Page 123 - KBHA BULLETIN 5

125

In the Church records we have the “Articles of Enquiry” which he submitted every year up to

his departure in 1898. There are many statistics in these! In 1881, for instance, there were 87
pupils in the school of whom 38 were white, and 48 coloured. The average attendance was

53. And, just incidentally, 45 belonged to the church, 23 were able to read the Bible, 27 to
say the church Catechism, 45 the Creed, 48 the Lord’s Prayer, and 45 the 10 Commandments.

Baker frequently comments that there were too many schools and too many denominations in
Kalk Bay, but nevertheless, in 1887, the two female teachers were both communicants of the

Dutch Reformed Church.

A government document concerning the Census of 1891 also exists. This records that there

were 103 White women and 58 others, 81 White men and 35 others, belonging to Holy

Trinity Church out of 429 white women and 368 men, 329 coloured women and 326 men in
the Kalk Bay community. That makes about 20% belonging to the Anglican Church - many

more than today.

In the comments which he makes on the community Baker refers frequently to the “lower
classes”. Whoever these were they did not wash, they did not have much care for keeping

their children in school, but rather wanted them to go out and earn money. He judged that

they were of low intelligence and wasteful. Then, just as happens today, he complains over
and over again about the intemperance of the people. He ascribed this to the availability of

cheap spirits and was an advocate for putting up the price of these and making cheap wine
and beer available. He also claimed that drunkenness was a proof of insanity, and after the

first conviction should be treated as a crime.

These comments are to me extremely interesting in the light of the fact that many are saying

the same today. We speak as if we are dealing with a new phenomenon, whereas it has
clearly been with us for well over 100 years! What do we learn from history?

Baker appears to be a very remarkable man, tough and kind, who contributed much to the
community through his generous spirit and dedication. Yet he is clearly apart from a large

section of the community of Kalk Bay, much as he cares about them. He appears to have
applied himself with dedication to the administration and teaching of the school, and that may

well have brought about considerable influence in this village.

125