149.Mense van Montagu: Frank Swart
Note: English Follows the Afrikaans
Frank Swart, boorling van Montagu en skoenmaker/Frank Swart, native of Montagu and shoemaker
deur/by Heinie Heydenrych
Montagu Mail March 2004
Frank Swart wys vir Heine Heydenrych die grootboek van sy pa vir 1932 – 1933. Frank Swart shows Heine Heydenrych his father’s ledger for 1932 – 1933.
Op die hoek van Wilhelm Thyslaan en Johnsonstraat woon Frank Swart. Hy is reeds 70, maar in sy klein werkswinkel maak hy nog steeds skoene reg. Hy is waarskynlik die enigste oorblywende skoenmaker op Montagu.
Hy het sy ambag geleer van sy pa, Joey. Die Swart familie se wortels gaan ver terug in Montagu se geskiedenis, en hulle het deur die skoenmakery kennis gemaak met al die bekende families op die dorp.
Maar om voor te begin: Frank se oumagrootjie. Jane Nora de Villiers, het ‘n erf gekoop en ‘n huis daarop gebou. Dit is die huis bekend as ‘Cobbler’s Cottage’ by Rawsonstraat 5, op die hoek van Rawson en Joubertstraat, skuins agter die ou laerskool wat vandag die munisipale kantore huisves.
Cobbler’s Cottage 2021
Jane de Villiers het haar man na die geboorte van drie dogters verloor. Een van die drie Petronella, was getroud met George Croxford wat ‘n skoen en tuiemaker was. Dit was by hom dat Frank se pa Joey sy ambag geleer het. ‘n Tweede dogter Jane, is getroud met Piet Swart, oorspronkiik van Swellendam. Piet was ‘n bouer, en Frank vertel dat hy verantwoordelik was vir die Standard Bank gebou in Badstraat (die huidige kantore van Ian Robertson Prokureur). Piet en Jane was Frank Swart se oupa en ouma
Ten tye van die Anglo-Boereoorlog het Frank Swart se oumagrootjie haar huis omskep in ‘n bakkery. ‘n Gedeelte van die Britse soldate se kamp was in die ou Barry’s gebou op die hoek van Barry en Badstraat en later in die Beebies se opstal. vandag Kingna Lodge langs Huis Uitvlugt. Die soldate daar het tuisgebakte brood aangery met ‘n skotskar wat hulle self getrek het. By die bakkery het hulle bale gemmerbier, beskuit en koek kom koop. Frank se pa Joey het vertel dat hy baie perde, esels, donkies elke viervoetige dier wat gery kon word se halterrieme moes vashou terwyl die soidate gemmerbier geniet het.
Joey(tweede regs voor) en die blaasorkes wat gereeld in die ou Sendingkerk gespeel het. Joey (second from the right seated) and the brass band that regularly played in the old Mission Church
Prentjie: Montagu Museum
Nadat Joey Swart die ambag van skoenmakery by George Croxford geleer het het hy weer sy kennis oorgedra aan sy drie seuns. Peter, Andrew en Frank. Peter en Andrew het onderskeidelik na Kaapstad en die Paarl uitgewyk, maar Frank het sy ambag in Montagu bly beoefen In die huis wat Jane de Villiers gebou het het hy gebly totdat die Groepsgebiedewet hom in 1972 verplig het om daarvandaan pad te gee.
Die Swartse het feitlik al die bekende families van Montagu onder hulle kliente getel. In die distrik was daar die Burgers en Rossouws van die Koo, die Du Toits van die Keisie, die Jordaans van Drie Berge en Baden, die Januaries van die Koo, en baie ander. Op die dorp was daar die Barrys, Andersons, Combrinks, Brinks, Wesselse, Mullers, ens. Frank se pa was ook ‘n kranige boekhouer. Frank besit nog grootboeke wat sy pa gehou het met aantekeninge van al die skoenreparasies wat hy vir al hierdie families, wit en bruin, gedoen het.
