Mary Catherine Cumming

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: Peter Nielson. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Guybon + Martha Emma Berry. Martha was born on 17 Jul 1843; died in 1909. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

A snippet from: Major T.C. WHITE & his descendants, by F.C.D. WHITE:

George CUMMING came to the Cape in about 1827. He was born in Goa in 1812 and his mother, a Spanish lady, died in childbirth and he was brought up by his two aunts in London. He was only 15 years old when he arrived at the Cape and seven years later he purchased Roode Draay, now known as Hilton, so he must have been a young man of considerable means. He married Catherine ATHERSTONE, daughter of Dr John ATHERSTONE and Elizabeth DAMANT, the same year (1834) and they lived in an old stone building, now the stables, while his magnificent new Georgian house was being built. Richard GUSH of Salem contracted to build the house and went bankrupt fulfilling his obligations, but later paid George back all that he owed, ?2000.

The CUMMING hospitality was famous in the district and dance parties were regularly held in their impressive home, with the red coats of the military much in evidence. It is thought that much of his fortune was squandered in this way. In 1874 George donated one morgen of ground, near his homestead, to the Diocese of Grahamstown on which to build the little St. Peters Church and he was regularly voted as Sidesman, while his son, also Alexander George, was with equal regularity elected Church Warden.

The CUMMINGs farmed Hilton until 1922 when it was sold to Monty HILTON-BARBER. George's youngest son, Henry Gordon, married his cousin, Bliss Annie WHITE of Brakkloof in 1885, and they lived at Willowfountain. When the two WHITE brothers, Tom and George broke up their partnership, Gordon and Annie moved to Thornkloof, adjoining Hilton. Gordon died there of pneumonia and Annie continued to run the farm with the help of her two spinster sisters, Jessie and Ethel WHITE. After her death, Jess and Ethel cared for her son Douglas and managed the farm during his minority and later when he was away serving in the forces during the Great War of 1914-1919. On his return from England, Donald sold Thornkloof but returned after the Second World War to the neighbouring farm, Broadfields. He and Phyllis lived there until 1960 when they retired to Port Alfred. They both died there in 1975 and are buried in the family cemetery at Hilton.

Name: George Cumming
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 12 Oct 1811
Baptism Date: 2 Mar 1813
Baptism Age: 1
Baptism Place: Secundrabad, Madras, India
Father: Alexander Cumming
FHL Film Number: 506956

George married Catherine Damant Atherstone, 1820 Settler on 12 Jun 1834. Catherine (daughter of John Atherstone, 1820 Settler and Elizabeth Damant, 1820 Settler) was born on 10 Oct 1815 in Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England; died on 7 Sep 1890 in Beaconsfield farm, Grahamstown district, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was buried in Hilton farm, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 64
• Settler: 13 Dec 1819, Gravesend, Kent, England

Notes:

Settler:
Damant's party on the Ocean

Alexander + - wife of Alexander Cumming. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She died in childbirth, and was reported to have been a Spanish lady.

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 67
• Name: John (Dr) Atherstone 1820
• Occupation: a Surgeon
• Settler: 13 Dec 1819, Gravesend, Kent, England
• Occupation: Between 1839 and 1848, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; a Surgeon

Notes:

1820 Settler: Ship Ocean; party Damant's . When Piet Reteif was planning to join the other Voortrekkers in 1838, Dr John and his son WG, rode together, presumably from their farm 'Iron Pot', later called 'Atherstone', near Highlands to Riebeck East in the hope that they could disuade them from leaving. They were unsuccessful, and Retief and his party were subsequently murdered by Dingaan.

Was widowed and married his wife's niece

ATHERSTONE, Dr. John, District Surgeon of Uitenhage and Cape Town and his son William Guybon aged five on arrival who studied medicine. William Guybon was a surgeon, geologist, botanist, artist and musician. He was the first doctor in South Africa to use an anaesthetic in 1847. It was he who identified a stone sent to him as a diamond, which established the value of the find - now Kimberley Diamond Mines - in 1878, and altered the history of this country. He founded the Scientific and Literary Society which developed into the Albany Museum, and started the Botanical Gardens in Grahamstown. He was a representative of the Legislative Council and House of Assembly.
SOURCE: The Settler named Jeremiah Goldswain by Pauline GOLDSWAIN

Settler:
Damant's party on the Ocean

John married Elizabeth Damant, 1820 Settler on 13 Dec 1811 in St James, Westminster, London, England. Elizabeth (daughter of William Sancroft Damant and Elizabeth Castell) was born on 26 Dec 1781; was christened on 30 Dec 1781 in Lammas with Little Hautbois, Norfolk, England; died on 17 Nov 1838 in Table farm, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was buried in Table farm, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 177
• Name: Elizabeth Damant 1820
• Settler: 13 Dec 1819, Gravesend, Kent, England

Notes:

Settler:
Damant's party on the Ocean