Maritzburg College celebrates their 150th Anniversary in 2013 and we are helping them by transcribing the entire school admission registers. The school was founded in 1863 and is the oldest boys high school in Kwazulu Natal.  In these registers you will find out when they were born, parent’s names, when they entered the school and when they left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But also you will find out what their fellow teachers thought of them and see what characteristics and traits they had. We found poor Tracey Robinson was listed as being “Idle, rude and backward”, Alan Moodie born 1871 was given a character as “imbecile”, James Welch Meldrum born 29 June 1873 was noted as being “sombre and dull” but Paul Bernard Stratham was noted as “a genius and amiable but irregular”.

Start searching now through the first 20 years or browse to find out what your ancestors “character” at school was.

Can you help volunteer to transcribe these records? please contact us now

Maritzburg College was founded as the Pietermaritzburg High School in 1863 to accommodate the influx of children arriving at the new city of Pietermaritzburg and its surrounding farmlands within the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. As the school swelled, “the best-trained [architect] in the Colony”, PM Dudgeon, was commissioned to design – on the then outskirts of the city – a larger classroom and boarding block, which was completed in 1888 and later became known as ‘Clark House’, honouring the school’s third headmaster, Mr RD Clark (MA (Oxon)), who is often referred to as ‘the Father of College’.  Clark House is a Pietermaritzburg landmark and carries South Africa’s heritage seal, certifying it as a national monument. A similar honour was bestowed on the school’s Victoria Hall, the building of which commenced in 1897 (Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee year) and which served as a British Army hospital from November 1899 until July 1900 during the Second Boer War.[8]

List of notable Old Collegians (selected) (by year of matriculation)

