John Thomas Melvill

21 June 1812 1812, John MELVILLE age: 25, born: London occupation: Land Surveyor and Anna Fredrica STADLER age: 17, born: Cape Source: Marriages 1806-1821 involving British people, from the Cape Matrimonial Court Minutes, and The Cape Town Gazette. Transcribed by C. Graham Botha. Contributed by Liz Eshmade. Note: These transcribed extracts are taken from C. Graham Botha, Collected Works Vol 3, Chapter 10

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John Melvill, number 259 on page 32 - https://missiology.org.uk/pdf/e-books/sibree_james/register-of-lms-...

John Melvill was reputed to have been born in Australia, but he was born 10 Jun 1787 in London, UK (according to his death certificate). He arrived in South Africa having had some connection with New South Wales, it appears. According to his marriage certificate he was born at the Cape of Good Hope. John arrived with his parents in around 1800.

John married Anna Frederika Stadler on 21 Jun 1812 in Lutheran Church, Cape Town, Cape Colony. He was 25 years old and his bride was 17 years old. His place of residence was given as London and the marriage was registered as a British overseas marriage. His occupation is given as land surveyor.

John was an agent of the Colonial Government at the Cape of Good Hope. In1827 he joined the London Missionary Society and was sent to Philippolis. 1828 his son, Samuel, was born in Philippolis, In March 1831 he moved to Uitenhage and later Hankey. With his health failing in May 1838 he moved to Dysseldorp (then Matjies Drift). He became blind and went to Wellington and two years later moved to George in 1847 . He had six sons and seven daughters with his wife Anna Frederika. He died in 1852.

John Melvill wrote a journal of his life. Unfortunately, most of it has been lost and what remains only covers the time between age 12, when he arrived at the Cape, up to the age of 17.

The Mossel Bay Advertiser reports in 1886 that John Melvill came to South Africa when quite young from New South Wales (inaccurate) where he was born of parents of Scotch descent, and he first practised as a surveyor. Some few years later, when he had 2 children, he was sent by the Government to what were then the wild frontiers of the Colony. He was accompanied by his young wife and children. Before he left Cape Town, he had become acquainted with Robert Moffat, the great pioneer of South African Missions, who had already established himself beyond the Orange River.

To this no doubt is partly the fact that not long after he reached the frontier, he was moved by commiseration for the native tribes, to resign his post under Government and devote himself to Mission work under the London Mission Society, joining that noble band of self-denying men, which included Moffat and Livingstone, and which had just lost another of its zealous workers in the Rev. E. Solomon. And it is singular to mark how the one preceded the other at various posts, first at Philippolis, then at Griquatown, and later at Hankey. Only a wide interval of time separated them.

For Solomon only began his mission work in 1840, when Melvill's long life's toll was nearly ended. In later years, Melvill and his family were employed in founding a mission at Dysselsdorp in the Oudtshoorn district, and when health began to fail them they settled down in George Town in about 1847. Despite failing health and especially loss of sight, Melvill continued to preach and assist in ministerial work for some five years, up to the last Sunday of his life.

Returning to his early years, he lived initially in Dorp Street, Cape Town and then bought the 4 morgen Garden Welgelegen opposite the Castle (Cape Town). He also bought part of the farm Rustvliet at Salt River. In 1814, the year his father died, he was selling building lots at Garden Welgelegen. He continued buying and selling land in the Cape Town area for another 6 years, owned 52 morgen at Retreat, and in 1815 was promoted to the position of Government Sworn Surveyor, and Inspector of Buildings in the position of his superior Thibault, who had died.

1822. After a preparatory visit to Griquatown in 1821, during which the residents requested his appointment as the Government representative, he and Anna with a 9 year old, a 6 year old, Janet Susan aged 3, and an infant, finally arrived there in 1822. Abt 1823, Griquastad, Cape Colony, South Africa. Visitors from Griquatown to William Anderson at Pacaltsdorp in 1826, told of a battle between a Griqua commando and marauding Sotho-speaking tribe called the Mantatee, 3 years earlier, in which both John Melville and Rev. Moffat were present. They were involved in the middle of the battle trying to help the wounded and dying, especially the women and children, who it was stated had been placed as human shields by the invaders. Eventually they abandoned the attack and fled leaving all behind them including their weapons.

Abt 1841, at Dysselsdorp, District Oudsthoorn. After some years in government service, he resigned and joined the London Missionary Society, and worked at the mission at Dysselsdorp

1827-1836.He became one of the missionaries at Philippolis. Almost from the outset here, the Griquas were in trouble. Political infighting developed and the missionaries had to deal more with material than with spiritual matters.

In 1831 he was sent to Hankey where he worked till 1836. This mission was destined to suffer many tribulations and by the time he left it, it was virtually deserted.

1838. From Hankey, he was sent in 1838 to be the first missionary at Dyssels Kraal, later known as Dysseldorp. This station had been started as an outstation of Pacaltsdorp, and the Melvills now could visit the Andersons who were stationed there. It was thus not surprising then that Bartholomeus Ebenezer Anderson met Janet Susan Melvill who were duly married in Dysseldorp in 1842, and presided over by John Melvill, as recorded in the marriage register, which has been preserved to this day.

