History unearthed at Westville Cemetery

THE story on the cemetery in Westville, published in July in the Highway Mail, prompted both interest and curiosity.

Situated just off Norfolk Terrace in Glenridge Road, the cemetery is open to the public during the week.

As access is through the municipality’s Roads and Stormwater Maintenance Depot, which is open on Saturday, it has been possible to visit the cemetery then as well.

ALSO READ: Westville’s forgotten cemetery neglected

The municipality has sent a team on a “hack and slash” clean-up and although the worst of the litter and undergrowth has been cleared, the effect of over two decades of neglect is even more apparent.

The Westville Conservancy is considering adopting the cemetery as one of its projects but it will require resources.

The municipality will have to do far more than its rough cut: the collapsed boundary and retaining wall will need to be rebuilt and grass pathways between the graves replanted. The conservancy hopes families with links to the cemetery and local schools will wish to assist.

A 1974 plan of the cemetery has been located, which will be of use when new grave markers are made.

The Lange family

The cemetery stands on land originally donated to Westville by the Lange family in the late 19th century. A descendant, Robert Lange, who believes he is the last of the male line, had been unable to find any of the family’s graves.

Three Langes are buried there, but one double tombstone is smashed in three places, the other is obscured by thick weeds.

Aged 79, he was delighted to be shown them and would like his ashes scattered there when the time comes.It was his ancestors who had once entertained Queen Victoria’s 16-year-old son, Prince Alfred, when he had toured southern Africa in 1860.

Travelling from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on horseback, the Prince had passed a hastily reassembled triumphal arch (the original had collapsed) decorated with flags, bananas and pineapples before stopping for refreshments at the German House.

Owned by the Lange family, it stood in the vicinity of present day Westville Vet in Jan Hofmeyr Road.

More recent members to make their mark are Graham Lange, who was a teacher at Northwood School for 33 years until 2000; Frank, who was groundsman at Kingsmead and the old soccer stadium and Frank’s brother Stan, who become Mayor of Durban.

WBHS boys visit

Other visitors to the cemetery were the head and deputy head boys of Westville Boys’ High School, Daniel Trevethan and Gareth Beavan.

They were keen to see the memorial stone of a former teacher at the school, Charles Swain.

Over time, the school had forgotten about Swain’s stone in the cemetery but he is one of two former teachers after whom a school house is named.

Charles Swain and his wife, Sybil, had emigrated to SA from Britain in 1951, seeking new opportunities outside Britain where war rationing was still in place.

Their son, Peter, found employment in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and was working in Lusaka when his father died suddenly on 16 March 1957.

Charles had begun working at the Westville Government School in late 1953, teaching woodwork and physical education. Those who remember him, all speak of his love of sport.

The sporting achievements of Trevethan, who captions the 1st surfing team and plays 1st team cricket and Beavan, who has the distinction of captaining both the 1st Cricket X1 and 1st Rugby XV, would have gladdened Swain’s heart.

He was quick to volunteer his services, which were frequently relied upon by Mrs Pat Stockil, a redoubtable teacher who would eventually serve under seven headmasters between 1947 and 1971.

When the apparently fit Swain died aged only 57, the headmaster noted that the death of this most popular master had cast a tremendous gloom over the whole school.

He is not actually buried at the cemetery – he was cremated – but possibly his ashes were scattered or buried there with a low stone memorial.

School bell

His widow moved into the home of Rusty and Pat Stockil. Quite why such a need arose to commemorate Swain after his death is unclear. Although his presence was keenly felt, he was but one of a number of other dedicated staff members and had been at the school for less than four years.

The school first created Swain house but Mrs Stockil then set about acquiring a ship’s bell as a further memorial of his life.

Again it is unclear how the “Solitaire” bell was found, but this US-built cargo ship had made its last voyage in 1949.

The bell originally stood in a prominent position outside the school hall, but in 2006 it was moved to the new sports centre where it resides less prominently, springing to life once a year when each matric boy rings it on his last school day.

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