De Burgemeester voornoemd, VAN TIENHOVEN

Ely, Hans, Fred and Henk growing up in Amsterdam

A young family in Amsterdam.

Fred does have a recall of Opa Gerrit, his maternal grandfather who died when he was four years old.

This photo of Jan Gerrit de Haas hangs in our gallery up the stairs. A rather formidable looking man.

Fred has these fragile documents from the late 1890 lying among his papers.

They are brittle, torn along the folds and the paper has a beautiful sepia hue. The handwriting also talks to another place and another era.

There seems to be a discrepancy in the family about Jan Gerrit's birthdate. The military document gives it as 1871 and Fred's mother gave me 1869.

I looked up 'fornuis', the word highlighted in the second document, it means oven.

He was a fisherman, I wonder if he smoked fish.

A military registration document from 3 January 1890

A trading licence from Amsterdam dated 27 February 1898.

A flight to a war zone

Rummaging through the Bowerburn Princess box delivered a rather unusual find, an invitation to Dad, or rather to The Major Clr J Wedderburn on the 18 November 1986 from Brigadier J.H. Pretorius, the Natal Commanding Officer.

Dad, along with about 40 other people, was taken to the war zone in Ondangwa, South West Africa (now Namibia) to 'familiarise you with the general and security situation'. 

The war continued until 1989.

Mortar demo after a trifle pudding

Dad writes 'when we land at Ondangwa we are very vulnerable to enemy attack'.

The programme for the visit is still attached to the letter and even more telling are Dad's hastily jotted notes on the back of the letter.

He is recording the events and his experiences over the 2 days, most probably to share it with his councillors in Howick. And I would imagine to share it with Mom too.

He watched a mortar demo at 9.55pm, after noting at 9.35pm 'having a pudding a nice trifle' and 'we got to bed 10pm.'

His years in Howick certainly broadened his world view.

Dad's jotting down notes on his trip to the war zone in SWA.

Remembering Inel and Guy's wedding

Inel with Barry and Shawni. Guy and Inel with a frail looking Mom and Dad.

Inel and Guy are down in Natal spending time with fathers.

After I spoke to her this morning I went looking for her thank you letter from their wedding. I still have it in the photo album. And she did send photos.

My children are so young in the photos and they felt so honoured to be part of the wedding, Barry serious and Shawni delighted.

Dad looks strong and vital whereas Mom is already ravaged by her cancer but she was so happy to be part of the wedding.

So much has transpired since this special letter. One constant Inel, is that Guy still does that cup of morning coffee!

We had some good times in Creighton and Fred did canoe with Guy. A story still gets told about the high water, the rapids and a scary moment when Guy was caught underwater.

Teacher I can spell 'temperature'

Teacher Sharon, top photo school tour to Gold reef City that I organised for my Geography pupils.
 Front row, 2nd left.
Bottom photo, my teaching colleagues at Yeshiva College. Back row, 2nd left.

I mention the advantages of teaching in a letter I wrote to the family on the 28 March 1983 and that got me looking for a few photos from that time.

I taught for a couple of years in the early 80's at the Yeshiva College in Sandringham, while running my small Urban Geography practice. I had a few pupils per standard and had loads of fun with the them.

I remember marking final papers while at the Mary Mount, having just had Shawni. Even more memorable was setting and marking projects on Japan, giving the pupils stellar marks and then realising that they could not locate Japan on the World Map at the back of the class!

So much for 'Teacher' Sharon, well according to one letter, I taught one person how to spell temperature.

A letter home and some thank you notes from pupils.

Dad stops smoking

Little book of sayings made by Inel.

After Inel's quick visit here in Johannesburg on her way to see Dad in Amanzimtoti, I went looking for some of her letter cards to me.

I found this dearest little book with sayings and illustrations that she made for me. I keep it on the landing upstairs next to my autograph book. Fun to read her messages again in her lovely handwriting.

