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Fernandez, daughter of the well-known Fernandez family. Thus by 1949 the Fernandez

family owned both pieces of land.

Pedro (also spelt Petro) Fernandez was born in Kalk Bay in 1860, one of the seven children

of one of the original Filipinos – Staggie (Eustachio) Fernandez. (Fig. 4.14.) This picture
confirms the stories about Pedro – that apart from being an expert fisherman, a boat owner

and businessman – he was a real character. His aunt ‘Drina’ described him a 1939 interview:

“Many residents along the False Bay coast remember Pedro with kind thoughts and

affection. Pedro, with his amazing business acumen, his jokes, his friendliness, his
good talk, his charming eccentricities. More than anything he loved boats, boats that

could sail swiftly and boats that could chug across the breakers by motor power.”

In 1898 Pedro submitted a house plan. (Fig 4.15.) Apparently the house was originally in

Rouxville Road and permission was given to rebuild on the plot still owned by Falal Samaai

on the Sandblocks. Pedro and his wife Lydia (b. Luyt) had 12 children, four of whom died
young. Apart from anything else this family is remembered for the tragic sinking of one of

Pedro’s boats, Columbia, near Robben Island. Of a crew of 11 only two survived. Three of
their sons – Joseph, Frederick and Simon were all drowned when the boat went down on 22

May 1922. The shock to the family and the close knit fishing community was enormous.
What made this more shocking was that the well-known Nicholas Menigo also drowned. (see

below).

Pedro bought the plot in 1910 and when he died in 1933 his house was valued at £275 and he

had boats valued at £1290. His wife Lydia had usufruct of the house which was inherited by
his children.

As is well known, Pedro’s daughter Sophia effectively ran the family business, including the
well-documented guano collection from Seal Island. Sophia had to contend with many

difficulties, among them the 1935 declaration of the Fernandez house as a slum. This was

part of a massive clear up of Kalk Bay leading eventually to the building of the Fishermen’s’
Flats and the Roman Catholic Mission School. Reading between the lines it seems clear that

there was a certain amount of bullying going on by the Council – not only directed at the