South African Flemmer Family Site -
Fay Lea's Paper
HOME | 150 REUNION | REPORT BACK | STEVE'S PAPER | PICTURE GALLERY | MCDONALD FAMILY | LIST OF ATTENDEES
PAPER PRESENTED BY FAY LEA
AT THE 150 YEAR REUNION OF THE FLEMMER FAMILY
IN CRADOCK MARCH 2003
So little is written about the women 150 years ago. In a 100 page document on one family two pages were devoted to the wife - a photo and her death notice. This is a woman who bore her husband seven children.
Today at 37 years of age - if you are pregnant your gynaecologist would keep a close watch on your progress - do tests and would certainly advise you not to travel. But our little Betty, she was a little woman, left Denmark five months pregnant - with seven children under 12! She had a servant with her, but one can imagine how overwhelmed she would have been. Hopefully Camilla (11) and Charlotte (8) would help with the little ones, Hans (4) and Salvator (2).
The voyage which took three months with no fresh water, meat or vegetables, would have been a trial beyond words. We hear that the noise was incredible - the creaking and shouting the water leaking in everywhere. Their clothes were constantly wet.
The arrival in Algoa Bay is left to the imagination. Leaving the ship either in a basket and being lowered down into a boat, or going down a rope ladder, bearing in mind that Betty was now eight months pregnant. The small rowing boat would take the family and all their possessions ashore. The first encounter with a black person would be being lifted from the boat and carried to the beach.
Europe in February has temperatures around the minus - South Africa would be in the 30's. the beach would have tents to camp and now she has to feed the children. Food they have never seen in some cases. We hear the beach was like a bazaar with stalls set up selling to the new arrivals.
The trip to Cradock was a three week journey by ox wagon. Once again just imagine feeding the family. The Danes loved soup and sometimes had two at a meal. Perhaps she would just get the soup going over an open fire when the cry would go up to inspan and carry on the journey. There is a story - not of our family but it could have happened to them, where there was no fresh bread and the lady of the family was preparing vet koek in oil over the open fire, when a herd of elephant charged through the camp, upsetting the oil an setting a tree alight, almost burning down one of the wagons, which would have contained all their clothing and linen!
We understand that Toger von Abo, Betty's brother, had prepared a house for them in Cradock, there is some dispute but it could have been where the Victoria hotel is today. He would surely have furnished it so and so the family would have had a relatively smooth arrival. However, bearing in mind that Betty was eight months pregnant she would have had to start bottling vegetables and fruit which was ripe during this period. It was a case of now or never, and provision had to be made for the winter months. No handy store around the corner! She would have had to make candles and soap.
Amazingly enough there was 26 000 gallons of wine and 10 640 gallons of brandy produced in the year 1843 and James Collet reports 'The English servants were all intoxicated.' It is little wonder that Dr Flemmer was actively engaged in the teetotallers' organisation.
I'm sure Betty would have brought the baby's layette from Denmark. I would like to think that great friendships were forged and the family were welcomed and assisted by the families already established in the town, like the Distin's, Gilfillan's and Philps into which families the children of the Flemmer family married years later.