The eighties brought on significant changes for my parents and the family.

Dad resigned from Iscor and took early retirement.

He had sold his share of Kalkwal to Ralph.

They left Vanderbijlpark for Howick in Natal.

Dad tried all sorts of new ventures one of which was public service and he ended up being the Major of Howick.

They became grandparents.




I have this letter card from Inel sent to me in France with big news indeed.

Dad stopped smoking in 1987 after decades of chain smoking.

I grew up with both parents as smokers and I recall complaining, particularly in the closed confines of a car.

He survived his stroke a decade later because of his healthier lifestyle which started in Natal.

On point with nostalgia

I seem to be on point with this blog, nostalgia is a powerful contributor to well being according to this article in a magazine that I am reading on my veranda.

Boy, nostalgia plays tricks with me though.

I have Nan's letter from 1964 and she is giving Mom an update on Pa and her health. We were down at the coast having a seaside holiday.

I get the impression from her letters that he was not a well person, in this letter he is having x-rays, is in pain and takes pills. And I assumed he died when I was young.

I remember him so well during the years as a young girl.

Their home, his warmth, his wet kisses, him making me things, like Barbie furniture. I still have a  bookcase he made me which has always been a much loved piece.

One of my favourite photos of me is dancing for him at the 1959 Iscor Christmas Tree. He is encouraging me and is obviously delighted, what the photo does not show is the 300 some people watching me perform!

Eligwa Clubhouse, Iscor Christmas Tree for staff, 1959

But somehow he fades into the background at some point in my life - most probably the teenage years.

I was rather taken aback this morning when I found a family photo from 1976. I was looking for a photo of Clive that I wanted to use in the blog.

In fact more than taken aback, I was shocked.

My mother's father is in the photo with Mom, Clive (age 16) Inel (age 9) and little Doreen (age 6).

Once again my memory of these years after I left home and lived in Johannesburg is vague. I do not remember him during this phase! I would have sworn that my sisters did not know him.

Yet he was still alive when I was 20 years old and he is visiting the family in our home in Wenning Street, Vanderbijlpark.

It troubles me so that I do not know when he died, I cannot remember a funeral either.

Family at home in Wenning Street. 1976
From L: Mom, Clive, Inel, Pa and Doreen.

A family in 1966

John Wedderburn, far left, Commodore of Eligwa Boat Club, 1966

There is a large black and white photo that Mom kept of Dad when he was the Commodore of the Eligwa Boat Club. The club members are posing on the boat Venus moored on the Vaal River, Vanderbijlpark.  The date printed on the back of the photo is 19 October 1966.

I have a clear recall of the years on the Vaal River, a very social time for my parents, endless all day parties.

One memory is dropping our heavy metal picnic box on my big toe, it exploding in pain and Dr. Christiaan Barnard removing my toenail from the back seat of our car.

He was not yet the superstar surgeon, that was 1967, he was at Eligwa watching his daughter Deidre ski. She was a South African champion at waterskiing.


These years when Dad was busy on Sundays at the Club got the Methodist Church in a huff, with the Minister alienating my folks.

That was then the end of sunday school, church and religion for the Vanderbijlpark Wedderburn's.

The photo got me wondering what the family was doing in 1966.

Nan and Pa started their year cruising. I have her letter to 'Dear Stel and Chip' written on New Years Day 1966 and they are on board the R.M.S. Pretoria Castle, a Union -Castle Line.

There are another batch of letters from Nan during 1966 from Port Shepstone. I still need to figure out who she is writing about, I think it is someone from her family and I will then do a blog.

She is letting Mom know 'that I am still on my feet and have not fed the fishes as yet.' 

Another common problem in our gene pool - seasickness.
'I do not walk alone when the ship is in motion I make Dad walk with me.'

She sounds happy though, they had a 50 mile bus tour in the morning through East London and she is writing at 3.30pm having 'just had a lovely afternoon tea and are sitting in the lounge.'

