo: William Ravenscroft

Extract from the book Montagu Days

By Margaret Stoddart

The Story Teller Margaret Minnie Stoddart with great grandson Edwin Douglas Jonker

My mom was never at home and I missed her terribly, especially in the afternoons after school. However her absence was forced on her by circumstances beyond her control.

Often, out of sheer boredom, I headed to my father’s (William Ravenscroft) blacksmith shop. Passing Brink’s shop, I could hear all the hammer blows on the anvil and knew there was lots going on inside. My father had his blacksmith shop in the first building facing the street. Just behind this was the large workshop where Uncle Jors (George Ravenscroft) was king and where Nelie (cousin) looted the chicken nests at our urging. The few times I was in the workshop, it was very busy with the workers, white and brown, moving swiftly under the watchful eye of Uncle Jors. Here the spokes of the wagons’ wheels were made, after which my father welded the flat iron tires around them. The floor was always littered with wooden shavings, which had tumbled from the carpenter’s plane. (These curls were very useful to light a nice fire in the black stove).

Oom Jors

Photo: https://www.ravenscroft.za.net/

Large wagons, Scotch carts and Cape Carts had their beginnings here. Everyone knew what he had to do and numerous times I noticed a newly made wagon in the large backyard, with one of my uncles busy painting it. If it was a green wagon, the finest patterns in orange were painted right around the bodywork. A real pleasure for the eye and the pride of all who had a part in its creation.

My father could perform miracles with iron. In my mind’s eye, I can still see the large hearth with the black coal on the side which was used to feed the fire. Then there was the enormous pair of bellows that was manipulated up and down to fan the fire. The heavy anvil stood in the middle of the room, and a window without panes provided enough light. The blacksmith shop was pitch black with dirt. I loved picking up the pieces of flat iron from the ground because they were ideal for playing hopscotch – when you push the iron with your shoes using only one leg.

The farmers of the district had lots of trouble with leopards catching their stock. My father was well-known for the type of traps he made and it was believed that when William Ravenscroft made a trap, you could be sure a leopard would end up in it.

My dad often told stories about leopards and I can still recall one clearly. A farmer had set a trap on a farm in Keur Kloof. One day a story reached Montagu that a leopard had been trapped. Everybody who had a vehicle jumped in and took off to Keur Kloof. My father also went along. He told us later that he saw a few dogs barking and howling and trying to charge the leopard, whose one foot was pinned in the trap. One small dog, who was a bit too brave for its own good ventured too close to the leopard. With the other paw the leopard swiped at the little dog and it landed in a pool of water. Undeterred the dog swam back towards the leopard and started harassing it again, until a farmer arrived with a gun and with one shot put the poor animal out of its misery.

My father was responsible for various ironwork projects in Montagu, for instance when Lover’s Walk was upgraded to the Mayoral Avenue. He was responsible for all the iron gates. He also made all the iron work needed when the George Euvrard Park was developed. Aunt Lily Anderson often sent her son, called “Zoon” with little iron jobs that my father had to attend to. However, my father never asked for payment. He just said to Zoon “Tell your mother she should play a nice piece of organ music, just for me, during Sunday morning’s Church service”. And she always did.

With the advent of motor cars, the wagon maker’s job become obsolete. The only work remaining to them was to repair farm implements, etc. By then my father was too old to learn to fix the engines of motor cars.

There is another story from the days when the work was still plentiful. My father tells of Uncle Thys du Toit’s large stallion “Poon” which visited the blacksmith shop from time to time to be shod. He needed his horseshoes to be replaced with new ones and certain nails had to be used. This procedure did not hurt the horse, its hooves are very thick and it could be compared to finger and toenails.

According to my dad, “Poon” was terrified of being shod and it took one of the strong labourers (a sturdy Masbieker) to restrain him and keep him calm. (This black man must have originated from Mozambique). In order for the blacksmith to pull out the old nails, he had to place one of the horse’s feet on his sail apron at a time. “Poon” could not handle this procedure and the sweat used to drip from him.

