Capt Francis Evatt's gravestone

On a walk along Route 67 the other day I popped into St Mary's Cathedral and was reminded that the original gravestone of Captain Francis Evatt was located in the entrance area of the church.  Something a lot of people probably didn't know.  

Captain Evatt was commander of Fort Frederick from 1817 until his death in 1850 and is often called the Father of Port Elizabeth because of the role he played in the early years of the town's development.  Among the things he did was to oversee the landing of the British Settlers in 1820 and he laid the foundation stone of St Mary's Church in 1825.  After his death on 21 March 1850 he was given a military funeral in the Congregational Cemetery in Russell Road.  

Evatt's remains were moved to a spot outside the Fort in 1956 and a replica gravestone was erected, with the original being placed in St Mary’s Cathedral.

Captain Francis Evatt's grave at Fort Frederick

Captain Francis Evatt was born in Ireland in 1770 and arrived in the Cape Colony in 1806 with the 21st Dragoon Guards and served together with his brother for a number of years on the frontier.  In 1817 he was appointed as Commandant of Fort Frederick at a salary of 90 pounds a year (only half the pay he should have been receiving as Captain), a post he occupied until his death.

Captain Evatt played a huge role in the landing of the 1820 British Settlers and his assistance and the concern he showed towards the 4000 British settlers that arrived didn't go unnoticed.  By 1825 Port Elizabeth was fast becoming an area of increasing importance and the Governor decided that a higher official power to be resident was necessary. Captain Evatt was appointed “Government Resident” whose function was to preside over court proceedings.

Captain Evatt was very prominent in the development of Port Elizabeth and always guarded the town's best interests as best he could.  He was also instrumental in ensuring a place of worship was built in the town and laid the foundation stone of St Mary’s Church in 1825.  

After a brief illness Captain Evatt died on the 21st March 1850 and was given a military funeral in the Congregational Cemetery in Russell Road.  His original tombstone can be seen in the porch of St Mary’s Cathedral while his remains were moved to a spot outside the Fort in 1956.

Source - Port Elizabeth of Yore: Fort Frederick 

Inside Fort Frederick

Fort Frederick sits above the Baakens Valley overlooking the Port Elizabeth Harbour and was built in 1799 by the British Forces to defend the mouth of the Baakens River to prevent a possible landing of French troops to assist the Graaff-Reinet rebels.  The fort was named after Frederick, Duke of York who was the Colonial Secretary at the time.  Ironically the fort never fired a shot in anger although it was defended by eight 12-powder guns.

Looking up at Fort Frederick

The view of Fort Frederick looking up from Valley Road

Enjoying the view from Fort Frederick

Today's photo is just proof that I don't always gallivant around town on my own but sometimes take the family along to explore with me.  It's also proof that you can take your family to historic spots like Fort Frederick without having to fear for your life, like so many want others to believe.

Fort Cannon

Fort Frederick, built in 1799, was originally defended by two 8-pounder guns and one 5.5 inch Howitzer.  These guns, that never fired a shot in anger, was removed when the fort was decommissioned.  But what is a fort, even a historic one that has been declared a national monument, without guns?  So a selection of muzzle-loaders dating from the later part of the eighteenth century was placed on the fort to simbolise the original guns. 

Fort Frederick and Central

Standing in Fort Frederick looking towards Central the Donkin Lighthouse and Great Flag can be seen on the Donkin Reserve.  The building obscuring the lower part of the lighthouse is the Prince Alfred Guard Drill Hall.

Guarding the harbour

When last have you been to Fort Frederick?  Most of us get to visit the fort as kids while on a school tour of the city, but I bet a big number of Port Elizabethans have never been back there as adults. 

Then and Now - Fort Frederick

Fort Frederick is the oldest building in Port Elizabeth and said to be the first permanent stone structure built by the British in Africa south of the Equator. The fort was built in August 1799 near the mouth of the Baakens River in Algoa Bay to safeguard the fresh water supply and to keep watch for a possible landing of French troops send to assist the Graaff-Reinet rebels during the Napoleonic wars.  The fort was named after Frederick, Duke of York and then Commander of the British Army. 



The British abandoned the fort in 1802 after which it was temporarily occupied by Thomas Ferreira and a group of local burghers.  In May 1803 they were replaced by a contingent of 150 men of the Batavian Republic and three years later, in 1806, it was again taken over by the British after the second occupation of the Cape.  The fort was abandoned after 1868 and fell into disrepair.  The fort later became a national monument and was mostly restored.

 

The fort contained a powder magazine and a blockhouse, which has lost its timber upper storey.  It was originally defended by two 8-pounder guns and one 5.5 inch Howitzer.  These guns were removed when the fort was abandoned and today contains a selection of muzzle-loaders dating from the later part of the eighteenth century.  Even though the fort was built to defend the Bay, it never fired a shot in anger.