Een van die klante wie se skoenreparasies in die dertigerjare netjies gelys is is Joseph Moss, Montagu se Joodse kleremaker, oor wie daar verlede jaar ‘n artikel in die Montagu Mail verskyn het. Frank vertel dat hy nog onthou hoe netjies hy altyd geklee was. Wat hom bybly is die kere wat sy pa en Joseph Moss vasgesit het oor sy skoene wat nie betyds reg was nie. Dit was een woord op die ander, totdat Joseph die aftog blaas en maar loop met die versekering: kom maar weer môre. Moss se hakke moes altyd hoër gemaak word omdat hy so kort was. Joseph Moss het ook vir Frank se pa Joey klere gemaak in sy werkplek naby die hoek van Bad en Du Toit strate, waar Leon Steenkamp Makelaars se kantore vandag is.
The Moss family of Montagu
Picture: Stanley Moss
Frank onthou die mense van vorige geslagte so goed dat hy onlangs in staat was om ‘n hele paar persone op ‘n foto in die Montagu Museum te identifiseer. Hulle was almal lede van ‘n orkes wat gereeld in die NG Sending kerk gespeel het. Hy het ook onlangs ‘n naaimasjien in perfekte werkende toestand, wat aan sy ouma behoort het. aan die museum geskenk.
English
Frank Swart, Montagu native and shoemaker
by Heinie Heydenrych
Montagu Mail March 2004
On the corner of Wilhelm Thyslaan and Johnson Street lives Frank Swart. He is already 70, but in his small workshop he still repairs shoes. He is probably the only remaining shoemaker in Montagu.
He learned his trade from his father, Joey. The Swart family’s roots go far back in Montagu’s history, and through shoemaking they became acquainted with all the famous families in town.
But to start: Frank’s great-grandmother. Jane Nora de Villiers, bought a plot of land and built a house on it. This is the house known as ‘Cobbler’s Cottage’ at 5 Rawson Street, on the corner of Rawson and Joubert Street, diagonally behind the old primary school which today houses the municipal offices.
Jane de Villiers lost her husband after the birth of three daughters. One of the three, Petronella, was married to George Croxford who was a shoe and harness maker. It was from him that Frank’s father Joey learned his trade. A second daughter, Jane, is married to Piet Swart, originally from Swellendam. Piet was a builder, and Frank says that he was responsible for the Standard Bank building in Bath Street (the current offices of Ian Robertson Attorney). Piet and Jane were Frank Swart’s grandfather and grandmother. During the Anglo-Boer War, Frank Swart’s great-grandmother converted her house into a bakery. Part of the British soldiers’ camp was built in the old Barry’s building on the corner of Barry and Bath Street and later in the Beebies’ homestead. today Kingna Lodge next to Huis Uitvlugt. The soldiers there brought home-baked bread with a scotch cart that they pulled themselves. At the bakery they came to buy bales of ginger beer, rusks and cake. Frank’s father Joey said that he had to hold the halter straps of many horses, donkeys, and every four-legged animal that could be ridden while the soldiers enjoyed ginger beer.
After Joey Swart learned the trade of shoemaking from George Croxford, he passed on his knowledge to his three sons. Peter, Andrew and Frank. Peter and Andrew moved to Cape Town and Paarl respectively, but Frank continued to practice his trade in Montagu. He lived in the house that Jane de Villiers built until the Group Areas Act forced him to leave in 1972. The Swarts counted almost all the well-known families of Montagu among their clients. In the district there were the Burgers and Rossouws of the Koo, the Du Toits of the Keisie, the Jordaans of Drie Berge and Baden, the Januaries of the Koo, and many others. In the town there were the Barrys, Andersons, Combrinks, Brinks, Wesselse, Mullers, etc. Frank’s father was also a keen bookkeeper. Frank still has ledgers that his father kept with notes of all the shoe repairs he did for all these families, white and brown.
