| 1. | Robert Stephen Dell was born on 14 Oct 1896 in 'Broken Slopes', Cathcart, Eastern cape, South Africa. Other Events and Attributes:
Notes:
"The Dell Chronicles" by Margarete E. Jeale Pages 60-66
"Robert S. Dell was born on his father's first farm 'Broken Slopes', Cathcart District. His life as well as that of his younger brother, was very much influenced by the various moves of their father from one farm to another. A settled home was not a privilege experienced by Robert, either as a child or as a teenager. The first change of surroundings took place when he was six years old and thereafter there are four more moves before he was an adult, married and established in his own harm. The events of the 1906 Trek must have created a marked impression on Robert, for he made an interesting record in later life of what happened during a period of time which must have been quite exciting for a small boy. He was also made notes of farm life between the years 1920 and 1945.
He had his first riding lessons at the age of four on a horse called 'French' and it would seem that from this time he developed a particular liking for horses One of Robert's happiest recollections was when his Uncle William Hart presented him with his own saddle at the age of 8 or 9. Some months later he received a bridle and reins for a Christmas present. These became treasured possessions as well as 'dolosse' (little oxen fashioned out of clay and painted different colours).
In Molteno at the farm 'Glenrock' Robert witnessed the arrival of two horses which his father had purchased from a concentration camp. They were in poor condition and affected with mange. However, after several applications of lard mixed with sulphur and a little paraffin and interspersed with warm soapy water washes, amazing results were achieved. The horses recovered completely and were named Gilbert and Wolson, after a man who wanted to buy them when they were fat and well. Robert described a favourite horse which he owned years later called Frank. This animal, he said, was a descendant of 'Black England' which his paternal great-grandfather, Samuel Miles, had imported from England. At one time Robert had to ride Frank for a distance of approximately 80 miles. The secret, he mentioned, of travelling long journeys on horseback was to off-saddle the animal for 30 minute rest periods after 2 hours riding and to dry his body completely before proceeding with the trip. Frank's mate (his half-brother) in the cart-harness was Paddy. They made an admirable pair and could have been sold many times over to various buyers in the Ermelo District. One man actually signed a cheque and told Robert to fill in the amount he wanted for Frank and Paddy, but the offer was vehemently refused, very much to the wealthy farmer's annoyance. In those ''riding' days a journey often necessitated the crossing of unbridged rivers. If the latter were flooded they could present a problem if both horse and rider were not acquainted with the right procedure. Robert stated that once the horse had been urged into the water and was swimming it was easier for him if the rider slipped off the saddle at the back and floated whilst holding onto the horse's tail. Crossing a river like this always meant wet clothing, but two brothers by the name of Glutz, who were farmers in the Ermelo district and known to the Dells used to undress completely, tie their clothes on their heads, and then enter the water on the back of the horse.
Robert was eight years old before his mother started to give him his first school lessons. He had three tutors and then attended two farm schools to which he had to ride a distance of 5 or 6 miles, in all types of weather. When Robert's young brother, Charlie, was old enough both boys were sent to boarding school, first to the Rev. Steel Wood's Grammar School in East London and then to Dale College in King William's Town, but the arrangement was unsatisfactory as the boys had to travel such long distances by train at the start and end of each school term. Finally, after so many unsettling changes of school Robert and Charlie went to Potchefstroom College (now Potchefstroom Boys' High School) under the headmastership of Mr. C.D. Hope. This proved to be their happiest school day period which was at Granton House.
In 1913 Robert wrote...."I turned 17and had to sign on the Active Citizen Force and was issued with full kit for a mounted Regiment. This was the year the ACF or UDF came into force. My regiment number was G676. In July quite a number of us were taken out of school and had to do three weeks training at Fife Hoek Butts on the outskirts of Potchefstroom. It was bitterly cold under canvass at that time of the year. Our O.C. was Major K. Kemp who later became General Kemp. His signature and also those of Captain H.T. Watkins and Staff Adjutant Boschoff are in my Record Book. I was put in the 'A' Reserves and later, after more training, I saw service in the 1914 Rebellion. After World War 1 I was declared. I tried to join the 4th S.A. Horse being trained at Potchefstroom, but was turned down because I was too young to fighting German West Africa (SWA) and my father refused to sign on my behalf. His reasons for not allowing me to go were that all his foremen and managers had joined up and that he was unable to run his businesses and farms alone. Up until now I had enjoyed the little bit of soldiering I had done and was bitterly disappointed that I was not amongst my friends who were on their way to fight a real war. Thus began my hard training, under my father's jurisdiction, as a farmer."
