Thomas Hart

Baptism : "South Africa, Church of the Province of South Africa, Parish Registers, 1801-2004," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-23605-2412-61?cc=1468076 : accessed 8 July 2015), South Africa > Cape of Good Hope > Cape Town, Wynberg and Rondebosch, St Paul > Baptisms 1849-1887 > image 19 of 190; William Cullen Library, Wits University, Johannesburg.

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There is a plaque in the Kruger National Park commemorating Thomas Hart. According to Lion Safaris, Thomas was a "stationmaster" on the trade route to Delegoa Bay, now the H2-2 better known as Voortrekker Road. During the Sekhukhuni insurrections, a group of men who were part of Chief Maripe's tribe had reported having a rifle in their possession taken from them by a white man. They thought that the thief was connected to Thomas (whom they already knew), and came to his door demanding that he give up his rifle in exchange for the one that had been stolen from them. When he refused, they shot him in the head. He was murdered at Josikhulu Drift, just off the Voortrekker Road in an area now part of the Kruger National Park.

The plaque says that Hart had established the station for the Black bearers who carried trade goods between Delegoa Bay and Pretoriuskop. He was killed there on 10 August 1876 and buried nearby by some Swazi warriors. There is a stone cairn at his grave.

See also Pathfinda and Siyabona Africa web pages.

His grave is marked on this map of Kruger Park - see near the bottom, to the left of the pale yellow area.

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From Brian K Wells (by email): He was employed the South African Republic Transport Services at Joubert’s Hope Station on Lourenco Marques line. He was murdered. I also found his death notice but of greater interest is the reference TV Bulpin makes in his book 'Lost Trails of the Transvaal" 2nd Edition 1969, pp. 144. Here is an extract of the relevant pages.

"At Joubert's Hope a quaint and favourite character lived for a while. Thomas Hart was his name. He has a shack there in the wilds, a tiny place surrounded by bush, with a path twisting in and then vanishing again. In the shack Hart lived a Robinson Crusoe life in friendly company of his pets. Monkeys, parrots, jackals, a porcupine, a ratel, a cheetah and even one or two snakes lived together in tolerable domestic bliss. Then, on the morning of 10th August 1876, a band of freebooting African raiders came along the path. In the door of his hut, where Hart stood to receive them, they killed him. They looted and burned the shack and then vanished into the wilderness, while the bewildered animals stood around their fallen master for a while and then, one by one, slipped silently back into the bush." It was reported that a posse was formed and that the raiders were captured and summarily shot.

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Unable to locate Joubert's hope, but Lourenco Marques is now Maputo (Mozambique) and the railway line runs into north-eastern South Africa. Email also mentions "Death Notice for Thomas Hart 1876, Pilgrims Rest." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrim's_Rest,_Mpumalanga

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