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a very well-known family. Arthur, like his brothers Murray and Edgar was a top class
cricketer. Murray was a barrister and Arthur and another brother, William, were attorneys.

Another brother, James was a land surveyor. Arthur Bisset may have had this house built as

an investment as he was shown to be living at Beaufort Cottage in both 1927 and 1940.

Unfortunately, this is one of the few houses where the plan (41984) was missing in the WC
Archive’s file but the house was designed by the well-known architect Brian Mansergh.

Permission was granted for it to be built with a shingle roof. It was completed on 11 April
1935 at a cost of £2, 000. (Fig. 3.65.) The builder was John Watt who gave his address as The

Tea Hoose, Kalk Bay. We do not have its subsequent history but by 1941 the then-owner,

Mrs E M Adkin, applied to have alterations and additions done, but permission was refused.

Woodlea

Ernest Cubitt Frost came to Cape Town with Standard Bank in 1894 and served in one of the
Cape Town volunteer units during the Anglo Boer War. (Fig. 3.66.) His son, Esdon Frost,

now in his 90s and living in England provided vital information. The family had lived at
Woodlea in Kloof Street Cape Town before renting the house Abbey Craig, Main Road Kalk

Bay.

When the Quarterdeck lots became available Frost bought four on 30 June 1934 – Lots 5 (erf

89607), 6 (erf 89608), 9 (erf 89611), and 10 (erf 89612). He later bought Lot 7. With his
retirement as General Manager of Standard Bank scheduled for December 1935, Frost

employed an architect who had done so much work for Standard Bank. William George
Fagg, of the firm Black and Fagg, had plans for this beautiful home – Woodlea (4 Prenton

St.) – approved on 18 July 1935. Builders R H Morris completed the work on 11 March 1936
at a cost of £3,000 and the Frost family settled into Kalk Bay. (Fig. 3.67.) His son Esdon
recalls that the 10 years he lived at Kalk Bay as a very happy time for the family. He first

went to school at Miss Kemp’s behind Holy Trinity. He then caught the train as a day boy at

Bishops before becoming a boarder. His elder brother Robin did the same.