William Guybon Atherstone, 1820 Settler

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 68
• Settler: 13 Dec 1819, Gravesend, Kent, England

Notes:

Dr William Guybon Atherstone, M.D., M.L.C., F.G.S., F.R.C.S. Was one of the most celebrated and well known medical men in South Africa. He had an international reputation not only in the field of medicine, but also in the other sciences. When only 21 years old, he was Staff Medical Officer in the Sixth Frontier War under Col. (later Sir) Harry Smith, after which he returned to Europe to study at the Meath Hospital in Paris and at Heidelberg, where he passed his examinations with honours.

During the time that he was practising in Grahamstown, he made medical history by successfully amputating the leg of Mr Fred Carlisle, Deputy Sherrif of Albany in 1847, by using the new anaesthetic diethyl ether. This was the first use of this method in any British Colony.

Dr Atherstone was an extremely active man who, in addition to his medical profession and serving as the District Surgeon of Albany, had a wide range of subjects in which he was accomplished, such as music, art, astronomy, geology, botany and natural history. He had a wonderful collection of geological specimens, fossils and extensive notes. The huge saurian which he presented to the British Museum was named Tapio Cephalus Athersonii by Sir Richard Owen. The Doctor also made the dramatic announcement of the genuineness of the first S.A. diamond discovered by O'Reilly in 1867 at Hopetown. This 21 carat diamond was sold for 500 pounds to the Governor, P.E. Wodehouse. He devoted considerable time to the inspection of asylums in England in 1875 and did much to better the conditions of the insane in South Africa. While in Europe he was made a F.R.C.S. and a Fellow of the Geological Society, and Honorary Corresponding Secretary of the Colonial Institute. He was elected a Member of the House of Assembly in 1883, and was later raised to the Legislative Council, where he served for 10 years. He was the founder of the botanical Gardens in Grahamstown, which were originally on his property. The Scientific and Literary Society, which he also founded, later became the Albany Natural History Society, now the Albany Museum. p18-19; Some Frontier Families, by I. Mitford-Barberton & Violet White.

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The Albany General Hospital

The hospital was opened in 1858 and functioned for sixty­-four years before being succeeded by the Settlers' Hospital.

The Albany General Hospital must be seen as having played an important part in the story of medicine in Grahamstown. The first civic hospital in the town, it became, in a sense, "foster-mother" to those which followed it. From its wards went the first patients to four other hospitals as they arose - the Fort England Mental Hospital, the Victoria Fever Hospital, the Prince Alfred Hospital and the Settlers' Hospital.

Dr John Atherstone had made an appeal for a hospital for Grahamstown as early as 1829. It was turned down by the Supreme Medical Committee "in view of the salubrity of the climate, the absence of dangerous contagious disease, and the small population".

The next attempt was made in 1853 by Dr Devereux, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Grahamstown. He put forward the idea, raised funds, donated land in Beaufort Street, and even started on the building; but then he died and the plan was abandoned.

The next positive step came in 1854 when the Governor made a grant of land for the purposes of a hospital. This was an area of two morgen and fifty-two and a half roods in extent, and was bounded, as the Deed of Settlement stated, "northwards by Grey Street, southwards by the Town Commonage, and east­wards by Somerset Street." For many years funds were raised by quit-rents from this property, and when it was sold the pro­ceeds went to the Hospital Endowment Fund.

A body known as the Board of Relief, aware, of course, of the grant of land, transformed itself into a hospital com­mittee in 1855. By 1857 a management committee had been formed under the chairmanship of Mr F. Carsisle, the man whose leg Dr Atherstone had amputated, and a Deed of Settle­ment was drawn up. One of the provisions was that 'the hospital was to be open for admission to all sick, wounded or diseased persons irrespective of colour or religious beliefs.'

After some delays, the building was commenced. Its actual site has now been re-built upon, but it was situated a little back from where Lawrence Street, going up hill meets Hill Street, an area known as "Hills View". Photographs of the hospital show a long double-storey building with verandahs across the front of both floors, and prominent chimneys.

Lieut. General James Jackson laid the foundation stone, and the hospital was opened on the 25th September, 1858. It had cost £3,500 to build, and had twelve beds. There was a lay superintendent (Mr Mathew), two medical officers, Dr W. G. Atherstone and Dr W. Edmunds, a male nurse, and five other servants. The two doctors were paid an honorarium of £25 each a year for their services.

Settler:
Damant's party on the Ocean

William married Catherine Handel Atherstone on 29 Jul 1839 in All Saint's Church, Marylebone, London, England. Catherine (daughter of Edwin Atherstone and Mary Pierson) was born on 4 Apr 1811; died on 18 Oct 1889. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: Captain Hastings St. John De Robeck, RN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Notes:

Extract from the Grahamstown Kournal, November 1842.
Died on Tuesday 15th November, Inez, youngest daughter of Dr.W.Guybon
ATHERSTONE, aged 10 months.

