| 8. | Philip John Frost, 1820 Settler was born on 21 Feb 1787 in Holt, Norfolk, England; was christened on 25 Feb 1787 in Bodham, Norfolk, England (son of Philip Frost and Susanna Dawson); died on 15 Jan 1867 in Coega, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was buried in Coega, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Other Events and Attributes:
- 1820 Lineage: Yes
- Settler ID: 1536
- Occupation: a Husbandman and Brickmaker
- Settler: 13 Dec 1819, Gravesend, Kent, England
Notes:
He was reputed to be a very strong man. He would neither ride a horse nor drive in a cart, but often walked to Port Elizabeth and back, visiting his other children. The whole of North End, Port Elizabeth, was owned by him at one time.
Info supplied by MCL FROST from the book SFF
There is alot of doubt whether his name is Philip John or just John
Newspaper cuttings from the Eastern Cape.
Adam Brand's Diary
Weekend Post, April 1970
Timepiece was brought out in 1820
Oldest clock for Settler Museum
A clock which accompanied an 1820 Settler from England and has continued to keep time in the 150 years which have passed since then, is to be presented to Grahamstown's 1820 Settlers Memorial Museum. The clock is believed to be the oldest one with 1820 Settler associations in South Africa.
Mr. P.B FROST, whose great-grandfather, Philip FROST, brought the clock our from Holt, Norfolk is giving it to the museum. He is also handing over an old family bible, with Philip's birth in 1787 heading the list of births, marriages and deaths written in it. Mr. & Mrs. FROST, who are from the Transvaal, have lived in Port Elizabeth for three years. They are soon leaving to settle in Edenvale. That is why they decided to present the clock and Bible to the Settlers museum.
The clock was exhibited in the Port Elizabeth Museum in 1921, during the Centenary celebrations of the Settlers' landing. It is apparently the "30-hour" clock included in a list of household furniture and effects advertised for auction before Philip Frost left for South Africa.
Mr. & Ms. FROST have a newspaper cutting of the advertisement telling of the auction which was to take place on November 16, 1819. The possessions of Philip FROST, who was changing his "situation" included various pieces of furniture plus a barrel organ and harpsichord and a fat hog, a strong useful cart horse and a one-horse cart. The clock could not have been sold, for it was passed down to Philip's son, Philip Barnes FROST, his son, Ethelred Wolsley FROST and his son, Mr. P.B. FROST.
NORTH END
The Bible, printed by the Oxford University Press, was translated from the original Greek and includes the books of Apocrypha. Philip FROST and his wife and children, including Philip Barnes, who was the 14, came out of the barque Ocean. Mr. FROST was allocated ground at North End and he and his son were evidently the first brick and tile makers in Algoa Bay. After awhile they discovered that Coega had better clay, so they moved their brickyard there. Their original kilns are possibly still at Coega.
ONLY SON
Philip Barnes FROST and his wife had three sons and two daughters - the youngest was Lavinia, after whom Lavinia Street in North End was named. After his first wife's death, he married a widow. Their children were Ethelred Wolsley and Mrs. Burleigh STEVENS. Mr. P. B. FROST was Mr. E. W. FROST's only son. Three sisters live in the Transvaal. Another, Mrs. Burleigh MATTICKS, lives in East London and the fifth, Mrs. Ethel DOS SANTOS, lives in Kokstad.
One of Mr. E.W. FROST's cousins, Mrs. Lizzie GEER who lived to be 103 is said to have been the first Settler baby girl born in Port Elizabeth. Another cousin, John FROST, used to play the organ in the Ned. Geref, Kerk, Uitenhage.
~~~~~~~~~
Among the documents preserved in the 1820 Settler Memorial Museum in Grahamstown is a letter from Elizabeth DOUGHTY of Sustead, Norfolk to her daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Philip FROST of Port Elizabeth. The sentiment evoked by this letter is still potent some hundred and sixty years later.
It reads as follows:
** [Typed as written by Eliz DOUGHTY]
“June 1st 1828.
Dear Son and Daughter,
The last letter I received from you was dated Oct 10th 1825.
I wrote to you in answer and am afraid you never received it as I have not had a letter from you since, but hope to have one every week.
I hear you Mother had a reply from you and that you was all well, but I never saw nor heard it.
Mrs. NASH have been Dead about 5 months and left me about 250 pounds after paying Duty etc which is in the Rev Mr. DAY's hands at Heatherset which Money I am to live on and wen it Please the Almight God to take me it is for my Dear Child and her Children as Mr. LOWNES 100 pound at the death of Mrs. LOWNE and me and I have Recv a letter from a Gentleman in London at the Bank of England, that my cozen Promised to wright to you amidiatly and to mr. DAY that you may have a just and right account of what I leave if you have not wroat to me.