The agricultural farming at Watershed embraced the cultivation of maise, oats and potatoes. Not only did I have to harvest my father's crops but I had to go to other farms to harvest there too. The charge for oat reaping was 10 per ball of binder twine used and I had to cope with two self-binders. I hated this particular jobs as the machines went wrong frequently and wee difficult to re-adjust for the different lengths of oats. The team of oxen used to pull the machines were changed at noon during a 20 minute break for lunch. Saturday was a full working day and I can remember having to work one Christmas day and on some Sundays when pressure of work was building up too much or there was a possibility of bad weather.
The work programme on the farm began and ended with the milking of the dairy cows and separating of the milk. The evening session always required a special effort as I was dead tired after a heavy day in the lands. Ploughing and cultivation all had to be done by ox-drawn machinery and the animals had to be inspanned and outspanned which was very time consuming. The day of the tractor had not yet dawned, but fortunately there was an adequate supply of labourers. If there was a party in the district, there was no chance of going before the milking was finished, and then a short or long ride on horseback, there and back, lay ahead.
Most farmers became members of the nearest Co-operative Society had their threshed mealies were dealt with in bulk, which consisted of a wagon load of 50 bags. The loaded wagons were drawn by oxen on to a special scale and weighed and then the weight of the wagon was deducted. Native labourers carried 100 lb bags of grain on their heads, as there was no such thing as hoists. They were only to do this heavy work for about four seasons In between crop cultivation there were sheep and cattle to attend to....dipping was essential in summer months and diseases and ailments dealt with before they became serious.
There were times when I trekked with the sheep to Swaziland or with the cattle to 'Hereford' in New Scotland. These trips were not pleasant periods in my life. I spent my 21st birthday trekking with cattle and one Christmas I spent quite alone at 'Hereford'. Farms were rather far apart in New Scotland. I recall three weeks at 'Hereford' when there was a mist and rain every day and I never spoke to a single white man during that period. My greatest fear was for wild dogs, which if not seen in time, killed sheep and calves and damaged the udders of cows. It was not a good thing to kraal sheep as their wool got dirty, but this had to be done until such time as suitable fencing could be erected. In later years jackal-proof wire netting was used".
As there were so many sheep and cattle on the 1906 Trek to New Scotland from the Eastern Cape Rupert Dell branded his cattle, but when his sons Robert and Charlie grew up and began to build herds of their own, it became necessary to distinguish their animals from their father's. Robert accompanied his father to Pretoria and stayed with the Cressell family at 'Sunnyside'. Mr Cressell was employed in the government Agricultural Department and he arranged for them to see the Registrar of Brands. Three brands were registered for the 'Dell family - 7ED for Rupert, ED5 for Robert and E2D for Charlie. The letter 'E' indicated the Ermelo District. If the farmer moved to another district it was essential that he notify his change of address. All Police Stations and Pound Masters had to have an up-to-date book of Registered Animal Brands for each Province. Robert was given the task of branding the family's animals.
It was while he was alone at 'Hereford' that Robert was struck by lightening and knocked unconscious for about 7 hours. Fortunately two Africans found him and carried him indoors and put him on his camp stretcher. When Robert came to he saw the faithful labourers still sitting beside him with a lighted candle half burnt out and weeping., they were overjoyed that he was alive. After this frightening experience Robert was always very nervous at the approach of a storm, and recorded that every year animals were killed by lightening. The Africans were very superstitious about any animal thus despatched and would not touch it until it was treated according to one of their native customs. The Headman or Induna had to find some special bush in the veld, dip it in water and sprinkle the dead beast as well as all those who had to skin it. Robert was also treated in this manner. If one of their own people was killed in a hut by lightning, the hut was burned down and a new one built on a new site. One farmer in the Ermelo district lost 8 oxen in a span and their leader. Another driver of a span of 16 oxen drawing a loaded wagon was killed as well as all the oxen, but on that occasion the leader escaped injury.
