 Birth Notes:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=wahvmb&id=I279
And
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/e/n/William-A-Hendrickse/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0335.htmll
And
http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/e/n/William-A-Hendrickse/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0335.htmll
And
National Archives of South Africa
DEPOT Genealogical Society of SA, Peter Holden
DESCRIPTION Hendrickse, WG - Gravestone.
STARTING 18840314
ENDING 19580729
REMARKS St. John's Cemetery, Wynberg, Cape Town.
SUMMARY + William George Hendrickse. Born 14-03-1884. Died
29-07-1958. Husband of Johanna Theresa Hendrickse.
Death Notes:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=wahvmb&id=I279
And
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/e/n/William-A-Hendrickse/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0335.htmll
And
https://www.myheritage.com/person-1000049_185943952_185943952/william-george-hendrickse
And
National Archives of South Africa
DEPOT Genealogical Society of SA, Peter Holden
DESCRIPTION Hendrickse, WG - Gravestone.
STARTING 18840314
ENDING 19580729
REMARKS St. John's Cemetery, Wynberg, Cape Town.
SUMMARY + William George Hendrickse. Born 14-03-1884. Died
29-07-1958. Husband of Johanna Theresa Hendrickse.
Burial Notes:
http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/e/n/William-A-Hendrickse/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0335.htmll
And
National Archives of South Africa
DEPOT Genealogical Society of SA, Peter Holden
DESCRIPTION Hendrickse, WG - Gravestone.
STARTING 18840314
ENDING 19580729
REMARKS St. John's Cemetery, Wynberg, Cape Town.
SUMMARY + William George Hendrickse. Born 14-03-1884. Died
29-07-1958. Husband of Johanna Theresa Hendrickse.
Sources of information or noted events in his life were:
• Web Based Info. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=wahvmb&id=I279
• General Comment. OUR FAMILY
So often children are not told of their forbears and I have therefore decided to give each of you children a peep into the past of our family, and I trust you will put this away among your family documents for reference if the need arises in n the future.
First of all let me say this that your paternal Great grandfather was a Dutchman (Hollander) who married a Javanese lady in Java. One of his sons, Adrian Jan, settled in Simons Town towards the end of the 18th century where he acquired land and which he named "Paradise". From old residents of Stellenbosch I learnt that his lands extended from the Simons Town railway station as far as Glecairn. This was sold on the death of my Grand-mother and the proceeds divided among the children of the marriage.
My Grand-father too married a woman of Javanese descent.
My father Charles William Hendrickse was the youngest son. He was born in Simons Town on September 8, 1830 and died at Stellenbosch on 30 August,1898. He lies buried in the Wesleyan Cemetery on the Slopes of the Papagaaiberg in S/bosch.
He was school principal of the Wes. Mission School at S/bosch for 48years and Catechist also for that period.
He was a Christian Gentleman and this is what the Rev. Whiteside says of him in his "History of the Wesleyan Methodist C church in South Africa". "A name to be honored is that of Mr. G.W. HENDRICKSE who for forty-two years was a catechist at Stellenbosch and was a man of devoted piety and zeal"
My mother was a Miss Lourens (Johanna Maria) and was born in Stellenbosch on 10 January, 1848. She died at Plumstead in the Cape on 13 August 1925 and lies buried by the side of my father whom she loved very dearly despite the disparity in their ages.
She taught for 34 years in my father's school as Infant Mistress. She was a great beauty of her days and was eagerly sought after by rich farmers but she chose the poorest and humblest of her suitors. Our home was one of peace and joy and never did I ever hear one unkind word pass between my parents. My mother was a woman of exceptional charm and ability and to me it has always been a wonder how she ever managed on their joint salaries (under 100 pounds per annum) and give us each a good education,(At a future date (D,v) I hope to write a full history of the family) and to provide us with such a good home.
My mother was of pure European descent, she being the "Natural" child of van Ryneveld, last Landdrost of Stellenbosch and Miss Lourons. She grew up in the old Drostdy, as the van Reynevelds had no children, until she was about twelve years of age when she went to live with her mother's people. On her death-bed she said that she never regretted marrying my father.