Pray do amidiatly as I am so unhappy [not] to hare from you and Do say wither you will all come my Love to mr. Eliz and tell har I so long to see her and the Dr children and let me Know How James EYSE are and all? all If I Recv a letter from you some I shall wirght a Gain Imidatly with Love to all an pray God bless and Prosper you both Hare and Hare after and with Hope to see you
all be fore I die.
your Afft. Mother.
Eliz DOUGHTY”
It may be of interest to review what is known about both the writer and the recipients of the letter and to trace a little of the subsequent history of the FROST family in the Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage area.
The writer was born Elizabeth PITCHER. She and William DOUGHTY were married in the bride's parish of Alborough by licence on 16 Sep 1788.
The bridegroom was a bachelor of the parish of Sustead. Elizabeth and William DOUGHTY had only one child, a daughter born 12 Mar 1789, also named Elizabeth. When this daughter grew up she married Philip FROST, a husbandman born in Bodham, Norfolk 21 Feb 1787.
When Elizabeth was 30 and Philip 32, with a growing family, they made the momentous decision to immigrate to the Cape. They appear to have joined the proprietary party of Edward DAMANT as independent settlers. The FROSTs with their children: Philip Barnes 11; James 10; William Doughty
7; Edward 6; John Lowne 4, and the baby, Mary Nash, embarked on the "Ocean" at Deptford.
The "Ocean" sailed from Portsmouth on the 1st January 1820 and arrived in Algoa Bay on the 15th April after a somewhat eventful voyage.
Before leaving Portsmouth a raging gale had caused her to part from her moorings and river her down on another settler transport, the "Northampton." Both vessels sustained some damage in the process. Then when "Ocean" reached the Cape Verde Islands and was anchored off St. Jage, her passengers had a frightening experience. "Ocean" was mistaken for a hostile ship by the islanders. Three cannon shots were fired at her from the battery at Porto Praya. It was a close call, but miraculously no one was hurt nor the ship too badly damaged.
When Edward DAMANT saw his location in Albany, he refused his grant of land. Instead he took his party to the 6000 acres of quitrent land at the Gamtoos, already owned by his brothers. (His brother John was married to Marie KORSTEN of Cradock Place and Tom had arrived earlier, in 1818).
This land on the main wagon route to the Cape was well situated. The families of FROST, STERLEY and TEE as well as 20 single men accompanied him there.
Probably because of financial problems, DAMANT divided up the farm and sold off portions. The sale of 601 morgen to Philip FROST was registered on 28 Mar 1822 for which he paid 13000 guilders (about 325 pounds).
However, none of the Damant Party of Settlers seemed to have stayed long at Gamtoos.
The STERLEYs, TEE, and FROSTs all settled in Port Elizabeth. Philip FROST established a successful brickworks in North End on land known then as "The Flats".
Bricks and tiles were in great demand in the burgeoning town. Thus Philip seems to have found little time to farm at Gamtoos.
Four more children were born after their arrival in South Africa. FROST family tradition has it that Elizabeth Dawson, b. 16 Sep 1821, was the first girl baby born to Settler parents in Port Elizabeth, but this is not proven. She certainly was not the first child baptised in St. Mary's as is often claimed, but is entered 67th in the register of baptisms. On April 13th 1827 she was christened together with two younger siblings.
They were Joseph Wesley, b. 14 Sep 1823 and Ann Barnes, b. 25 Jun 1826).
On December 28th 1828 another boy, Benjamin Edward, b. 2 Dec 1828 was also baptized in St Mary's.
Philip's brick-making venture flourished and all his sons entered the business which expanded to include a brickworks in the Swartkops valley at Uitenhage.
Having a quiver full of brick-making sons and sons-in-law, Philip was able to retire in 1843-44 and he farmed first in the Uitenhage district and then ran a hostelry or hotel. It is described on his Death Notice as comprising a canteen, large stables, hotel and 4 cottages. He also owned buildings known as The Fishery", the "Old Homestead" and building plots.
He died on the 15 Jan 1867 some three months after the death of Elizabeth on 29 Sep 1866. He is buried at Coega.
We know something of the descendants of Philip and Elizabeth FROST.
The eldest son, Philip Barnes FROST born 1809, first married Rachel ROGERS. His second marriage was to Susannah Margaret RICHARDSON, a widow, in St Paul's Church on 4 Dec 1870. He died aged 67 years on 14 Jul 1875 and is buried in St. George's Cemetery.
James FROST, the second son, born c. 1810, married Elseba Marie SWART 24 May 1830 at St Mary's. He died 22 Nov 1866 and is buried in North End Cemetery.
William Doughty FROST, born 1813, married Sussana TERBLANCHE in Uitenhage on the 6 Apr 1836.
Nothing is known of Edward born c. 1814.
John Lowne FROST born c. 1816, was a very well-known local character in Uitenhage where he ran the brickworks. He had wide interests and was also immensely strong with a fine physique. He and his wife, Martha Sophia VON BENECKE were married in St. Mary's on 1 May 1841. They celebrated a record 64 years of marriage shortly before his death at the age of 90.