Between the workshop and Uncle Jors’ house there was some sort of gateway. Once the job was finished, Poon broke loose as he took off through the gate. The gateway echoed with the sounds of “Ghörr-Ghörr” which caused great mirth amongst the workmen.

John en Sam

^2. John en Sam (1880 – 1945) het geleer vir onderwysers. John het later hoof geword van ‘n skool in Rustenburg, Transvaal. Sam het op Prieska onderwys gegee en is daar vroeg oorlede aan maagkoors.

John 1880 – 1945 teacher Rustenburg

Foto: Die Boek Montagu Days 1996

Sam in his matric year at school in Montagu

Photo: https://www.ravenscroft.za.net/

Nicolaas Jacobus 1865 – 1937

^2. Die gruwelikste van al die broers was Nicolaas. Hy was ‘n groot, fris man en altyd reg vir ‘n grap. Eens op ‘n dag het hy in die middedorp gestap en op ‘n groep mense afgekom wat saam gekoek het om iets van belang, soos dit voorgekom het. Nicolaas stap toe nader om te kyk wat dan so belangrik kon wees, ‘n Pikswart toordokter het bene-gekruis langs die pad gesit met sy mondering van tiervelle, gekleurde kopstuk, krale wat hang op sy kaal bolyf” en wat nog. Hy was besig om sy gottabeentjies te gooi en voorspellings te maak. Niemand in Montagu het nog ooit ‘n swartman gesien nie, wat nog te sê van ‘n toordokter. Almal was verbaas en party se monde het publiek oopgehang. Onder al die toorgoed op die grond was daar ‘n seeboontjie en Nicolaas kon nie die geleentheid laat verbygaan nie. Hy het nader gestap, die seeboontjie opgeraap, onder hom gedruk en ‘n knewel van ‘n poep op die boontjie gelos en dit weer voor die toordokter neergesit. Met ‘n ka-ka-ka gelag het Nicolaas daar weggestap. Die toordokter was rasend van woede en die omstaanders bevrees en be-angs dat Nicolaas getoor sal word. Min het hy omgegee.

Charles Thomas DOB/1867 – James DOB/1877

^2.Baie van die broers is in hul kinderjare oorlede. My pa vertel dat hy eenkeer baie siek was en nie eers bewus was van wat om hom aangaan nie. Tot op ‘n dag toe hy sy ma gevra het waar Jimmy en Charlie dan was. Hy onthou dat hy saam met hulle geslaap het in die kamer en nou was hulle beddens leeg. Sy ma het toe vertel dat hulle aldrie masels en skarlakenkoors gelyk gehad het. Jimmy en Charlie is op dieselfde dag dood – een die oggend en een die aand.

^2. Die enigste suster Bertha, vir wie ek in later jare Aunt Non gesê het, het weggeloop met ‘n Duitse man, wat ‘n besoek aan Montagu gebring het, met sy “Merry-go- round”. Toe almal een oggend wakker word, was die ‘Merry-go-round’ met baas en al skoonveld asook Aunt Non. My ouma-hulle was in ‘n toestand oor hul enigste dogter, soos ‘n mens kan verstaan. Later hoop ek om meer te vertel van haar lewe saam met haar Duitser en kinders wat op King Williamstown ‘n tuiste geskep het.

L/R standing: Sam, George (Jors), John. Front: Pieter

Photo: https://www.ravenscroft.za.net/

A Ravenscroft Mystery

The rock carving below is to be found on the Rooihoogte Pass (2025) which joins Montagu with the N1. The inscription reads Ravenscroft’s Bridge, 1919. It is more than likely that this inscription was done by a member of the Montagu Ravenscroft family. According to the book Montagu Days brother Pieter could turn his hand to most things and all indications are that he was responsible for the bridge construction and the inscription.