The shipwreck display at the entrance of the Irma Booysen Nature Reserve in Cape St Francis now has a cannon from the 1800s on display.
The cannon, donated by the long-time motoring editor of Gqeberha’s The Herald, Bobby Cheetham and his family, was originally from Cannonville, a small village on the banks of the Sunday’s River.
“Admittedly the cannon does not come from an actual shipwreck but is of significant historical value, from the Eastern Cape, and is what people expect to see at a shipwreck display,” said Matt Gennrich, local CSF resident and Chairman of FOSTER (Friends of St Francis Nature Areas), a local NPO looking after the four nature reserves surrounding Cape St Francis.
“Since opening the display with sponsorship and support from the Civics, Rotary and Lighthouse Construction, we started looking around for a cannon to enhance the display. These are difficult to find and people who own them tend to keep them. One day I remembered that Bobby Cheetham had shown me his cannon some years ago whilst he lived in Summerstrand, and I took a chance and phoned him to ask if he still had it.”
Cheetham, now retired in George, said that not knowing what to do with his cannon had sent it to his son Clive in Johannesburg, and if Clive agreed he would be happy to donate it to the shipwreck display in Cape St Francis, if it added value and gave pleasure to more people.
“I then called Clive and he readily agreed with his father, and confirmed that we could have it as long as we could get it transported back to the Eastern Cape where it belonged, as it was large and that it weighed an estimated three to four tons. I mentioned our dilemma to Miles Japhet of St Francis Bay, one of FOSTER’S generous donors, and he said he might be able to help. On that Monday, Ryan from Milltrans called to ask where he could collect the cannon, and that it would be delivered on Thursday. Dave Bowmer, our reserve manager and custodian of the display, sprang into action and prepared the display site in time for the delivery,” said Gennrich.
He added that there are a number of amateur shipwreck fundis in the area, but they also have one of South Africa’s foremost authorities on shipwrecks living in St Francis Bay, namely Malcolm Turner, a professional diver turned historian and author of the book Shipwrecks and Salvage in South Africa, published in 1988.
“When asked, Malcolm gave freely of his advice and sent me an article from The Herald of December 11, 1968 which tells the history of two cannons from Cannonville. Malcolm positively identified this as being one of them. The exact history is unclear, but as these are not military cannons it is likely that they were used to initially protect private property. According to the article, though, the 18 pounder guns were used to salute dignitaries such as when the Prince of Wales visited in August 1860, and Lord Charles Somerset when they crossed the Sunday’s River on the pont in use then. Both the article and Malcolm stress that this is assumption and remains this way until proven otherwise,” said Gennrich.
“Whatever the real story is, we say a huge thank you to the Cheetham family for this generous donation to our town; then to Miles and Milltrans for helping to get the cannon relocated to Cape St Francis.
“Before long, with the support of the Civics and Rotary the shipwreck display will hopefully be further enhanced with artifacts from our latest shipwreck, the Elke M, including its anchor and sections of the rear mast, and its nameplate. FOSTER, whilst happy to host the display at the entrance of the Irma Booysen Reserve, will not use funds raised for conservation to contribute financially to the display.”
Stop and visit the display when next in Cape St Francis, and then also take a walk whilst there in one of the reserves, kept pristine by the team with funding from memberships and generous donors.
For more information or to become a member, go to foster.org.za.
