Hi Parkin Family

During a recent visit to Cape Town, I spent a little time in the Western Cape Archives researching John Parkin's records. I found two new interesting facts that were never mentioned in the well known book about John Parkin and his family of Baakens River Farm, by NP Sellick.

Although Sellick mentioned there are some records regarding some involvement with Frederick Korsten and even that John's one son was named Cradock after Korsten's development then known as Cradock Place, it appears Sellick did not come across some of the documentation now held in the Western Cape Archives.

There is a document which is a written appeal, dated November 1827, by John Parkin against a sentence that was imposed on him of a fine for 300 Rix Dollars (equivalent to about £21 then or around R25 000 today) for libel.

In the appeal, John describes the situation that resulted in the fine as follows.

John Parkin had gone into a partnership with John Damant, who at the time was married to Frederick Korsten's only child, Maria Johanna Charlotta (Korsten), to build a saw mill situated in Korsten's   farm area which he was developing into and industrial area. Korsten's farm, previously known as Papenkuilsfontein, and then in 1825 as Cradock Place or Town. It is not clear when the partnership started, but John Damant passed away in April 1825 while the saw mill construction was still underway and the partnership still ongoing. This would show that John Parkin was economically active and adding huge value to the development of Port Elizabeth in its very early development before 1825.

From John's appeal explanation, it appears in agreement with Korsten and his daughter, John Parkin continued with the completion of the saw mill project and once complete, wanted to settle the partnership agreement with Maria Damant. Whether this was a buy out or any other settlement of payment is unknown at this stage, however, John was at this stage told to come to agreement with a Notary, Mr Chabaud (Speak to my layer). 

After some negotiation and agreement on all but one aspect, Chabaud had told John that in the next day, he would come to agreement on the final aspect. After a some time, there was no final  agreement and Chabaud then reneged on their earlier agreed items and proposed the dispute be put forward for arbitration.

Angered, John had then written (he claims someone wrote on his behalf) a somewhat heated letter to Maria Damant, lamenting the fact he felt that Chabaud was using delaying tactics that would only benifit Chabaud and cause more costs for Damant and Parkin. 

Unfortunately, Maria Damant took the letter to Chabaud and he consequently sued John Parkin for libel resulting in the 300 Rix Dollar fine.

John went on in his letter of appeal that he was struggling to make ends meet with 9 children and having only arrived in 1820 (although he clearly had been making some money as he had just taken transfer of the farm Baakens River which he bought for £123 ).  He further said he was not educated in the laws of the Colony and did not know he should not have signed a letter with the language that was in it and that the letter was not for public scrutiny, addressed to widow of John Damant for her eyes only. He also argued that the damage to John Parkin's reputation now that the letter was made public through the courts was worse than a private letter which Chabaud should not have seen.

At the bottom of the document are 2 words written by whoever heard the appeal. "Cannot interfere" dismissing the appeal.

References - Western Cape Archives - Source CO, Volume 3935, Reference 127

The other interesting information discovered in the Archives is a large farm property that John Parkin purchased in 1834. In the archives is a memorial written by John Parkin on 14 Nov 1835 where he makes an appeal addressed directly to the Cape Colony Governor at the time, Sir Benjamin D’Urban G.C.B. to set aside the 4% duty on the purchase of the property which was due by Frederick Potgieter due to the complexity of the transaction.

The farm was Kragga Kamma, 2936 morgen (approx 1300 hectares) according to a Surveyor General drawing in 1816.

John Parkin attended an auction on 20 July 1834 for the estate of the late Adolf Landman after his wife, Isabela Elizabeth (Vogel) death where the Kragga Kamma farm was sold to one Frederick Evert Potgieter for Rx12170 (Rix Dollars - or around £953, a substantial amount of money in those days which would be equivalent to R3.5m today). Frederick was the husband to one of Adolf and Isabella's daughters, Jacomina Johanna Christina 

In the memorial written by John, he states that Potgieter could not get the securities required to finalise the sale of the property after the auctioneers hammer dropped and that John then paid Potgieter for the property so he could pay the auctioneer. In John's argument to remit the duty, he said Potgieter did not receive any benefit from the sale of the property to John in terms of money or anything else and the sale took place within an hour of the auction so Potgieter should not have to pay the 4%, but John would on the transfer to his name. His memorial was accompanied by a statement by the auctioneer, Litsman (?) confirming the sale to Potgieter and immediately thereafter to John Parkin.

It all seems a bit odd that one of the spouses of the children who were probably beneficiaries of the deceased, Adolf and Isabella Landman's estate, would purchase the property at the auction and then, not having secured funding, sold immediately to John. Perhaps a deal had been struck?

I am yet to come across the records of when John sold Kragga Kamma farm, but it was definitely not part of his estate at the time of his death in 1856. 

Reference     - Western Cape Archives - Source CO, Volume 3981, Reference 64

                      - SG Website - https://csg.dlrrd.gov.za/esio/searchproperty.jsp    

                         Farm - Kragga Kamma, Region Port ELizabeth, Parcel 00000023, Portion 00000