• •    Kenneth Hathorn (1865), judge
• •    Sir Henry Bale (1870 dux) KC, KCMC, Colony of Natal cabinet minister and Chief Justice
• •    Lt-Col Henry Nourse (1874c), founder of Nourse Mines, founder of Nourse’s Horse, first president of SA Amateur Athletic & Cycling Association, member of International Olympic Committee, first chairman of SA Olympic Committee, president of SA Lawn Tennis Association
• •    T Cochrane (1882), South African senator
• •    Maj-Gen WEC Tanner (1884), Chief of Staff of Union of South Africa Defence Force (UDF) and battlefield commander at the Battle of Delville Wood (1916)
• •    John Herschensohnn (1886), Provincial Secretary (Natal)
• •    Percy Taylor (1892) OBE, South African senator
• •    Lt-Col Bertram Nicholson (1893) CMG, CBE, DSO, MC, Resident Commissioner: Swaziland, Officer Commanding: Imperial Light Horse (Swaziland Troop)
• •    Henry Hosking (1895), South African senator
• •    Dr Charles Loram (1895), Director of Education (Natal), founder of SA Institute of Race Relations, Professor of Education: Yale University
• •    Peter von M Anderson (1898), President South African Chamber of Mines, Chairman Union Mining Corp
• •    Walter E Thrash (1902), South African senator, MPC, Judge President of Natal
• •    TB Horwood (1906), judge, Rhodes Scholar
• •    Ryle Masson (1907), judge
• •    A Radford (1907), South African senator
• •    Joseph Brokensha (1908), judge
• •    Dr Reginald Banks (1909), Director of Education (Natal)
• •    HSK Simpson (1910), South African senator
• •    C ‘Bill’ Payn (1910), South African national rugby player, multitalented provincial sportsman (five sports), renowned as the ‘Man who ran the 1922 Comrades Marathon in his rugby boots’, holder of the MM
• •    HG ‘Nummy’ Deane (1910c), captain of South African national cricket team
• •    Col Dr Oswald Shearer (1910), South African senator
• •    Prof Edgar Brookes (1911), South African senator, South African representative to the League of Nations
• •    Dr George Campbell (1911), Chancellor: University of Natal
• •    Herbert Cleverly (1913), judge (Nigeria)
• •    FR Shaw (1914), judge
• •    JJ Boshoff (1915), South African senator
• •    Capt CW Byas (1915) RN, OBE, commander of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen
• •    Alan Paton (1918), author of Cry, the Beloved Country and political activist
• •    Philip J. Nel (1921 head prefect), captain of ‘the Greatest Springboks’ of 1937 – the only South African national rugby team to have won a test series against the All Blacks in New Zealand
• •    Capt J Lloyd (1924), commodore: Safmarine fleet
• •    Dr Bernard Armitage (1925), Chancellor: University of Natal
• •    PE Pakendorf (1926), Bishop Berlin Missionary Society
• •    Kenneth Pakendorf (1927), ambassador to Japan
• •    Hubert Freakes (1930), Rhodes scholar, England national rugby union team player (killed while serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II)
• •    Dr Solly Levinsohn (1935 dux), Director of Education (Natal)
• •    Howard Odell (1935), South African senator
• •    Lt-Gen Keith Coster (1936), OBE, General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Rhodesian Army, Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of South Africa
• •    Brigadier Sydney Bristow (1937 head prefect), Commissioner of the British South Africa Police (BSAP), Legion of Merit (Rhodesia)
• •    Lt-Gen Bob Rogers (1938), DSO, DFC, Chief of the South African Air Force, South African national shottist whilst still at school
• •    EAT Smith (1938), judge, Attorney-General (Rhodesia), Grand Officer of the Legion of Merit
• •    GNT Charlton (1938), Woltemade Cross for Bravery (gold)
• •    Dr ND Clarence (1938), Vice-Chancellor and Principal: University of Natal
• •    Dr Raymond Adie (1941), OBE, Polar scientist, winner: Polar Medal and Fuchs Medal
• •    Harold Strachan (1941c), liberation struggle bomber
• •    H du P Wilmot (1943), President of the Associated Chamber of Commerce of South Africa (ASSOCOM)
• •    Cuan McCarthy (1945), fast-bowler in South African national cricket side
• •    Dr Ivan Hattingh (1948), director of the World Wildlife Fund
• •    DJ Jackie McGlew (1948), captain of South African national cricket team
• •    Rear-Adm Paul Wijnberg (1950), OC of Natal Naval Command, South African Navy
• •    Fawcett Bestall (1950c), captain of South African national hockey team
• •    Brian Irvine (1950 head prefect), captain of Junior Springboks rugby team, President of the Natal Rugby Union
• •    Dr Julian Biebuyck (1951), Professor of Medicine (anaesthesia) at Harvard Medical School
• •    Spencer Sterling (1951), President of the SA Chamber of Business, Chairman of the SA Motor Corp
• •    Rt Revd Michael Nuttall (1951), Bishop of Natal, Elsie Ballot Scholar (University of Cambridge)
• •    Graham Sweeney (1951), President of Dow Chemicals (Canada)
