General Notes

Married Elizabeth Henrietta Frieslaar Oct 1879 in St. Francis Church, Simons Town
Marriied Blanch Sophia White 22 Nov 1778 in St. Francis Church, Simons Town

The following is from an old police report:
Detective Department, Cape Town. 7 February 1900.
The alleged theft of a mailbag at Simon’s Town.

Sir, I beg most respectfully to report for your information that I proceeded to Simon’s Town today, and made careful enquiries into the complaint of alleged theft of a postbag and two parcels from a youth conveying them to Cape Point Lighthouse on Saturday the 20th Jan, last.
The postmaster says he handed the postbag which contained nothing of any value and one parcel to the youth about 12.20 p.m. on the 20th. The youth was then sober and appeared alright, he heard nothing about the loss till Sunday when the youth whose name is Wessell Wessells came and told him that the postbag and parcels had been stolen from him, and he then took Wessells to the police.
The youth Wessell Wessells, who resides with his parents at Smithswinkel about 9 miles from Simon’s Town, he comes from Griqualand West and has been down here about 5 months, is about 18 years of age, and is a real silly fool of a boy. His story to me is as follows:-
He says between one and two o’clock on Saturday when he was going up the hill just near the reservoir, he met 2 men who asked him where he was going, and what he was carrying, he says they then took the postbag and the 2 parcels from him and walked away towards Simon’s Town, in the direction of the refugee hut, he says he did not follow them or report the matter to the police or postmaster, he pointed out this spot where he alleges this took place, and it is only 10 minutes walk from the police office, yet he did not report the matter to any person, but went home to Smithswinkel, 9 miles away, and the following morning he told his father who sent him to report the matter, he says he was sober and had nothing to drink, but on telling him I had witnesses who saw him drinking in van Blerk’s, Prince Alfred Hotel, he then said he only had one bottle of beer.
Donald Friscler says he saw Wessells drinking in the hotel, that he was under the influence of liquor, this was about 1 p.m. on Saturday the 20th January. Two men who were going up the hill between 1 and 2 p.m. on Saturday whose names are Paul Jargens and Ludwick Jargons state: - They saw the youth Wessells going up the hill near the reservoir carrying 3 parcels and a postbag. Wessells was very drunk, and was staggering about as if he was going to fall, in fact they remarked it will be a wonder if he does not lose that postbag. Van Blerk the hotel keeper is a relative of Wessells, and he says he only saw him have one bottle of beer, it is very clear that this bag and parcels were not stolen from Wessells, he must have laid down some-where and slept himself sober and very likely left the parcels and bag at the place on the hill-side where he was asleep.
I am, Sir, Yours obediently (sgd) Geo. Easton.

A Clark Esq,
Inspector of Police
Cape Town.

An extract from Southern Lights by Harold Williams, Page 36
The following description of a journey to Cape Point Lighthouse at the turn of the century (20th) by A Godsiff, who was a small boy at the time, the son of a senior naval officer sent to Simon’s Town in 1906, gives a vivid impression of the journey to the lighthouse. He wrote:
We were met at Jubilee Place, opposite the clock, by Mr van Blerk who had a two-wheeled cart drawn by 6 oxen. We left Simon’s Town at 8 am, and after going up the old Red Hill road, led by a coloured boy on foot, we stopped at the top for 10 minutes to admire the view of False Bay, before going down the other side. Then on to van Blerk’s farm where we outspanned and had a lunch break. We left van Blerk’s farm after an hour’s stop. With 6 new oxen we arrived at Smith’s farm (now in the nature reserve) about five hours later. In those days there was no road to Cape Point, only a sandy track from van Blerk’s farm to Smith’s farm.