My parents had ten children. Two of the elder children died in infancy, James Runciman and Rosa Clara (1874). James Runciman is named after Mr. Runciman who was Mayor of Simons Town for many years and who was an ardent admirer of and suitor for, my mother's hand.
My father was married twice. His first wife was a Miss Adriaanse and there was one child of this marriage, Adrian J. who became a teacher and started his long and devoted career as Principal of a school at Blouvleiin the WELLINGTON district. Afterwards he took up a post as principal in a D.R. Church school in Paarls under the Rev. Dempers.
Later he left for KIMBERLEY to take up the Principal ship in a Methodist School, under the Rev. W. Pescod. He did not stay long there on account of Mrs. Pescod who rather made things difficult. When he left Kimberley, he returned to Paarl where he and Mrs. Jan Weiss established the Congregational Church and school, in Semplar St of which he became Principal. He was also the church organist and Choir Master besides his other church activities, such as preaching, holding of membership classes, Sunday School (in which by the way, he taught for over 50 years) visiting the sick and those in distress, burying the dead etc. After his retirement he entered the Ministry and was minister of the Church at Cradock until his death in 9/12/28
He married Miss Lettie Cupido (a descendant of one of the De Villiers family of Paarl). She was a very fine woman and nobly stood by his side through all his hard struggles. She died in 1925 on 13th July. (Of the rest of that family you all know).
My eldest brother Charles Daniel grew up to be a very handsome and charming young man - the darling of all the girls. He was a fine pianist, singer and raconteur. He never married. He was educated at the Victoria College and was a member of the V.C.Cadet Corps. On leaving college he entered into the services of the firm of Fletchers as Cashier. He was of a roving disposition and cold not stand in-door work. He left Fletchers and began his roving all over the Pacific. How he maintained himself during those years I do not know, but this I do know, he never contributed a bean to the family budget.
Sometime after 1905 he became an intimate friend of Dr. Roux of "Bon Esperance" Three Anchor Bay and resided with the Roux family until his death in 1933 (1 am not quite sure of the date) and was buried by them at Woltemade.
My second eldest brother John J. Hendrickse, was one of the finest brothers anyone could ever have had. He was a true child of God. After his death in 1926, all the merchants with whom he did business paid him a wonderful tribute for, his integrity. "He was too honest, for a businessman" was the consensus of opinion.
He became a master tailor and at the time of his death he had his establishment in the old Metropolitan Buildings in Church Street, Cape Town. He married Miss Johanna Gilmore of Kimberley, who is at present(1956) in the Tafelberg Hostel in Canderbury St. C. Town. There was one child of the marriage, Winifred, who died in her early twenties. My brother was a born naturalist and I learnt many interesting things from him on plants, birds etc. on our early morning mountain rambles. He was a great lover of music and had a very pleasing tenor voice.
My brother Frederick William was the most brilliant of the family. After completing his education at the Gymnasium (now the Paul Roos High School)at Stellenbosch, he became a proof reader at one of the printing houses in C.T. (I do not know whether it was the Cape Times or "The Argus". After leaving that job he entered the Cape of Good Hope Civil Service as a clerk, in the Defense Department, under Colonel Southey. It is interesting to note that in the C.S. examination he headed the pass list. When that department was abolished he was put on pension. He next chose teaching as his profession and studied under the late Dr. Whitton, at the Normal College in C. Town and here too he came first in his final exam. He became principal of a public school (European) at Isidenge in Stutterheim and died shortly after his retirement and lies buried in Stutterheim. He died a Bachelor in 1934.
My brother Henry Wassung was born on February 15 1877 and died at Observatory on the 8th January 1938. He was the first t baby to be baptized in the new Methodist Church in Plein St. Stellenbosch. He was a boy of a very shy disposition and d did not-love school and consequently he left school at an early age and was apprenticed to Mr. Marthinus Zerff (Cold.) the leading contractor at that time in S/bosch. After completing his apprenticeship he entered the Naval Dockyard, Simon s Town, as shipwright.