In December 1921 Robert Stephen Dell was married to Wilhelmina Maria Johanna Wellman born on the 6th June 1897 and a new house was built for her at 'Watershed', Davel. Quite soon after the wedding Robert was called up for army duties when the Red Revolt started in Johannesburg. He had to guard the Modder B mine at Brakpan. Fortunately his absence from home was only of a few months duration.
The Red Revolt of 1922 on the Witwatersrand caused the death of over 200 persons and the wounding of 500. Millions of Rands damage was done to property and there were losses incurred of mining output. What, for economic reasons, began as a gold miners' strike developed into an armed uprising and finally became a civil war. After World War I there was a sharp drop in the price of gold and the Chamber of Mines reported that certain mines would have to close thus throwing thousands of white miners out of jobs. It was also suggested that Africans should be employed at low wages to do the unskilled jobs of white miners, thereby cutting down on running costs....The end result of the Red Revolt proved to be very costly with much blood spilled and a victory for no one.
On his return to Davel, Robert started farming in earnest and entirely on his own. Half of 'Watershed' farm had been sold by his father some years before, but there was still 990 morgen left. Robert pursued the same type of farming his father had done. Unfortunately he had to contend with the aftermath of World War 1 when he experienced the beginning of the depression which reached a climax in the 1930's. It was a very hard struggle, not only for Robert Dell, but for all farmers to make a decent living at that time. The first child of Minnie and Robert Dell was a son, Gowar Rupert Dell, born on the 25th September 1923 and their daughter Ellen Francis Dell was born on the 24th November 1928.The family grew up on the farm and absorbed the nearby village atmosphere. Life was simple and unsophisticated at Darvel.
Social activities consisted of tennis parties, cricket matches in the village or away in Bethel, Ermelo, Morgenson, etc. house parties, 'surprise' parties and card games. On New Year's Day the whole farming community joined with those living in the village on the cricket/rugby field adjoining the land on which the Farmers' Hall and been built. Tents were erected for shade and shelter over each motor car and families joined one another to enjoy a picnic lunch together. Larger tents housed tables and chairs where teas and cold drinks were sold. Certain farmers' organised horse racing with ordinary farm horses ridden by young African piccinins. Bets were placed and there was great excitement at the start of each race. 'Fun' athletics also took place between the horse racing and there were events for both adults and children. At the end of the day local musicians would provide dance music in the Farmers' hall, which was enjoyed by the adults, whilst their children either slept in the motor car parked alongside the Hall or were put on the floor of a room leading off the dance floor. For many years the New Year began this way in the village of Davel.
Robert Dell and his wife bought their first motor car in the mid 1920's. Up till that date their mode of transport was the horse-drawn cart or riding horse. After a serious illness Robert sold 'Watershed' and bought a small farm 'St. Leonards' in the Grahamstown district in 1940. The altitude was lower there and the climate milder than at 'Watershed'. However, the farm proved to be two small and Robert moved with Minnie to 'Hounslow' which was jointly owned by Robert and his father. Minnie was very happy at 'Hounslow'. She was a good gardener and soon had a display of flowers and a very adequate supply of vegetables. She was also a good cook, canning fruit and making jam. Minnie was always very enthusiastic about tennis and played well. Wilhelmina M.J. Dell , 'Minnie' nee Wellman was killed in a motor accident on the 1nd July 1957. Robert was seriously injured but recovered. In 1955 when his father died Robert inherited 'Hounslow' and became the eldest direct descendant of the original 1820 Settler Edward Hunt Dell.
Robert farmed for about 17 years and thereafter the responsibility and work fell on the shoulders of his son, Gowar.
Robert Stephen Dell was married again some years after Minnie's death. The second marriage was to Charlotte Jones, a widow. They lived in semi-retirement at the old homestead at 'Hounslow'. Charlotte died several years before Robert. He was very lonely and suffered a lot of ill health before he died on the 12th September 1974. His son, Gowar R. Dell inherited 'Hounslow'.
Robert married Wilhelmina Maria Johanna Wellman in Dec 1921. Wilhelmina was born on 6 Jun 1897; died on 2 Jul 1957. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
Robert married Charlotte Jones in 1960. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1896 - 
(1.Robert1)
