Margaret Large

Some Old Natal Families by Kathleen Power McIntosh
Margaret Booker married Robert Sheppard Large, the only son of a wealthy farmer in England. He had one sister, Margaret, who married Sealy. They adopted my mother, Mervyn Large.

Robert was very jolly, played the piano, sang, was very hospitable—and loved by all. His brother-in-law offered them the “Stertriemfontein” farm at Mid Illovo. They accepted and journeyed to Natal in a small sailing vessel called the Umgeni. It took 72 days, arriving in Durban in January, 1873, with three of their children—Polly, Sam and Louie. Elizabeth (Bessie) was left at school in France. Mervyn, my mother, was with Aunt Margaret Sealy.

Margaret and Robert stayed with Charlotte and George on the “Duikerfontein” farm buying a wagon, oxen, supplies, etc. Then they trekked to “Stertriemfontein”, Mid Illovo, in the Richmond district. It took nearly a week, and how they must have enjoyed the wonderful experience of sleeping in the wagon and seeing the little fireflies coming in the wagon at night.

The road was very rough, only a track; the veld, covered with wild flowers. Such a huge open space—you could see for miles—not a house in sight, and only a few trees. Such a difference from little England. The things they did not like were the tiny ticks and mosquitoes. “Stertriem” was an old Voortrekker farm, the house built of green brick with very low ceilings, small windows and the floor smeared with cowdung. The kitchen, a lean-to, black with smoke. The house servant, a native with a greasy, smelly, blanket. Rather a difference from the home Grandma had left. She never complained and battled with all the difficulties.

There were no other farms near—no shops and no electricity. Their fridge was a frame covered with wire gauze and linen, with a tin of water on top and strips of flannel which siphoned the water out keeping the linen wet. This was hung under a tree in a cool breeze, and even on the hottest days butter remained hard. Grandma had to make the yeast and all the bread. Groceries, sacks of flour, sacks of sugar, cases of paraffin, candles, matches, etc. could only be obtained every four months when the wagon went to Pietermaritzburg with a load of maize, which was sold at 2/6d a sack.

Robert became very efficient in producing most things. He grew tea and made wines of all kinds, apple cider and van der Hum. He cured hams and bacon from an old Wiltshire recipe. Grandma made all the marmalade, jams, bottled fruits, etc. There were no doctors and grandpa concocted his own medicines—which killed or cured all ills!

The “Loo” amused me when, as a child, we went to stay with them. It was a long walk there, inside was a big seat for daddy, a smaller one for mummy and tiny one for baby, all at different levels. The door was a sack pulled across, otherwise you sat and looked across the hills.

There were no bathrooms. We used to go down to the waterfalls for our morning dip. Men went early and the womenfolk later.

No one went to hospital to have their babies or saw a doctor. An Old Mother Grump did the necessary!

Newspapers and post were collected when anyone felt like riding to Camperdown, 23 miles away. The only transport was a horse or ox-wagon, and later, a horse and trap. A holiday at the coast, either Amanzimtoti, Winklespruit or Illovo was reached by ox-wagon, down Stony Hill (it was stony too! ). Mother used to take us as children. How we used to love it! There were no houses and we camped in wagons, walking through the bush to the beach, which was covered by beautiful shells. Fishing was good, with crayfish galore and oysters. The bathing costumes were a scream as you will see in the photograph.

To go back to 1876, Grandpa went off to the Sekukuni wars and also the 1879 Zulu War. At the end of the war he brought back eight English officers, among whom were Ben Bateman Evans—he married their oldest daughter Bessie. Hubert (Jack) Norris Jones, married Polly. Charles Power married Mervyn, my mother. Bob Hall (I’m not sure whether he went to war). Then there was Hubert, Norris Jones and his older brother, Old Norris Jones and Mr. P. Borlace. Hubert and old Norris Jones stayed on at “Stertriem” and helped grandpa until they died.

The railway went to Pietermaritzburg in 1895, then on to Johannesburg in 1896.

The little migration quail used to come down in thousands and do a lot of damage to the crops. Thousands were killed daily and taken to Pietermaritzburg market (they must have been high by the time they got there)!

In 1900 Rinderpest struck, killing off nearly all the cattle. After this, compulsory dipping was introduced. Being a poison, this unfortunately killed off all the little, brown, tick birds.

Labour was paid in kind. Each day the native men and women were given discs according to the hours they had worked. Each one had their own colour. At the end of the week they changed these for whatever they wanted, mealies. sugar. etc.

In 1897 Queen Victoria had her Diamond jubilee having reigned for sixt years. And in 1899 the Boer War was declared.

In 1906--the native rebellion. The women and children went into laager. The older men stayed and looked after the women and children. There was not much trouble in Mid Illovo.

Grandma Margaret Large died in 1914. Robert died in 1915. The old home was taken over by Eustace, a grandson, until it was sold in 1972.