(According to another source quoted under B.E.Anderson, this marriage took place at Pacaltsdorp). John Melvill continued to work at Dysselsdorp until 1846, and as his health began to fail he settled down in George in 1847. He died on the 6 Aug 1852.

Surveyor General of the Cape Colony

Missionary with the London Missionary Society

Melvill, John

(*London, Eng., 10.6.1787 - †George, 6.8.1852), architect and missionary, was the son of Thomas Melvill, a ship's captain, and his wife Janet. M. is said to have come to the Cape in his father's ship in 1799 and was at any rate settled there by 1811 when he undertook some survey work at Stellenbosch. He was trained in surveying by L.M. Thibault who no doubt also taught him much about architecture, and was appointed assistant government surveyor on 12.6.1811. He was engaged in building the Kalk Bay section of the main road to Simonstown in 1814 and when Thibault died the following year Melvill succeeded him as land-surveyor to the Cape government and as its inspector of buildings (11.11.1815).

In 1815 M. made a survey at Groote Post and designed the United Brethren's mission church at Mamre, a building which has survived and is now a national monument. In the same year he drew up a town plan for Simonstown (which was not, however, carried into effect). He escorted the missionary C.I. Latrobe on much of his journey to the Eastern Cape in 1816 and two of Melvill's sketches were reproduced in Latrobe's Journal of a visit to South Africa which was published two years later. Soon after this he was closely involved in the controversial question of the bad condition of the governor's residence Newlands House and of the best way to repair it.

Melvill is known for two designs which he made in about 1820: one was for a neo-classical monument to be erected on the Parade in Cape Town and the other for an Anglican church in Simonstown. Through no fault of Melvill's both projects proved abortive, as the monument was never completed and the church was not even started. In 1822 he changed his way of life completely. Having always been a deeply religious man, he became a member of the Lutheran Church in 1812, then a member of the Presbyterian Church (in which he was elected an elder), and finally of the Independent Church (in which he served as a deacon).

During a visit to the Griqua country he had been much disturbed by the unhappy conditions there and, although he received a handsome emolument of 7 000 rix-dollars a year for his official appointments, he resigned office on 4.1.1822 and accepted the post of government agent at Griquatown from 23.8.1822 at a salary of only 1 000 rix-dollars. His instructions were to prevent further bloodshed by restoring law and order and to suppress illicit trading. On his own account he intended to convert the Griquas to Christianity and to bring them the benefits of Western civilisation.

Eyed at first with some suspicion and even hostility by the inhabitants, Melvill seems to have gradually won their confidence. On his recommendation the government appointed Andries Waterboer to be chief of the Griquas and there was some improvement in the situation. But the Cape authorities had given Melvill no troops to maintain peace, no staff, and hardly any funds. He felt that he could achieve very little without more active support and resigned his post on 21.4.1826.

He stayed for a time at Griquatown as a missionary and during this period became involved in the efforts of the Griquas to repel the raids of the tribes from the north during the Difaqane. Subsequently he served for five years at Philippolis and then for seven at Hankey (1831-38). He founded a mission at Dysselsdorp on the Olifants River and ended his missionary career at Matjiesdrift. By 1846 M. had become almost blind. After a short time at Wellington, he moved to George in 1848, where he spent his last years.

Thibault was disappointed in M., complaining that the young man had been ungrateful for the trouble taken in instructing him and had surreptitiously obtained survey assignments which ought to have been given to Thibault. It is, however, not clear whether the government found these charges justified or not. In 1838 Dr John Philip thought that Melvill's work at Hankey had been ineffective, which could have been due to his growing blindness.

Melvill had had a sound education in England, particularly in mathematics, and he was an excellent draughtsman, this being shown by a number of his plans which have been preserved. In general he seems to have been a competent surveyor and architect and a dedicated missionary.

He married Anna Frederika Stadler on 21.6.1812. Six sons and seven daughters are named on his death notice.

R.R. LANGHAM-CARTER

Melvill, John

• Last Name: Melvill
• First Name: John
• Date of Birth: 1787
• Place of Birth: London, England
• Parents – Father: Thomas Melvill
• Parents – Mother: Janet
• Spouse: Anna Frederika Stadler
• Marriage Date:
• Marriage Place:
• Date of Death: 6 Aug 1852 age 65
• Place of Death: George, Cape
• Notes: DN 1599.3/4/1852. Missionary L.M.S. Children:
• Thomas John, major
• Wilhelmina Elizabeth, major
• Janet Susan, major
• John eorge, major
• Helen, major
• Edward, major
• Anna Frederika, major
• Samuel, major
• Catharine Duminy, major
• Stephen DuToit b. 7 May 1833
• Andrew Martin b. 23 May 1835
• Bappie Eliza b. 26 Mar 1838
• Ebenezer Fredrik b. 19 May 1841 http://www.southafricansettlers.com/?p=6905

DEATH NOTICE - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DB5S-QFZ?i=1449&cc...