During the depression after the Anglo-Boer War he was ....?. He had a hard struggle, like so many thousands during that time, and took up work wherever it could be found. He stayed with me at the time and I provided for him while he was out of work. It was a grim struggle for all of us. My salary at the time was 9 pounds 6 shillings and 8 pence. per month. Afterwards he worked for the Cape Divisional Council as a carpenter foreman and later again as porter at Newlands Station. He was a lovable, kindly, generous chap.
My youngest brother Ernest Christian (11/2/1887 - 30/4/42) was educated at the Boys' High School, Stellenbosch after I left it in October, 1900 whilst preparing for my Matriculation. When he left school he became apprenticed to Gray's Carriage Painting Works in Woodstock. After serving his apprenticeship he joined the City Tramways Co. as carriage painter and he died while in their employ. He married Miss Annie Walbrugh of the Strand.
I was born in a little double-storied building adjoining the house of Lady Brand at the corner of Plein and Andringa Sts. I was born on the night of the 14th March 1884.
In 1988 we moved to our new home further up Andringa St. and about 100 yards from College Square on which at the time only the Victoria College stood.
In 1894 I was enrolled in the Gymnasium which was situated at the corner of Plein and van Ryneveld Sts. Sometime between 1898 and 1899 we moved to the new buildings on College Square, which were built by Mr. Marthinus Zerff, then the foremost building contractor (Coloured) in S/bosch. The new school was named The Boys' First Class Public School. I left it in 1900 whilst preparing for my Matriculation. This was due to economic reasons and to allow my brother, Ernest, to attend d the school. My father had then been dead for two years.
On November 1 1900 1 commenced as Junior Clerk with Divine Gates & Co. in Castle St., C.T. the principal shipping agents at the time. My Salary was 3 [pounds] per month but through rapid promotions my salary rose to 6[pounds] before a year had passed. Owing to rapid expansion the firm removed to more commodious premises in St. Georges St. Owing to the defalcations of their store man of their duty-paid and ...? stores I was installed in his place. My salary was now 8 [pounds ] per month. (The position of store man carried with it a salary of 12 [pounds] P.M. but because of my youth I was paid a lower salary).
Sometime in 1905 1 left the old firm and joined the firm of Lensveld Wisdom & Co. in Strand St. next to the Koopmans d e Wet House, as store-keeper and junior clerk. I was with them for only three months but even in that short time I was promoted with higher pay. I left the firm at the end of October, 1905 to take up teaching and it came about in this way.
The Rev. Geo. Robson, Superintendent of the Cape Town and Mowbray Circuit of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of S.A. approached me at the beginning of October 1905 to ask me to consider taking over a school at Salt River which had lately bee n opened and whose principal, owing to age and ill-health was retiring at the end of that month.
The conditions on which I was to hold the post were these: I had to obtain my teachers' certificate at the end of the year. For this purpose I was entered in the European Vacation Course for teachers in December,1905 which was held in the old training school in Queen Victoria St. (May I say here that what determined me to take this chance was the state of business at the time. Things were bad. Many businesses were on the brink of bankruptcy and unemployment was rife due to the depression after the Anglo-Boer War). In due course I attended the Vacation Course and was successful in obtaining my Teachers' Certificate.
I commenced my teaching career on November 1, 1905 at a salary of 80[pounds] per annum. The school was housed in the church and vestry of the European Methodist Church which had been bought by the coloured circuit when that congregation moved to their new church in Reedebloem.
My duties consisted not only of teaching but also of church work. I was organist and choir master, Sunday-school Supt. Later I was installed as deacon and local preacher. I used to do sick visiting and often conducted burial services in the absence of the Rev. Robson. In fact all the work at Salt River rested on my shoulders.
The work expanded very rapidly and extra help was urgently needed. I suggested to the Rev. Robson to approach Dr. Joseph Forbes of Heather date where he was doing some good work among the boys there as leader of the Boys' Brigade. As he appeared to be an earnest Christian worker I thought he would do well at Salt River. In due course he took up his residence in S. River later very much to my regret. I will not enlarge on this except to say that, owing to my popularity with both congregation and scholars, he became very jealous of me and did much to hinder my work.