Grandpa Percy is on the farm, Kalkwal, south of Bloemfontein and drops a letter to Dad on 11 March 1966.

He updates Dad on his brother, Bob's health. I will check in with my cousin Bruce if he remembers what had happened to Uncle Bobby.

What I just love is 'The beans Clive and I planted are more than keeping us going.'

I suppose the planting would have been during our annual summer holiday to the farm, I can just imagine the stern, rather austere grandfather taking the 5 year old Clive into the veggie patch on the side of the farmhouse to plant seeds.

How precious, my dear little brother.

Clive age 5 years.

The rains must have been poor during the summer of 1966.

Grandpa Percy writes that the farmers are in for a bad time as the mealies are all gone.

Its also as 'hot as blazes.' they are pumping 140000 gallons an hour from the river.

That is the Modder River, the life blood on the farm, we spent many happy hours swimming in the river but it was also critical for the crops and animals.

He sends regards to 'the old folks' Mom parents and ends off 'Yours lovingly Pa'. The Wedderburn men demonstrative and affectionate with pen and paper.

Grandpa Percy is 'sorry to hear that Estelle has not been to well'. By mid year 1966 Mom would have fallen pregnant with Inel.

1966 was my Standard 3 year at Oliver Lodge Primary School in Vanderbijlpark and the year end photo is a good way to close out my memories of 1966.

Postage paid by LOVE

Time for me to get back to my letter box after the diversion into my father's ancestors.

Staying with the Christmas theme, I pulled out this envelope addressed to Santa Clause at the North Pole.

Its a letter written by Shawni in December 1996, she would have been 12 years old and according to her, 'I've been a reasonably good girl.'

Stockings have always been a feature of our Christmas celebrations and she has listed thoughts for her stocking separately from the list of presents.

She has a sense of humour too, puts in a complaint about Fred's radio, 'sometimes it actually doesn't play'. And just in case Santa is not on the ball she reminds him that a radio means a tape and cd player.

She did get the radio and has left it with us so Fred can use it in his garage.

If she gets a Sticker Book Santa, please make sure it's a 'proper one'.

I love her final sentence to Dear Santa;
 'Anything you wish but it must be something I'll like'.

That is typical Shawni.

The letter ends formally and is signed and dated.

I do miss these special Christmas moments we had with the kids.

The Moodie's and some royal name dropping

I have been diverted away from letters to understand the family tree and have loved the exploration.

I feel a little like Alice in Wonderland falling down the rabbit hole.....

• Our grandmother, Ina Moodie Phillips was born 1898 in Umtata and was descended from the Moodie's of Melsetter, an ancient family. 

Nanny Ina

The first written record of the family seems to date from about 1470, when William Mudie appears in a list of Scottish bishops as Bishop of Caithness. 

How about some royalty in our family!

I know it is a stretch but the Moodie line were descended from Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland (1274-1320), via the Stewart Kings James I to V, and then James V’s son John the first Earl of Moray, and then via the daughter of the fourth Earl of Moray, Lady Margaret Stewart, who married Alexander the first Lord Duffus (Ruvigny).

They also claim links to the Kings of Norway.

Got to love it - this family tree is in the book I have of the 1820 Settler Families.

• Nanny Ina's mother was Caroline Emily Moodie (“Daisy”) b. 1870 and d. 1904 in Umtali, Rhodesia, who married Capt. William Henry Boothby Phillips in the Holy Trinity Church, Kokstad in the 1890s. William was involved in the Cape Mounted Rifles, and his son, Nanny Ina's brother,  Charles Moodie Ralph Phillips (born 1896 in Umtata) was always known as “Polo” as he was born during a polo match.

Daisy Moodie, married Major William Phillips 

• Caroline’s brother was Harry Moodie, who was a Commissioner in Rhodesia.

