Henry Charles Blackbeard

The Daily Representative 1926 3 July - September Thursday, January 27, 1927

Death of Border Notability. We regret to record the death of a well-known and highly-respected Border personage, Mr. H.C. BLACKBEARD, who was a member of the oldest Kaffrarian families, says the King Williamstown paper. The late Mr. BLACKBEARD was a man of sterling character, retiring and unassuming and greatly esteemed, not only in his own locality where he was outstanding, but among a wide circle of friends. He has been resident at Fort White all his life and went through the troublous times of the Kaffir War of 1876-8 in which he served, enlisting as a boy of 16 years of age. Subsequently he served in the Boer War going right through from King Williamstown to Pretoria. Mr. BLACKBEARD, who was the father of the noted South African tennis players of the same name, was himself a keen sportsman and even in recent years, despite his burden of 60 years, would play tennis with his sons. He had been ailing for a long time past and it is probable that his death was accelerated by an accident in which the front wheels of a wagon passed over his legs. We associate ourselves with the widespread expressions of sympathy with the family of the deceased and Mr. Seymour BLACKBEARD and Miss BLACKBEARD, brother and sister.