The school increased so rapidly that I was obliged to make plans for the better accommodation of the scholars. I set about raising money for a school building. In 1910/11 built a new school in the church grounds. Later I added two class-rooms.
Children came from all parts of the peninsula to attend my school, which I ran on public school lines. I had printed reports for my scholars. Many European scholars attended the school.
During 1914/18 World War 1 things became very hard for me and my family because of my small wage, which was then 110 [pounds] per annum and so when I was offered a post in the Trafalgar Secondary School, Cape Town at just over 240 [pounds] per annum I very regretfully left Salt River school on June 30th 1918 ( I was very happy there).
May I just add here that, besides my many other activities, I also ran a night school for which I received 5 [pounds] per quarter from the Education Dept. and the fees from the scholars - 2/6 per month. (Before proceeding with my career I shall give a short account of my two sisters of whom I have not made mention before).
The elder of the two was Annie ...? (1878-1938). She was a girl of a very sweet and lovable disposition. She was educated at the Bloomhef Girls' High School, S/bosch, where she obtained her Teachers' Certificate. She taught in my father's school after her graduation until she got married to William Seager, an electrical engineer in the service of the Admiralty in the S.T. Naval Dockyard. She was a good pianist and had a very sweet voice and was very much in demand at concerts . She was, too, a very fine artist and many of her fine oils used to adorn our home. Her eldest son died lately at Kalk Bay where he had a chemist shop.
My sister Letitia Eliz. Maria was a girl of a different stamp. She was of a very determined and ...? character. She, too, was educated at the Bloomhef Girls' High School. She was a very fine pianist. She studied under Prof. Hans Endler of the Stellenbosch Conservatoire of Music. After leaving school she was apprenticed to Hilliards of Music. After leaving school she was apprenticed to Hilliards. "Under the old fir tree" in C.T.as a milliner. She married R.J. Holmes, who came out during the Boer War, to assist in running the Cape Railways. It was a very unhappy marriage. He was a drunkard and was finally kicked out of the service. With that indentable courage that she possessed, my sister carried on and educated her two children, Vincent and Esme. I last saw her in 1925. Of her whereabouts I do not know -- whether dead or alive!
The establishment of the Wesley Training School came directly as the result of my good work in Durham Avenue Church School.
At Trafalgar I was given charge of the Std. 6 class but also assisted with the higher standards in English, Dutch (Nederlands), Mathematics and Chemistry. In 1925 the school was promoted to a High School and the lower standards up to 6 were transferred to the De Villiers St. Primary School, under the principal ship of Mr..... ? afterwards, Rev. H.G. Gordon , and which had been vacated by the Europeans. There I continued with the Std. 6 class.
In 1928 (July) I was appointed Principal of the Battswood Practicing School? Wynberg at a salary of 410 [pounds] per annum and with an enrollment of just under 600. I retired at the end of 1944 with six months' furlough (up to June, 30 1955) .
THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT PERIOD FOR ME HAVING TO WORK with two other principals, Mr. F. Hendrickse of the Training School and Mr. D. van der Ross of the Secondary Dept. in the same institute and with men of different temperaments and outlook, and who were often at loggerheads and on non-speaking terms for varying periods so that very often I had to play the role of peacemaker.
About three years before my retirement Inspector Puttick inspected my school and on the completion of his inspection he said these words, "Your school is so well run. It works like a well-oiled machine and its tone and discipline are excellent just what can be expected from a school with a tone like yours. I shall not inspect it again during your time of office and before you retire as I feel there will be no need for it the work being carried out to my complete satisfaction ."
After the first inspection after my retirement, Inspectors Puttick and Gardiner have this in their Annual Report of 29 April - 2 May, 1946, "At the end of 1944 the former principal retired on pension after nearly forty years of service. The thanks of the Department are due to him for his long and devoted service in the cause of Coloured Education."
