General Chat

MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES FROM SOUTH AFRICA MAGAZINE JANUARY 21, 1911 DEATH OF MRS. CAREY HOBSON Passing Away of the Well-Known South African Authoress We regret to announce the death of Mrs. W. Carey Hobson, the veteran South African littérateur, at her residence in West Kensington last Saturday morning. The deceased lady had only been ill (from bronchitis) about a week. Her son, Dr. Basil Church, of Gloucester, was sent for, but "Granny" Hobson, as she was lovingly called by her friends, had got temporarily better, and he was able to return to his professional duties. There was, however, a relapse, and the much-lamented lady, conscious to the last, died a week ago. Mrs. Carey Hobson was the eldest daughter of Mr. Chas. Birch Cooper, surgeon, and about the age of twelve went out to South Africa with him about the year 1845. Her first husband was Mr. Robert Paxton Church, a barrister. They had only one child, the gentleman whose name we have mentioned. She lived for about a quarter of a century at Somerset East and later on, as the wife of Mr. William Carey Hobson (one of the 1821 settlers, we believe), in the Graaff-Reinet! district. She was essentially an artistic and intellectual lady, and one of the most widely-read. Her paintings of Cape flora are to be seen in the South African section of the Victoria and Albert Museum. She took an active part in arranging the South African Court at the great Exhibition of 1862, and for her skill in this arrangement was congratulated by the late King Edward, then Prince of Wales. In her second widowhood she settled in England in 1873, and devoted herself to the profession of letters, being at one time Editress of an important Sunday magazine. She was also a contributor of children's stories to various well-known publications, and brought out two South African novels, which at the time attracted much attention, "The Farm on the Karroo" being subsequently translated into Dutch and published in Holland. This contained accounts of journeys in bullock wagons, and gave good descriptions of Colonial flowers. Her other book, "At Home in the Transvaal," was a picture of life in the Transvaal in story form about the time of the first Boer war, as also of early life at the Diamond Fields. Up to the end of her long life Mrs. Carey Hobson remained an incessant reader, and followed the course of events in the histories of the nations with an unflagging attention. But her interest in matters South African was always particularly keen, and she was a close reader of South Africa from the beginning of its career up to the very end of her life. The deceased lady was a Fellow of the Imperial Institute from its foundation, and an Ass! ociate of the Royal Colonial Institute. Her widely-extended hospitality was a striking feature, 5 Beaumont Crescent being a well-known resort of Colonists. Writers, artists, and politicians constituted her many friends, among them the late Sir Charles Mills, the late Sir Thomas Fuller, Lady Fuller, Olive Schreiner, Mr. Rider Haggard, the Hon. Alex. And Mrs. Wilmot, Miss Frere, Jean Inglis, the artist, &c. One of the last to enjoy her ever-ready hospitality was Francis Bancroft, the South African novelist, who spent the Christmas and New Year season under the roof of this sister writer of the past, taking leave of her in apparently normal health about a week previous to her death. With her husband, the late Mr. Carey Hobson, she showed great hospitality to missionaries and clergy in South Africa, Sunday services being held for many years on the well-known farmstead Ebenezer in the Graaff-Reinet district. Mrs. Carey Hobson was a woman of the widest charitable instincts, and a ! generous helper in cases of destitution among the poor in London. The departed lady had friends everywhere, who loved her for her bright and cheerful disposition, and for her kindness of heart. Her death will be keenly felt by her only child (Dr. Church) and by her only sister, Mrs. Pain, of Heath Park House, Leighton Buzzard, as well as by her many relatives and friends both in England and in South Africa. Compliments of E.S.

Lindy, i think i have talked to you before, my Moon's were in Capetown, do you know much about Capetown, i am am on the ZA list also Jennifer in Ontario, Canada

Hi Jennifer, I seem to recall doing a look up in N.A.A.I.R.S for Moon but I do so many that I loose track of names. Was it for you?. I knew Cape Town as it was 21 years ago, that was when I left South Africa. I am from the Eastern Cape, born in Port Elizabeth. My ancestors settled in Grahamstown,(Irish and Scot) and Graaff Reinett (Dutch and German). It makes researching all that more difficult. Lindy;-)))