• Caroline's father was John Bell Moodie b. 6 Feb 1836 in Graaff Reinet, the sixth son of Donald Moodie, who had 14 children. He married Anne Emily Hallett. Died 11 July 1876 in Pietermartizburg.

• Lt. Donald Moodie RN, b. 25 June 1794, 5th child and 3rd son of of James Moodie, who married Eliza Sophia Pigot in Albany, Eastern Cape. Sophia was a descendant of Lord George Pigot. Donald died on the 27 August 1861 in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. His oldest brother was Benjamin. 

Benjamin Moodie of Melsetter in the Orkneys had been forced to sell the family estate. This was finalised in 1818 fetching only slightly more than half of the trustee's valuation. In 1817 he left for the Cape Colony with 3 ships and 190 "mechanics and artisans" (Burrows). The men were indentured to him but he recovered little of the costs that he covered them for. He settled to farm near Swellendam on the farm Grootvadersbosch (which is still there by that name). He was a member of the Legislative Council of the Colony, and was generally an active and successful member of the community.

Donald Moodie

• James Moodie 9th Laird of Melsetter, b. 12 February 1757 in Melsetter, Orkney Islands, UK, was Donald's father. James Moodie married Elizabeth Dunbar daughter of Thomas Dunbar of Grangehill and his wife Janet Dunbar, who was the first daughter of Sir William Dunbar of Hempriggs and half-sister of Sir Benjamin Sutherland Dunbar. James died 28 June 1820 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

James Moodie

Extract from the 'Book of Moodie'(text left as is)

http://archive.org/stream/moodiebookbeinga00ruvi/moodiebookbeinga00ruvi_djvu.txtMajor 

The Moodie Book, Marquise de Ruvigny, (1906, privately printed)

James Moodie, ninth Laird of ^lelsetter, J.P., aforesaid, eldest 

son and heir of the preceding, was born and baptized at Melsetter, 12th Felamary 
1757, succeekd his father 17G1), Captain and ^Lajor of the bst Battalion Sth 
Orkney Fencil)l.'s from 1798 to 17^)S. ?Ie married Elizabeth, eldest daughter 
of Caiitain Thomas HunViar of Grange Hill, I'v his wife Janet, dau'diter of Sir 
William DniiViar of Hempriggs, st.'Cond Bart. [S.], and *-)nly child of her mother, 
Elizabeth, sister and heir of Lovodick Dunbar of WestHeld, last Heritable Sheriff 
of Moray, and by her, whi) died in 179S,'- he had issue : — 

I. Bt.njamin Moodie, younger of Melsetter, his successor. 

II. Thomas Moodie, Lieutenant, 11th Kegiment, Bengal Native 
Infantry, H.EJ.C.S. Being distinguished for his proficiency in 
the Hindostani, Persic, and Aral)ic languages, he was appointed 
assistant to the agent of the Governor-Genera! of Bundclcund, 
and rendered good service to the Company and was highly 
comnienddl for las conciliating manner to the natives. He died 
at Culpee, 27th April IS 24, .s.|\ 

III. Donald Moodie. See ]\roodie of South xVfrica. 

Reference, Moodie Ancestral Committee:

http://godawn.webs.com/familyinformation.htm

Wedderburn family history starting in the Lowlands of Scotland

In 2002 I bought a book that was privately published for the families of the 1820 Settlers.

It attempts to pull together as much history as possible of the Anderson, Morgan, Spoor, Holmes, Sinclair, Cawood, Dunbar and Wedderburn families.

Mom is mentioned as she contributed all her research on the Wedderburn's to the book.

She loved doing the research during the seventies, she collected photos, letters, even went to Grahamstown with Dad in 1989 to visit the graves of Dad's ancestors.

Her work is preserved in a huge album with Doreen and we plan to digitise it at some stage.

