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Matching family tree profiles for Richard Weir Houston McMillan
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About Richard Weir Houston McMillan
Richard Weir Houston McMillan was the seventh child of John and Sarah Houston McMillan, born August 27th 1861. At this time John and Sarah were living in Umzinto, Natal, where John had purchased a Halfway House type canteen, probably also offering overnight accommodation. According to Milner Snell's history of the family, the first seven children were baptized at Umzinto, so Richard would have lived around there until the family moved up to the Ixopo area to purchase "Waterfall" about a decade later.
On 25 October 1885 Richard purchased the farm Ashton, in extent 1511 morgen 161 square roods, from his father-in-law William Van Whye for £460. In addition to Ashton he purchased other farms in the Swartberg area. They included Glen Donald (which adjoins Ashton on the western side), Balmoral (which also adjoins Ashton), Kingscotte, Riebokfontein in 1883, Melville Park and Glen Dower in 1903. Richard was called Gotshi (some times spelt Kotjie) by the Africans. Ashton was known as KwaKotjie. John Shephard records in The Shadow of the Drakensberg that in 1885 the Dorning family were moving to East Griqualand when their wagon got stuck in a vlei near Riebokfontein. Shephard records that:
the Dornings outspanned while Jonathan went off to Riebokfontein to beg the loan of fresh oxen from Mr. Houston. Houston's farm was unfenced and he did not know where his oxen were grazing. A Native was sent of to find them but took all day about it and so it was not until the following afternoon that the Dorning trek once more got under way.
Richard bred Palamino horses and his grandson Richard Purchase can remember a group of almost 50 on the farm Ashton. Richard's wife, Johanna, was a sister of Jacoba, who married Donald David Houston. She was born in Greytown in about 1862. Richard died in Port Shepstone. Johanna died in 1932. Her obituary appeared in the Kokstad Advertiser on 22 January 1932:
The funeral took place on the farm Ashton, Zwartberg, on Wednesday, of Mrs Johanna Wilhelmina Houston McMillan, wife of Mr R.W. Houston McMillan, of Ashton, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 70 years.
There were a number of mourners at the graveside, and the ceremony was performed by the Rev. N.E. Norton.
Richard and Johanna are buried on Ashton, with two of their sons who died at a young age, Douglas and William. Their epitaphs are:
In Loving Memory of
And Her Husband
Johanna W. Richard Weir
Houston Houston
10th January 1862 27th August 1861
19th January 1932 17th January 1936
Together with Their Sons
Douglas and William
He was buried with the surname Houston.
Douglas or William was killed by lightning while walking with their brother David Solomon. David survived but whoever was whit him died. David was forever after terrified of lightning.
http://www.graves-at-eggsa.org/main.php?g2_itemId=2484653
Death Notice: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C914-7W7L?i=51&cc=...
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Richard Weir Houston McMillan's Timeline
| 1861 |
August 27, 1861
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Umzinto, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
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| 1888 |
1888
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| 1889 |
1889
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South Africa
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| 1896 |
October 23, 1896
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Ashton Zwartberg, za, Natal, South Africa
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| 1903 |
1903
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za
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| 1907 |
December 22, 1907
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Ashton, za, Natal, South Africa
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| 1936 |
January 17, 1936
Age 74
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Ashton Farm, za, East Griqualand, South Africa
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| ???? | |||
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