One of the customers whose shoe repairs in the thirties are neatly listed is Joseph Moss, Montagu’s Jewish tailor, about whom there was an article in the Montagu Mail last year appeared. Frank says that he still remembers how neatly he was always dressed. What sticks in his mind are the times his father and Joseph Moss argued about his shoes not being ready in time. It was one word after another, until Joseph gave up and just walked away with the assurance: come again tomorrow. Moss’s heels always had to be made higher because he was so short. Joseph Moss also made clothes for Frank’s father Joey in his workplace near the corner of Bad and Du Toit streets, where Leon Steenkamp Makelaars’ offices are today.
Frank remembers the people of previous generations so well that he was recently able to identify several people in a photo in the Montagu Museum. They were all members of a band that regularly played in the NG Mission church. He also recently donated a sewing machine in perfect working order, which belonged to his grandmother, to the museum.
Montagu verloor sy bekende skoenmaker
Story: Montagu Mail
1933-2006
Frank Swart is op 2 Junie, 2006 oorlede na ‘n siekbed van etlike maande. Hierdie gebore Montaguer was ’n bekende inwoner en een van die laaste skoenmakers op die dorp.
Frank se pa, Joey, was ’n skoenmaker en Frank het in sy voetspore gevolg. Deur hul skoenherstelwerk het hulle baie van die ou gevestigde families van Montagu goed leer ken.
Frank het ook ’n lewendige belangstelling in Montagu se geskiedenis gehad, en veral in die mense wat daarin ’n rol gespeel het. Omdat hy saam met die dorp gegroei het, het hy talle aspekte van die geskiedenis, wat aan nuwe intrekkers en die jonger geslag onbekend is, goed geken.
Hy het hom ook daarvoor beywer om bronne oor die geskiedenis te bewaar. Twee jaar gelede het hy ’n grootboek van sy pa wat uit die dertiger en veertigerjare dateer, aan die Montagu Museum geskenk. Dit is tans ’n belangrike bron oor daardie tydperk in Montagu se geskiedenis. Hy het ook ’n naaimasjien in perfekte werkende toestand wat aan sy ouma behoort het, aan die museum geskenk.
Frank se belangstelling in die werksaamhede van die Montagu Museum sal baie gemis word. Die gebou waarin die museum gehuisves word, die Ou Sendingkerk, het vir hom besondere sentimentele waarde ingehou, aangesien hy as kind saam met sy ouers by die gemeente van die destydse NG Sendingkerk ingeskakel het. Sy pa was lid van ‘n orkes wat gereeld by eredienste en ander geleenthede in die Sendingkerk opgetree het.
Frank is op Saterdag 10 Junie uit ‘n vol VGK-kerk op Montagu begrawe. Hy laat sy vrou, Frances, drie kinders en ses kleinkinders agter.
English
Montagu loses its well-known shoemaker
Story: Montagu Mail
Frank Swart died on June 2, 2006 after an illness of several months. This Montaguer native was a well-known resident and one of the last shoemakers in the town.
Frank’s father, Joey, was a shoemaker and Frank followed in his footsteps. Through their shoe repair business they got to know many of the old established families of Montagu well.
Frank also had a keen interest in Montagu’s history, and especially in the people who played a role in it. Having grown up with the town, he knew many aspects of its history well, unknown to new settlers and the younger generation.
He also worked to preserve sources about history. Two years ago he donated a ledger of his father dating from the thirties and forties to the Montagu Museum. It is now an important source about that period in Montagu’s history. He also donated a sewing machine in perfect working order that belonged to his grandmother to the museum.
Frank’s interest in the activities of the Montagu Museum will be greatly missed. The building in which the museum is housed, the Old Mission Church, held special sentimental value for him, as he had joined the congregation of the then Dutch Reformed Mission Church with his parents as a child. His father was a member of a band that regularly performed at services and other events in the Mission Church. Frank was buried on Saturday 10 June from a full VGK church in Montagu. He leaves behind his wife, Frances, three children and six grandchildren.
Click Here : To view more about Mr Moss