Wedderburn farms in the Bathurst District in the Eastern Cape

The Wedderburn's are a Lowland Scottish Clan, originating in Berwick and Forfar. The South African Wedderburn's are descended from a branch that migrated southwards to the northwest of England. They farmed first in Cumbria/Lancashire before moving to Manchester. They were involved in clothing manufacture during the time of the industrial revolution.

I have been collating the information from the book and the web to trace the Wedderburn line from 1727 to my father:

• John Wedderburn b. c1727  in Whittington, Lancashire, England d. Aug 1795, Purness, Lancashire, England

John and Ann lived in Cumberland, owning considerable property in the neighbourhood of Ennerdale Water when Christopher was born. Later moved to Ulverston, Lancashire.
The book on the Wedderburn's has a theory that John may have had to flee from Scotland after 1745 and an English witch-hunt that followed a rebellion and perhaps took refuge in the wilds of the Lake District, breaking all connection with the old Wedderburn family to save themselves.

• Christopher Wedderburn b. 12 Feb 1772 in Lindale, Lancashire, England (7th child of 8) d. 18 July 1848, Lindale Farm, Salem in Bathurst District South Africa

Businessman and tailor from Manchester.
His health and the depression following the Napoleanic wars were the trigger for Christopher to join the British Settlers of 1820 to the South Eastern Cape on board the Stenton, with his wife Ann and their 5 children, at age 48 years, from the Old Docks at Liverpool. It was 14 January 1820, the family arrived in Algoa Bay on Monday 8 May 1820.
First farm was called 'Greenfountains', near Kleinmonde River, Bathurst District. His wife Ann was the producer of excellent cheese and butter, her cheese press had a distinctive star and became well know in the district and in Grahamstown. They farmed here for 19 years.
In November 1837 he and his second son George bought a farm 3 miles from the village of Salem up the Assegai River. The farm was named 'Lindale' after Christopher's birthplace.
Died at age 76, buried in the Old Chapel in Salem.

Christopher and Ann Wedderburn, the 1820 Settlers

• William Wedderburn b. 22 Mar 1800 in Manchester, Lancashire, England (2nd child of 8) d. 8 Feb 1862, Grahamstown, South Africa 

Eldest son, gave up farming in 1826, he moved to Grahamstown and established a well-known business "Wedderburn's Emporium" and Wedderburn Wagons.

Married Martha Patrick in 1827 and had three sons, William, John and Christopher.

• William Wedderburn b. 19 Jan 1830 in Grahamstown, South Africa (4th child of 16) d. 27 Oct 1894, Grahamstown, South Africa

William Wedderburn, eldest son of William and Martha,
grandson of Christopher and Ann.

Eldest son. Fought in Kaffir Wars of 1835 and 1846. Went to Australia in 1852, served in the Gold Mounted Police. Town named after him, 140m NW of Melbourne.
Returned to South Africa, married Miriam Whiting and had 10 children.

• Alexander John Ennis Wedderburn b. 6 Jul 1855 in Grahamstown, South Africa (3rd child of 11) d. 17 Jul 1922, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Second son. Moved north to Colesburg with wife Susannah Alice Cawood at about time of railway expansion in late 1800's. Wedderburn wagon making and trading business had been rewarding due to Great Trek and diamond fields in Kimberley in 1860's and then gold fields in the 1880's.
Arrived in Bloemfontein in the mid 1890's, had 12 children. The family moved back to Grahamstown during the Anglo Boer War in 1899 and returned to Bloemfontein after 1903.

Alexander John Ennis Wedderburn, son of William

Transport business for pipes to the Modder River as well as coal for the mines. They also had a seed merchant shop as an extension to the grain trading.

• Percy Wedderburn b. 11 Jun 1889 in Bloemfontein, South Africa (7th child of 12) d. 4 Jul 1966, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Percy worked for the Bloemfontein Creamery after joining up in WW1 and was a director when he retired. His brother Barry was a magistrate, retired very early at 21, married Jessie Roberts whose family owned the Roberts Victor Mine, spent the rest of their lives farming at Kalkwal.

