John George Cheere Emmett

John was the son of Captain Emett of HM 54th Regiment of Foot. He was born on 19 March 1822 in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape and baptised in Uitenhage on 14 December of that year.

John accepted the post of Magistrate's Clerk at Stockenstroom, Cape Colony in 1848.

In the same year Edwin Cheere Emmett makes application for the appointment of his son John as Swellendam's magistrate's clerk.

"John George Cheere Emett was a law agent, first in Swellendam as the partner of Thomas Daniel Barry and later in Harrismith. In 1862 he took over renting The Glen from Percy Nightingale, using it for stabling the livestock in which he traded. … He was a humorous man and amusing stories are told about him. One of his tasks in Swellendam was that of court interpreter, and on one occasion Mr Justice Watermeyer, the circuit court judge, dressed him down severely for translating Machiavellian tactics” as verneukery (Munnik).”

He married Helena Letitia du Plessis Bland on 25 Dec 1854 in Riversdal.

In 1869 John decided to trek into the hinterland. His family spent a few months in George with Granny Bland while John wound up his business affairs before they left. They reached Aliwal North where Koos Moolman allowed them John to 'winter over' to allow the cattle to recover.

The family reached Driekop where John acquired a farm named 'Cookshoop' which they farmed for a while, selling produce at favourable prices to the gold diggers at du Toitspan in Kimberley.

John then moved to Tweefontein in the Harrismith District. He later purchased Paardevlei. Paardevlei proved to be a good buy and they prospered. John ran an auctioning business in the town with Jan Sieberts, called “Sieberts and Emmett”. He financed Laughlin Kelly and John BB Emmett in a trading venture on Paardevlei, which flourished for a number of years and then failed.

The Anglo Boer wars would intervene in the lives of all these folk and it is difficult to find any more detail.

Although he died in 1905, the Estate is only filed in 1943, apparently to disburse the profits of some land sale. According to the Death Certificate contained therein John George Emmett died of "High Age" although he was also suffering from light bronchitis. He was living at 277 Pretorius Street in Pretoria and his occupation is given as that of 'General Farmer'. He died at home.

According to the SA Genealogical Society Graveyard Project he is buried in the Church Street Cemetery: Emmett, John George Born: 19 Mar 1822 Died: 26 Jan 1905 Buried: Church Street Cemetery, Pretoria West, District Pretoria, Gauteng, RSA Note: John George Emmett Born Grahamstown.