On the north side of the fort lies the grave of Captain Francis Evatt, Commandant of Fort Frederick between 1817 and 1847.  Captain Evatt is often referred to as the Father of Port Elizabeth because of the part he played in the town's early development as well as overseeing the landing of the 1820 British Settlers.

 

This picture dates from the early 1900's...

 

and this is what it looks like today.  The powder magazine is the little building on the left.

 

The Fort Frederick gateway and ramparts with a British soldier in uniform standing at the gateway.  The photo is dated 1895.  This was taken after the fort was abandoned for it's original purpose of guarding Algoa Bay.

The gateway as it looks today.  Notice the chimney top right that is visible in both pictures.

Aiming at Queen Mary 2

I was in Cape Town a week or so ago when the Queen Mary 2 visited the Port Elizabeth Harbour.  Man, I would have loved to see her and to take a picture to share with you.  Cue Gerhard Burger.  Gerhard dropped me a mail last night to say that he always enjoy the pictures on PE Daily Photo and to show me this one he took of the Queen Mary from Fort Frederick.  I am posting it for your pleasure with Gerhard's permission.  Stunning pic, isn't it?

Fort cannon

If this cannon on Fort Frederick was still in working order

I would have asked it to fire a salvo of 39 shots for me today.

Port Elizabeth - a century of being a city

Exactly one hundred years ago, on 28 July 1913, Port Elizabeth was declared a city.  It doesn't mean that Port Elizabeth is 100 years old, because its not.  Its much older than that.  The first settlement in Port Elizabeth started to develop around Fort Frederick after its completion in 1799 and it was officially named by Sir Rufane Donkin after his wife Lady Elizabeth in 1820 when he came to Algoa Bay to oversee the landing of the British Settlers.  A couple of events have been planned for the city to celebrate the city centenary and the South African Post Office is bringing out a beautiful set of commemorative stamps to mark the occasion.  I tried to do some research to find out what the significant reasoning was to warrant the occasion of declaring Port Elizabeth a city in 1913.  There isn't a lot of info available but according to historian Margaret Harradine it would have been done by an official proclamation because of the size of Port Elizabeth at the time and the fact that it could carry the right to be called a city was quite prestigious back then.  Happy city anniversary Port Elizabeth!!!

Another view from the fort

Whenever you see pictures of Fort Frederick its usually of the view towards the harbour, the entrance or the interior of the fort.  I dug up a photograph which I took standing inside the fort while looking towards the Donkin Reserve.  The top of the lighthouse as well as the giant South African is visible.  Part of the Prince Alfred Guard Drill Hall can also be seen just below the lighthouse. 

 

Fort Frederick was built in 1799 by the British to defend Algoa Bay from invasion and became the first permanent structure built by the British in Africa south of the equator.

Urban Run 2012

On Sunday I tackled the 2nd annual Urban Run along with about 1000 other athletes runners competitors adventurous people. What an amazing experience!!!  Urban Run is a 10,5km urban obstacle course through the Port Elizabeth city centre, the historical part of town, St Georges Park, Settlers Park and surrounding area.  The 17 obstacles along the way included crawling through cement pipes, scaling Fort Frederick, crossing the Baakens River on poles and running trough a train.  Did I mention the steps?  No?  There were lots of steps. And hills.  Steep hills.  But I'm not complaining.  The Urban Run was a truly memorable race and I can now kick myself that I didn't do it last year already.  I will definitively be back again next year. 

Arriving at the fort

One of the stops we did with the St Dominic's Priory kids on their city tour last week was at Fort Frederick, the oldest building in Port Elizabeth.  It was great to see that the fort seemed to have been cleaned up recently.  Lets hope it stays that way.

Fort interior

Looking at this scene of the inside of Fort Frederick today its hard to believe that back after it was competed in 1799 the fort was base to a full army garrison manning it.  Oh how one would love to travel back in time to see it first hand.

On the Fort's wall

Stopping by Fort Frederick the other day I spotted this guy enjoying the view from the top of the fort's walls.  Looking at the picture I wonder what it would have looked like with soldiers on the walls just after the fort was built in 1799.

The Fort

The closest I have to an aerial photo of Fort Frederick, Port Elizabeth's oldest building, is one taken from the top of the Donkin Lighthouse.  The views from the lighthouse is fantastic although its a bit of a tight climb up to the top.

Defending the Bay

Late afternoon at Fort Frederick looking east towards the Port Elizabeth harbour and Algoa Bay beyond.  The fort, which is the oldest building in Port Elizabeth, was built in 1799 to protect the Bay from invasion and was the first permanent stone structure to be built by the British in Africa south of the equator.

Lower Baakens Valley

When Fort Frederick (top left) was built overlooking the Baakens River Mouth and coastline in 1799 things looked a little bit different than today.  The river flowed into a fresh water lagoon and the beach was a lot closer than it is today.  These days there is no more lagoon and the river flows along a narrow canal while there are businesses on the river's flood plain.  Since the building of the Port Elizabeth harbour the Fort is also much further from the actual ocean than back in the days.