• •    Keith Oxlee (1952), vice-captain of the South African national rugby team
• •    Jim Watson (1952), captain of South African national polo team, awarded SA Sports Merit Award
• •    Tut Marwick (1952), captain of South African national swimming team
• •    Cedric Savage (1955), Chairman of the Tongaat Hulett Group, President of the SA Chamber of Business, captain of South African national water polo team
• •    Dr Malcolm Forsyth (1953), composer, Order of Canada
• •    A Saulez (1953), MD of Grinakers
• •    Oliver Hart (1954), President of the Association of Law Societies of South Africa
• •    Terence Craig (1955), captain of South African national polo team
• •    Brian Edwards (1956), MEC, captain and coach of South African national hockey team
• •    Robert Pickering (1956c), captain of South African national polo team
• •    James McClure (1957), author
• •    Peter Miller (1958), MPC, MEC, cabinet minister: KZN
• •    Bruce Mackenzie (1959), CEO of Philips SA
• •    Donald George MacLeod (1960), MD: Illovo Sugar, Natal cricketer, President: Natal Cricket Union
• •    Julian Herman (1961), concertmaster: Amsterdam Concertgebouw
• •    ML McLachlan (1961), Rhodes Scholar, SA swimming international
• •    Brig-Gen Peter ‘Monster’ Wilkins (1963), GOC: Southern Air Command, South African Air Force
• •    David Ryder (1963), captain of South African national hockey team
• •    Maj-Gen Ian Deetlefs (1964), Chief of Defence Reserves, South African National Defence Force
• •    Rear-Admiral Steven Stead (1966), Chief of Naval Staff operations, South African Navy
• •    Paul Harris (1967 head prefect), co-founder and CEO of Rand Merchant Bank Limited and CEO of FirstRand Bank Limited
• •    Kevin Swain (1968), judge
• •    Duncan Hindle (1969), Director-General (Education)
• •    Maj-Gen Hugh Paine (1969), Chief Director of Force Preparation, South African Air Force
• •    Graham Mackenzie (1969), Member of Parliament (Congress of the People Party), President of the Sharks (rugby union) (2012)
• •    Darryl Bestall (1970 head prefect), captain of South African national hockey team and South African cricketer (SA XI)
• •    Ian Rogers (1975), international rugby referee
• •    Andre Bredenkamp (1975), mountaineer, climber of the seven summits, two-time conqueror of Mount Everest
• •    Clint Rafferty (1975), captain of South African national shooting team
• •    Allan Olivier (1977), CEO of Grindrod Limited
• •    Gary Strydom (1978), Mr USA, bodybuilding
• •    Graham Ford (1978), coach of the South African national cricket team
• •    Craig Jamieson (1979 head prefect), the first Natal rugby captain to lift the Currie Cup (1990), 1995 Rugby World Cup Tournament manager
• •    MJ English (1979), captain of South African national fishing team
• •    Clark Rattray (1980c), captain of South African national polo team
• •    Donovan English (1981), captain of South African national polocrosse team
• •    Sean O’Sullivan (1981c), captain of South African national polocrosse team
• •    Clive Cole (1981), captain of South African national polo team
• •    Chris Frost (1982), winner of the 2010 Cape to Rio Yacht Race
• •    Bruce ‘Buster’ Mackenzie (1983), captain of South African national polo team
• •    Michael Brown (1983), CEO of Nedbank Limited
• •    Craig Egberink (1985), winner of the 2011 Mongol Derby
• •    Joel Stransky (1985), South African national rugby player
• •    Jonty Rhodes (1987 head prefect), South African national cricket player
• •    Wilhelmus ‘Wim’ Visser (1987), Italian national rugby player, and member of the first Italian team to win a Six Nations Championship match (vs Scotland)
• •    Selby Williamson (1988), captain of South African national polo team
• •    Donovan Cech (1990), South African national rower, bronze medallist at the 2004 Olympic Games
• •    Brendon Dedekind (1993), captain of South African national swimming team
• •    Craig Joubert (1995), international rugby referee who officiated in the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup
• •    Pieter Dixon (1995), South African national rugby player
• •    Steven Evans (1996c), captain of South African national indoor hockey team
• •    Stewart ‘Sugar’ Erskine (1997c), captain of South African national polo team
• •    Shaun Morgan (1997), lead singer and guitar player of the band Seether
• •    Kevin Pietersen (1997) MBE, captain of the England cricket team
• •    Butch James (1997), South African national rugby player
• •    Chad Erskine (1998), USA national rugby player
• •    Sean Jackson (2000c), captain of South African national hockey team
• •    Peter Grant (2002), South African national rugby player
• •    Darian Townsend (2002), Olympic gold medallist in Athens, 2004 – member of the 4x100m freestyle world record relay team
• •    Wade Paton (2006c), captain of South African national hockey team
• •    David Miller (2007), South African national cricket player

Source Wikipedia