Henry Harris

An extract from a letter written by the son of Millicent and Percy Kruskal, Monty Leonard (Lennie) Kruskal to a grandson, was discovered in 2020:

"A ONE MINUTE HISTORY OF OUR FAMILY ---

Your other Great Grandfather, Julie Gottlieb was born in Newcastle-on-Tyne in England in 1907, when his parents, David and Johanna, were en route from Lithuania to South Africa. They settled in East London, a small town on the East coast of South Africa. Your other Great Grandmother, Roma, was born in Cape Town in 1909.

Roma’s father, Henry Harris, your Great Great Grandfather, was born in Poland in 1879, came to South Africa and went to school in Kimberley where the family were involved in the diamond industry. He met Margaret Gesundheit, Your Great Great Grandmother who was born in Warsaw but moved with her family to England. She came out to South Africa to attend the wedding of her brother to Henry’s sister – and dumped her fiancé and married Henry. For many years they lived on the farm “Zwartmodder” situated in the heart of the Kalahari Desert adjacent to the then South West Africa. They farmed sheep and cattle and led a very exciting existence, as during World War 1, there was fighting between the German controlled South West Africa and South Africa. The Germans once raided Zwartmodder capturing Henry, but he escaped by jumping on his horse and riding off into the desert ! The family later established The SA Woolen Mills in Cape Town which was the largest blanket factory in Africa – and your family still has some of the traditional African Bantu blankets.

Julie studied Dentistry in London, Roma studied drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and they were married in Cape Town in 1931".