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Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA > 2003-12 > 1070712967


From: "Charles Daniel" <>
Subject: Re: [ZA] Hopetown
Date: Sat, 6 Dec 2003 14:16:07 +0200
References: <3FCE6B5C.EA3F5413@slingshot.co.nz> <005901c3ba4a$6815a0e0$197e19ac@admin1> <000c01c3badb$2f4bb240$285627c4@pops>


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernie Cramer" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 4:54 AM
Subject: Re: [ZA] Hopetown


> Hi Maureen,
>
> Sarah is quite right about "ALBANIA", it was situated about 50 miles
> west of Jacobsdal, OFS, in an area of approx. 100sq miles, one side
> bound by the Orange River, the top end ending against where the Orange
> and Vaal Rivers met and the other side bound by the Vetberg Line,
> inside Griqualand West, the lowest point was the town of Ramah,
> HOPETOWN was on the west bank of the Orange River, on the Cape side of
> the river, I have a map of it's locality in a book, " South Africa and
> the British Empire" by A.S.Bleby, B.A. [late Principle of the Girls
> High School, Rondebosch] dated 1913. I have a scanned image on the
> computer, if you would like one I will gladly send it .
>
> Regards,
> Bernie.
>
> Bernard L Cramer,
> [Family History Researcher]
> POBox,100805,
> Scottsville, 3209,
> Pietermaritzburg,
> KZN, South Africa.
> phone, +27-33-3420111
> Mobile, +27-072-3045319..
> Email,
> Email,
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Editor" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 11:05 AM
> Subject: Re: [ZA] Hopetown
>
>
> > Hi Sarah
> >
> > Not "Albania" -- that's a country in Europe. The area known as
> ALBANY was in
> > the Eastern Cape, with Grahamstown as its principal town. Was there
> ever a
> > Hopetown in Albany? If there was, it's disappeared out of the
> historical
> > record, as none of my sources make any mention of one.
> >
> > Hopetown, not to be confused with Hoopstad in the Free State, is far
> away
> > from Albany, in the Northern Cape near Kimberley, close to the
> Orange River,
> > & is elevated in SA history as the place near which the first
> diamonds were
> > discovered in 1867, the famous Hopetown Diamond. As I vaguely
> recall, this
> > diamond was sent to someone (who?) in Grahamstown to confirm its
> status. He
> > used the stone to write his name or initials (I think) on a
> windowpane,
> > still to be seen (at least, I once saw it in the mid-1980s).
> >
> > Hopetown was founded in 1853 or 1854, became a municipality in 1858.
> > "Generally accepted as having been named after Major William HOPE,
> > auditor-general & acting secretary of the Cape, but there is a
> tradition
> > linking the name to an ornament in the shape of an anchor,
> symbolizing
> > hope." (_Dictionary of Southern African Place Names_, PE Raper
> (Lowry
> > Publishers, 1987).
> >
> > Regards
> > Maureen
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Sarah" <>
> > To: <>
> > Sent: 04 December 2003 01:01
> > Subject: [ZA] Hopetown
> >
> >
> > > Dear Members
> > > While trying to find out more about James HEATH and his family who
> were
> > > near Kimberley at the turn of the century, there seems to be a
> group
> > > scattered between Hanover and Kimberley, I discovered this site
> about
> > > Hopetown which was in the area known briefly as Albania.
> > > http://abbott-infotech.co.za/hopetown/
> > >
> > > Sarah
> > >
> > >
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