Stellenbosch's first teacher was Sybrand Mancadan, but he wasn’t a schoolteacher in the same sense as today.Controversial figureAlthough Mancadan was schooled in Theology, he was expelled from ministry in Friesland (a province in Holland) due to his indecent behaviour. Thereafter he was sent per ship to the small settlement, ...  Continue reading

Last week I explained where the names Murray-, Neethling- en Hofmeyer street originated.Today I look at Bosman's crossing, an area on the Western periphery of Stellenbosch.The exact origin of the name Bosman’s crossing is debated, some reckon it is named after a certain Mr Daniel Bosman who owned a brandy distillery next to t...  Continue reading

Murraystraat, a beautiful street on campus, is named after John Murray.It leads to the entrance of the US botanical gardens.JOHN MURRAY (1826 - 1882)John Murray might easily be confused with his younger brother Andrew Murray, who started the Huguenot College in Wellington.Both brothers made an big impact in South Africa as th...  Continue reading

Where does the name Merriman Street come from?John X Merriman was a British politician who became Prime Minister of the previous Cape Colony in 1908. Here he is seen sitting on the stoep with his wife, friends, servants and dogs.He wasn't a life long Stellenbosch resident, but is often associated with the farm Rustenberg, whe...  Continue reading

Van Riebeeck street lies between Plein street and Jonkershoekweg.One of Stellenbosch's heritage writers, Mrs Annie Hofmeyr, wrote a book about the street, tracing its history house by house.Different namesShe explains that Van Riebeeck street has had 3 different names. Names like 'church street' and 'Andringa' are much older ...  Continue reading

What do the four earliest streets in Stellenbosch tell us about what people valued at the time?Dorp street - the unofficial firstDorp street, 'de wapad naar de Caab',  joined the Cape to Stellenbosch and was one of the first roads to develop. This was the main trade route for farmers wanting to sell wine, wheat and other prod...  Continue reading