This farm passed by descent to Percy, who went farming after his retirement from 1943 to 1966. Ralph, Dad's older brother, continued to farm.

• John Ennis Wedderburn b. 22 Jun 1929 in Bloemfontein, South Africa (3rd child of 3)

Dad schooled at Grey College and moved to work at Iscor, the steel company, in Vanderbijlpark. Met and married Estelle, raised his family there before moving to Howick for a change of lifestyle. He was Major of the town before settling along the Natal south coast.

A postscript from a book called "How I became a Governor"
Williams, Ralph E. (2013). pp. 76-7. How I Became a Governor. London: Forgotten Books. (Original work published 1913)

It should be remembered that in 1882 railways did not go very far from the coast, as they do now, Beaufort West being the terminus on the Cape line, and I think Alicedale on the eastern lines. Lines much further on were in course of construction, but were unfinished. Grahamstown was then the recognised depot for the interior, and Mr Wedderburn, the wagon-maker, had the reputation of being the king of his business. He is, I believe, long since dead, and I do not suppose his name exists; but to this day the reputation of a Wedderburn wagon is

WHY NOT TAKE HER ? known in connection with the equipment of the earlier travellers. I went up to Grahamstown and stayed there a few days, planning everythingout and giving all instructions. Though I was a new chum in South Africa, I was not new to the needs of a traveller, and I think that my wagon, as turned out complete, was about the best and most practical of its kind that ever went to the interior.

'No room at the Inn' - a Margate Holiday instead

Nanny Ina's is writing from 12 Marquard Crescent, their home in Bloemfontein, on the 27 November 1961.


She and Pa have not been well and she tells my parents that 'I am very sorry to put you chaps off this Xmas but for your own sakes think you'll enjoy yourselves better up that end - I think we will be rather too many with Bob's crowd'.

The next letter is dated 12 December 1961, Nanny Ina sounds tired and overwhelmed in her letter to the folks, 'I get thoroughly bad tempered that I can tell you'.

She is getting organised for Christmas and her heart is not into the run around to buy gifts, 'I just really cannot spend hours choosing different articles as I used to. I am enclosing a cheque for 20 rand for you chaps please get something for each for Xmas and save the rest towards your holiday. You can sure spend cash while on holiday. I envy you going to Margate.'

When I read this letter I went up to my box to find photos from Margate. I remember so well the photos of my mother posing in a beauty pageant.

I was thrilled to realise that the holiday Nanny Ina writes about is the one where Mom is the runner up for Holiday Princess at the Palm Beach Hotel in Margate.

There is a brochure from the sixties in my box for the Palm Beach Hotel and the inside spread features a photo of my mother.

I am so impressed that she had the confidence to enter and just a little surprised as she had so many insecurities which worsened as she aged.

The back of the black and white photo has a stamp from Happy Day Tours and is dated 22 January 1962, Mom would have been 28 with two children.

I chuckled at the R20 from Nanny Ina that would both buy presents for the family and help save for the holiday, but then looking at the brochure the rates for the Palm Beach Hotel are 'from as low as R2.50 a day'.

I think I will take a drive to Margate this summer and look at the seaside town with different eyes.

Nan's Christmas lunch

Its 1965, Nan has dropped Mom a letter after Christmas. As with many of her letters, she has folded the paper lengthwise and it is typed using red ribbon.

As always the family is busy, this time Pa is painting the dust bin while Nan is typing her letter. Mom seems to have missed out on Christmas dinner that year as she was not feeling well.

The Christmas menu from the sixties is a joy to read:

Grapefruit Cocktail

Fried Sole and Lemon

Saute Chicken Liver on Toast

Ham and Port Wine Sauce with Vegetables

Baron of Beef with Pineapple Rings

Plum Pudding and Brandy sauce

Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Biscuits and Cheese

Sell is Mom's younger brother and Merle his first wife.