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Notes:

This is a transcription of a column that appeared in South Africa magazine July 24, 1909. The column is titled "Domestic Announcements".
MARRIAGES:
ATHERSTONE - RICHARDSON - On the 20th inst., at St. Saviour's Church, Paddington, by the Vicar, the Rev. Canon Syers, Guybon Damant Atherstone, of Grahamstown, to Antoinette Richardson (nee Chabaud), formerly of Port Elizabeth, both of the Cape Colony.

DEPOT VAB SOURCE MHG
TYPE LEER VOL. NO. 0
SYSTEM 01 REFERENCE A456
PART 1 DESCRIPTION
ATHERSTONE, Guybon Damant STARTING 1912
ENDING 1912
REMARKS NAGELATE EGGENOTE ANTOINETTA (GEBORE RICHARDSON)
DEPOT KAB SOURCE: Van Der Riet
COLLECTION TYPE PHOTO
REF. VDR158 DESCRIPTION Guybon Damant ATHERSTONE,
ELDER SON OF DR. W.G. ATHERSTONE
REMARKS ORIGINAL ONLY, NEGATIVE TO BE ORDERED

DEATH NOTICE 450 Filed 24 February 1912
Name of Deceased: Guybon Damant ATHERSTONE
Place of Birth: Grahamstown,
Name of Parents: William Guybon ATHERSTONE
Katherine Handel ATHERSTONE
Age of Deceased: 68 years 8 months
Condition in Life: Retired
Married, Unmarried, Widow, Widower Married
Name of Surviving Spouse: Antoinette ATHERSTONE
Date of Decease: 15 February 1912
Where the person died: At his residence in Grahamstown
Children: None
Did the Deceased Leave Property: Moveable and Immoveable
Signed: Grahamstown 21 February 1912 Gertrude Dillon, Sister

Guybon married Antoinette Chabaud on 20 Jul 1909 in St Saviours, Paddington, London, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Residence: 1920, Avoca farm, Douglas, Northern Cape, South Africa

Family/Spouse: William Montague Byde-Martin. William died in South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Gertrude married Thomas Joseph Lamb Dillon on 2 Apr 1872 in St George's Cathedral, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Occupation: Doctor
• Residence: 1920, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Notes:

Walter Herschel Atherstone continued in the medical profession of his father Dr William Guybon Atherstone and grandfather Dr John Atherstone, the 1820 Settler.
At 17 he sailed to Scotland and in 1887 he qualified in Medicine from Aberdeen University.
The next year he married Frances, sister of a College friend, Dr. Jack Harrison and returned to Port Alfred and Atherstone was appointed District Surgeon of Bathurst, Medical Officer to the Kowie Convict Station and Medical Superintendent of the Port Alfred Mental Hospital. The latter post he held until his retirement from the service in 1920, except for a break of five or six years (1897 to about 1902) when he was in charge of Robben Island. In 1901 he refused promotion to Grahamstown and instead came back to the Kowie which he loved. Having studied in Scotland, he must have learnt his love of golf at St Andrew’s.
He retired from Hospital service in 1920 to devote more time to playing golf.
He was noted for his staunch friendship and seemed to make no enemies, ever courteous and no man’s fool.

Walter married Frances Harrison in 1888. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: M. Caroline. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Notes:

Died In Infancy In Malta

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: Frederick John Lamb Dillon. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: Henry Robert Cartwright. Henry died in South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

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• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Notes:

Captain, Worcester Regiment.

Family/Spouse: Frances Smith. Frances died in South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Notes:

Captain, Bechuanaland Police

Family/Spouse: Editch Dacre. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Residence: 1920, Avoca farm, Douglas, Northern Cape, South Africa

Family/Spouse: Beatrice Byde-Martin. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Residence: 1920, Rustenburg, North West, South Africa

Notes:

Residence:
The Residency

Mabel married Tobias John Henry Herold on 21 Feb 1895 in St George's Cathedral, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Tobias was born on 13 Aug 1867. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Geraldine married Harry Thelwall Wingfield Salusbury on 1 Oct 1916 in Church of the Holy Trinity, Middelburg, Transvaal. Harry was born about 1880 in Llangibby, Monmouthshire, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Harold married Ella AndersonEast Bank Cemetery, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Ella was born about 1890 in Scotland; died on 29 Mar 1942 in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Phyllis Vertie Grace. Phyllis was born on 10 Feb 1906; died on 4 May 1982 in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was buried after 4 May 1982 in Old Anglican Cemetery, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Notes:

Captain in the Welsh Fusiliers. earned Military Cross.

Family/Spouse: Alice May Tomlinson. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: Ernest Forbes Campbell-Colquhoun. Ernest was born in Challuck, Perth, Scotland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Archibald Gordon Campbell-Colquhoun. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: Thomas Edwards. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: Richard William Frean. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: Leonard Duffus. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: Jack Harbourn Kennington. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Family/Spouse: Rosemary Morag Keeton. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]