Frederick Hayward

DEATH NOTICE: "South Africa, Cape Province, Civil Records, 1840-1972," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G5DT-QX5T?cc=1779109&w... : 18 February 2020), 1949 > Uitenhage > image 992 of 1585; National Archives, Pretoria.

NOTES WRITTEN BY HIS GRANDDAUGHTER, Maureen Oosthuizen Frederick the 3rd son of Frederick and Maria Hayward was born at Windheuwel on 12th November 1869. He grew up on the Windheuwel farm helping his father and brothers farm both it and Krom Rivier.

He later married Martha Oosthuizen on the 31st July 1895 on the Oosthuizen’s farm Vogelstruisleegte in the Willowmore district. Her aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Ockert Almero Oosthuizen had reared her and Bessie her sister. He then left with his bride to settle on the farm Junction Valley, which he purchased in the Aberdeen district. After a few years he bought extra piece of ground adjoining the farm and renamed the farm, Chelmsford. Originally Chelmsford was a veepos/cattle post with nothing on it. He set about building a small cottage, consisting of a large room and two smaller rooms for them to live in. He inherited Krom Rivier when his father died and this was the mountain farm mentioned in the 1st Chapter. Chelmsford was situated 17 miles from Miller Station and 38 miles from Aberdeen. After the Boer War he built the six - bedroom house using dressed krantz rock quarried on the farm. A series of three cement dams were built at the top end of the farm, six miles away, and a furrow leading from there to the large dam, which he built near the homestead, was constructed to lead water. He had to obtain a blasting certificate to use dynamite in some places to complete these operations. The main wall of the dam was over 900 foot (100 m) long. The bridge built over the spillway and the dam wall could take an ox wagon pulled by a span of 16 oxen. A large fruit orchard and the agricultural lands were built below the dam wall, some a mile away from the dam. He built six large crawls, a shearing shed, a 100 foot (32m) in length wagon house, horse stables, meat room, an outbuilding housing a workroom, an office and a wash and ironing room, all with the same dressed stone. Water was laid on to the lands and the dipping tank near the crawls. In its day Chelmsford was regarded as a model farm and the dam the largest in the Midland area During his lifetime he was a member of the Aberdeen Divisional Council and served on the Dutch Reformed Church Council. He was instrumental in the building of the School Hostel and School at Du Preez’s Kraal, Miller Station and served on the School Board for many years. The Headmaster of the Aberdeen High School chose Chelmsford as the farm on which a Farmer’s Agricultural Demonstration was to be held for the school children. Over 300 children arrived for the Demonstration. My grandparents fed them, took them around the farm, gave demonstrations and lectured them on various farming activities. They gave them a feast of watermelons before they left, cutting up and handing out over 800 watermelons. The schools from Miller Station, Willowmore and Aberdeen were frequent visitors to the farm and my grandfather insisted that the children wrote essays about the day, which he would then correct and judge. Only having passed Standard 2 himself, did not pose a problem as he was proficient not only in “high dutch” as it was known in earlier days, but in English and Afrikaans equally well.

Frederick divorced his first wife because of her infidelity in 1909. She died on the 14th October 1919. He gained custody of the three minor children, as the eldest had died, and advertised for a governess to educate his children. Isabel Stapylton-Adkins, later known as Stella (changed by deed pole) applied for the position as governess at Chelmsford and married my grandfather in Uitenhage on 20th January 1910. They were married and went on to have 5 children.

During the Anglo- Boer war 1899 – 1902 a British unit passed through Chelmsford and the following day when the Boers arrived at the farm, they asked Frederick which way the “Tommies” had gone. He indicated that they had not told him, but vaguely gestured in a direction when they threatened to burn down the homestead. They decided to spend the night on the farm and when he counted his losses the next day, he discovered that their horses had stripped his young fruit orchard, and the lucerne and wheat lands, as the fences had been cut. The castrated goat being fattened on the lands for sale, were slaughtered and provided an excellent braai (barbeque) for the Boers. As they departed they set the haystacks alight. After their departure he discovered that 127 goats had been slaughtered in one of the camps on their way through the farm. Fortunately, with the help of a trusted servant, he had hidden domestic provisions in ant bear holes in the veld. The family gave Frederick the nickname of “Hawa” and we all used this name. Maureen (Oosthuizen) Vincent Edlmann was the eldest of the second group of grandchildren by a number of years and remembers spending many holidays on Chelmsford in his company. She says he taught her not to fear the dark or life, but to face them and to look to her own resources with the help of God. He related bible stories to her and pointed out their importance in everyday life. His word was his bond and he could not abide dishonesty or bad manners. He was a very meticulous, punctual and generous man and farmer and a good Christian. He quoted the bible frequently having memorised many passages from it. Everything, whether it was in his home or on the farm, had a place and woe betide the person who did not place things back where they belonged. He built a ramp over the boundary fence at the entrance to Chelmsford, when he bought his first car. Consequently, one did not have to open the gate. He was very particular about his fences and gates. Any gate on Chelmsford could swing shut and click into position by pushing it ever so slightly. He was a weather prophet of renown and supplied Pretoria with his predictions and monthly reports. He was also able to divine water. “Hawa” never left Chelmsford without dressing in his suit with a magnificent gold chain supporting a gold fob watch threaded through his waistcoat. After he sold Chelmsford in 1941, to a Mr Hess, he retired with Maureen's grandmother to the Kruis River Valley, on a smallholding known as Retreat outside Uitenhage. Maureen well remembers the day he visited the doctor in Uitenhage and called on her parents, Irene and Ockie Oosthuizen to deliver the verdict of the diagnosis. He had developed prostrate problems and refused to have an operation. He passed away six weeks later, but not before insisting that he speak to each of his children, which bears testimony to his responsible, orderly and fair character. He was a thorough gentleman and Maureen says she lost a very dear friend when he died on the 20th August 1949. He was buried in the Uitenhage cemetery.

DEATH NOTICE: "South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court, 1834-1989," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91C-TSS1-J?cc=2517051... : 28 September 2018), 007739863 > image 1603 of 1651; Pietermaritzburg Archives (Formerly Natal State Archives), South Africa.

Mother's Probate Record: "South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court, 1834-1989," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQF-ZJW8?cc=2517051&w... : 27 April 2020), 007844929 > image 203 of 2153; Pietermaritzburg Archives (Formerly Natal State Archives), South Africa.