I also give here under the testimonial of the Rev. G. Robson on my work at Salt River.
"Mr. W.G. Hendrickse was for thirteen years a teacher in the Wesleyan Mission School in Durham Avenue, Salt River, under my management, and I have the utmost pleasure in testifying to the faithfulness and remarkable efficiency of his work . His devotion to duty and his marked ability as a school principal won for the school a high degree of popularity and gave the greatest satisfaction to all. It is with much confidence that I recommend him for any principal ship often to a teacher of his grade and standing. Signed. "Geo. Robson" 30/1/192
Church Activities
STELLENBOSCH CIRCUIT
1. Sunday-school Teachers, 2. Member of Church Choir, 3. Secretary of the Bank of Hope, 4. Deputized occasionally at the church organ for the late Miss M. Tindall. October 1898 - October 1900.
Cape Town and Mowbray Circuit Nov 1900 - Dec 1923
Buitenkant St. Church. Sunday-school teacher Nov 1900-Oct 1905, also organist (Sunday evenings) and choir master Mowbray Church
SALT RIVER
Principal of day school - Nov 1900-June 1918. 1. Sunday school superintendent, 2. Organist and Choirmaster, 3. Local Preacher, 4. Deacon.
DIEP RIVER AND KENILWORTH CIRCUIT 1934 TO THE PRESENT TIME (1956)
Kenilworth. Organist and Choir-master. Society Steward and for a short time Sunday School Supt.
Wynberg, Ottery Road. Society Steward. Circuit Steward. Society of the Quarterly Meeting. Leader of the Catechumen Class . Organist occasionally (All these offices I had to relinquish on account of ill-health - 1955).
Member of the following conference Committees
1. Heatherdate Children's Home. 2. Coloured Welfare. 3. Temperane Wesley Training School appointed by Syned on the commission
appointed to settle church dispute at the Strand (I am happy to say this was happily accomplished).
St. George's Cathedral
Read lesson on Scout and Wayfarers Day (1940)
Other Activities
1. Child Welfare. 2. Race Relations. 3. Victoria Hospital Sub-committee. 4. Foundation of the first Coloured Amateur Musical Society (1908-1917)Mr. Walter Weeding, Conductor. This was disbanded owing to the war. Some members came together again shortly afterwards and formed the Spes Bona Orchestra (Still In existence 1956) of which I was Treasurer for over 1 6years. Instruments played by me:- violin, viola and piano.
Founder of the Wynberg Branch of The League of the Blind and also of the Wynberg Branch of F.O.S.A. (Friends of the Sick Association).
Vice-President, Vice-chairman and Auditor of the Cape District Cricket Union. Life President of the W.P. Table Tennis Union.
In charge of Junior Cricket League (Cape Dist. C. Union) Member of the Cape Corps Disporsal Committee.
Conducted elections of school committees. Foundation member of the Teachers' League of S. Africa: First Treasurer and President 1939/40
Foundation member of The Teachers' Professional Educational and professional Association (T.E.P.A.) and drawer up of it s Constitution.
W.G. Hendrickse
Wynberg, Cape 1 March, 1956
William married Mabel Susan Moolman on 6 Nov 1907 in Wesleyan Church, Mowbray, Cape Province, South Africa. (Mabel Susan Moolman was born in Rosebank, Cape Province, South Africa and died on 2 Feb 1923.)
Sources of information or n events in their marriage were:
• Web Based Info. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/e/n/William-A-Hendrickse/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0645.htmll
William next married Johanna Theresa Dennis, daughter of Ralph William Dennis and Anne Prisilla, on 6 Nov 1907 in Wesleyan Church, Mowbray, Cape Province, South Africa. (Johanna Theresa Dennis was born on 2 Feb 1900 in Claremont, Cape Province, South Africa, died on 25 Aug 1981 in Cape Town, Cape Colony, South Africa and was buried in Wynberg, Cape Province, South Africa.)
Sources of information or n events in their marriage were:
• Web Based Info. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/e/n/William-A-Hendrickse/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0346.htmll
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