Mary Nash FROST, b. c. 1818, married Henry Jacob VON LELYVELD on 23 Nov 1837. (One wonders if he was the son of the Baron VON LELYVELD who, with John VON BENECKE, was a Royal Commissioner on Education.).
Elizabeth Dawson FROST, b. 16 Sep 1821 in Port Elizabeth, is better known than the others because she lived to be a very old lady, dying in her 104th year on 27 Jun 1925. She is buried in North End Cemetery. The Eastern Province Herald reported an incident which took place on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the Settlers Memorial (the Campanile) on the 9th of April 1921 by the Prince and Princess Arthur of Connaught. As their Royal Highnesses walked to their carriage their attention was drawn to a parked car in which a frail old lady was propped up on cushions. She was Mrs. Elizabeth GEER née FROST, who was accompanied by members of her family. The Prince and Princess engaged Mrs. GEER in conversation and displayed a lively interest in the near-centenarian's reminiscences.
On the 22 Feb 1837 Elizabeth Dawson FROST had married a brick-maker, Ian Philip Du Pre BENECKE in St Mary's. He was the son of John VON BENECKE, (Royal Commissioner for establishing schools in the Cape Colony.) John VON BENECKE's wife, Susanne née HARTMAN was a sister of Mrs. Maria CUYLER of Cuyler Manor. Ian BENECKE dropped the "von" prefix but he was the brother of Martha Sophia who had married John Lowne FROST. This was the first in a series of many sibling and inter-familial marriages in the FROST clan.
The children of Elizabeth and Ian BENECKE were: Elizabeth, b. 25 Jun 1837 married Christian HARTMAN.
Hester Susannah FROST, b. 3 Nov 1843 married Henry HARTMAN.
John Philip FROST married Katherine Hartman JAMES. (Christian HARTMAN and Henry HARTMAN were uncle and nephew.)
At the age of 37 Ian BENECKE died, 1 Jan 1853, leaving four minor children. Elizabeth remarried. Her second husband, also a brick-maker, was John Charles SCHWARTZ. He died at the young age of 28 on 20 Sep 1860 leaving a three year old daughter Susanna Elizabeth SCHWARTZ, (the future Mrs. John BERRY).
Eventually, Elizabeth was married yet again to a Mr. GEER. There were no children from this marriage, but her many descendants and relations all knew her with great affection as "Granny
Geer'
Some of her descendants have memories of her as a very old lady still being very much addicted to her snuff which she had enjoyed all her life. (Her snuff box is in the collection at No. 7 Castle Hill Museum).
She outlived three husbands and one of her descendants has quoted her as being fond of saying:
"My first husband was a man of the Devil
My second husband was a man of the World
My third husband was a man from Heaven!"
The last three children of Elizabeth and Philip FROST were:
Joseph Wesley FROST, b. 14 Sep 1823, married Maria Dorothea HARTMAN.
Ann Barnes FROST, b. 25 Jun 1826, married Ian Petrus VON LELYVELD on 15 May 1844 at St Mary's.
Benjamin Edward FROST, b. 22 Dec 1828, married Catherine GIBSON on 10 Jul 1851 at St Mary's.
Other than the children of Elizabeth Dawson FROST, best known as "Granny
Geer", we have only followed the fate of the Grandchildren of Elizabeth DOUGHTY who wrote the letter from Norfolk in 1828. However, in the files at the P.E. Africana Library and at No. 7 Castle Hill Museum, there are some notes relating to further generations of FROST descendants. Family names such as Lowne, Philip and Elizabeth, Nash, Doughty, Dawson, Barnes and Wesley abound.
A lady whose Christian name is DOUGHTY, a descendant of James and Elseba, was asked if she had been teased at school about her unusual name. She said "Oh no! I was a toughie they wouldn't have dared!"
Nevertheless when shown the letter of her ancestress Elizabeth DOUGHTY, she had to admit that it brought a tear to her eye and a lump to her throat.
SOURCE:
Looking Back, March 1990, East Cape Branch Genealogical Society of South Africa February 1989 Newsletter No. 9
The Settler Handbook M.D. Nash
The Damants and Their Party George Printing Co (PTY) Ltd 1984
The late Mrs Christina Cunningham provided a Family Line of descent to the files at No 7 Castle Hill
Notes and newspaper cuttings.
Death Notices etc. on file at No 7 Castle Hill and P.E. Africana Library
Letter from Elizabeth Doughty Albany Museum Grahamstown.
Conclusion of FROST family of Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage.
Settler:
Damant's party on the Ocean
Philip married Elizabeth Doughty, 1820 Settler on 13 Apr 1807 in St Peter and St Paul, Sustead, Norfolk, England. Elizabeth (daughter of William Doughty and Elizabeth Pitcher) was born on 1 Mar 1789 in Sustead, Norfolk, England; was christened on 1 Mar 1789 in Sustead, Norfolk, England; died on 29 Sep 1866; was buried in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1879 - 1969 (89 years)
