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OBITUARY, September 1945.

MRS. "NELLIE" BELDING

DEATH AND FUNERAL OF OLD RESIDENT

        The death took place in the Kimberley Hospital on Monday [24 Sep 1945] of Mrs Ellen ("Nellie") Belding at the age of 73 years, after a lingering illness.
        The Very Reverend Dean F. W. Smith officiated at Bodley's funeral chapel and at the West End Cemetery.
        He paid high tribute to the life and work of the deceased and said: "If the real work [?worth] of a city is the character of its people, Kimberley is poorer today by the death of Mrs. (Nellie) Belding, one of its finest and bravest citizens."

HER PUBLIC WORK
        Mrs. Belding came to Kimberley in 1898 to marry Mr. Gregory Turner Belding. Her 47 years in Kimberley, including the period 1922-26, when she was Mayoress, were years of unfailing and active concern for the welfare of the city and its people. She was identified with kinds of public, social and church work.
        During her term of office as Mayoress she was hostess to many distinguished visitors, including H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, and she cherished memories of her associations with the Earl of Athlone and of H.R.H. the Princess Alice.
        She started the Mayoress's Special Relief Fund for the benefit of the poor (especially the poor children) of Kimberley. A friend who knew her well in those active days has testified that "if Mrs. Belding was seen in the Mayor's car or on foot it could be taken as certain that she was engaged upon one of her countless errands of mercy and help."
        She took a keen interest in the Kimberley School Board.
BOMB DISASTER
        It is recalled that when a bomb disaster occurred at Kuruman over 20 years ago, she threw her house open to the families of some of the victims after they had been brought by the ambulance to Kimberley.
        She was an active supporter of the Blue Cross Society for looking after animals during the war.
        The Dean said that Mrs. Belding's "good and self-sacrificing works could only spring from a noble character."
        The funeral was large and representative and included Sisters of Nazareth, the Mayor of Kimberley and Mrs. G. S. Eden, several ex-mayors and members and ex-members of the municipal staffs.
        The chief mourner was Mrs. Muriel Landless (daughter), of Chisamba, Northern Rhodesia.
        The pallbearers were the Deputy-Mayor (Cr. J. W. Orr), Mr. E. C. Northcote, Mr. J. A. Swan, Major E. A. Gibb, Mr. A. H. Robins, and Mr. A. J. Beet.
        There was a large number of wreaths and floral tributes.

[From the local paper, ? The Advertiser, Kimberley.]

Adventures in 1830

"In 1830, William, James, Joseph, and Samuel Cawood went through Kafirland to Natal on a trading expedition. It was a perilous undertaking in those days. Dingaan had not then been defeated by the trek Boers, and wreaked his savage vengeance on all who ventured within his dominions. The brothers Cawood dared the wrath, however, even of Dingaan. On this journey they stayed for ten days at the Chief's kraal. But when they left, he treacherously sent an impi to overtake and massacre them. Fortunately the route they took was along the beach, while the impi thought they would take the inland route. Rains had retarded the movements of the impi and obliterated the brothers' spoor, and so the bold Albany youths escaped, and Samuel Cawood was thus spared to take a leading part in the establishment of the Settlement, and in the future history of the Colony. While at Natal, their supplies ran short, and one of the brothers, William, undertook to ride back through Kafirland, accompanied by a native, to obtain fresh supplies. Crossing the mouth of the Umzimkulu, the bar of which described at that time a segment of a circle, the Zulu and his horse, when half way across, disappeared,—the former rose no more, while the latter was taken out beyond the bar with the current. The animal, however, managed to swim back again, and landed on the side of the river from which Mr. Cawood had started. Seeing Mr. Cawood and his horse on the opposite side, the horse swam over to them, and continued the journey. This ride through Kafirland was a bold one, and affords one of the many instances that might be recorded of the courage and gallantry of the Settlers' sons."

[The Story of the Settlement, 2nd Edition.]