Tony Burisch of the Heidelberg Heritage Association awarded the latest blue plaque for Heritage to Mr Blyth’s residence on August 18.
The plaque is number 55 in the Heidelberg Heritage series.
The sponsors of the blue plaque are the current owners of the property, Hans and Erika Prigge. They have lived in the house for five years.
Blyth’s residence is at 2 Van der Westhuizen Street. It is believed that the house could have been built in 1890.
According to the book Geskiedenis van Heidelberg, the property belonged to George Kinnear Blyth (1863-1912).
Blyth’s parents were David Henderson and Sophia Catharina Kinnear.
George Kinnear Blyth was born June 14, 1863, in Beaufort West and died May 24, 1912, in Heidelberg.
He had 10 brothers and sisters. George was the second oldest of the siblings.
George married Anna Emily Becker on May 5, 1896, in Ladysmith. Anna Emily Becker was born on March 8, 1875, in Ladysmith. They had six children.
George was an accountant by trade as well as a legal agent in Heidelberg.
It is possible that he came to Heidelberg due to the discovery of gold and made Heidelberg his home.
In the days that he was alive, he was considered one of the wealthy Heidelbergers.
George Blyth was one of the founding committee members of the Heidelberg Club, the oldest club in the town. It opened in 1897.
George is buried in the Heidelberg Kloof Cemetery together with his son Heinie, who died on March 6, 1912.
After George’s death, Anna and her family relocated to Ladysmith. Anna died on June 7, 1950.
