Page 153 - Bulletin 22 2019

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Roslin Villa, 10 Harris Road, Erf 89963; bought from the estate for £655.

The widow Gertrude Isabella Pieterson (born Faure) bought Roslin Villa from the Harris estate

for £655 in 1913. (Fig. 3.47.) Despite the fact she and her descendants lived at this house for at
least 43 years, and must have been a feature in the life of Kalk Bay, very little is known about

them.

In 1927 the house was transferred to her daughters Joanna Henrietta Julia Duthie and Gertrude

Isabella Faure Pieterson. When Joanna died at the house in 1956 aged 85 her half-share of the

house and furniture valued at £700 was transferred to her sister Gertrude.

Kenilworth Villa, 12 Harris Road, Erven 89961/62; bought from the estate for £1,000.

Kenilworth Villa lies on two erven, the back one having been carved off the next-door property.

When James Harris died his brother John bought it from the estate for £1,000 in 1913. John was
killed by a car the following year and it then passed through two owners before being registered

in the name of Rachel Jetty Harris in 1918. She was 21 years old with a new born daughter and

the year before had married Jacob ‘Jack’ Harris. Both were Lithuanian Jews, part of the huge
influx around this time from Eastern Europe. Rachel was to own Kenilworth Villa for the next 47

years finally selling it in 1965. (Figs. 3.48 & 3.49.)

Jack owned Harris Butchers and also had an interest in Harris and Block the general dealers on

the Main Road. Unfortunately there was a problem with one of the partners. Morris Block was

convicted of contravening the Insolvency Act and sentenced to 9 months hard labour in 1929.
This was the end of a long-running problem involving Morris Block and money and it led to the

closing of the businesses on the Main Road.

No doubt this unfortunate matter had tongues wagging in the village where the family had
become well-known. More to the point, it left them with little money and three young children.

Life was tough but by all accounts Rachel (Mrs Jack Harris as she is known to this day) was a

feisty and resourceful woman. There are several Archive files where she took on the Council on
various issues. This included the scrap she had when she was told she could no longer keep the