Page 7 - Bulletin 5 2001

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Despite his parentage John was accepted at the all-white Wynberg Boys High School. Society,

however, was not so forgiving regarding their dark-skinned daughter Mary who had to go to
school in England.

The Earl owned a fairly large block of property in Muizenberg and donated the land for the All

Saints Church on the Main Road. He also paid for the digging of the foundations. After his death
in 1883 John tried to claim the title but failed because he was illegitimate.

Despite the grandeur of her title Martha Grey was always known as “Tant Martha” and wore a
doek instead of a hat. In 1880 she gave her land in Gosport Road to the Dutch Reformed Mission

Church where they built a hall called ‘Tant Martha se Saal’. This became Battswood Primary

School, the first non-racial school in the Cape. It is still operating as the Battswood Educare
Centre at the same address.

James Gill

th
Another big property owner in the late 19 Century was Professor James Gill. He bought 8
morgen of land on the mountain slopes above Muizenberg in 1889 (before the Municipality was

created) for £65.

He was a distinguished teacher and scholar at Cambridge University and came to South Africa in
1860 to become Professor of Classics at the new College in Graaff Reinet. In 1871 he moved to

Cape Town as Classics Professor at the Diocesan College, and in 1874, to the S.A. College (now
UCT.)

He was a very cantankerous and self-opinionated man, was involved in many controversies and
was eventually dismissed from the college in 1882. He retired to Muizenberg and started a

school for boys. This is mentioned in a publicity brochure of 1912 but unfortunately I have not

been able to trace any further mention of it.

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