Charles Lennox Stretch (1797-1882)
reference (encyclopaedic) · consulted 2026-07-31
- Type
- reference (encyclopaedic)
- Repository
- Wikipedia
- Consulted
- 2026-07-31
The citation as it was given
The surveyor of twelve of this project's farms. b. Bristol 6 May 1797; to southern Africa 1818 as a captain in the 38th Regiment; defended Grahamstown 1819; ENGINEER AND GOVERNMENT LAND SURVEYOR FOR GRAAFF-REINET FROM 1823. Built the Oudeberg Pass (1829) and the Van Ryneveld's Pass road (1832) WITH ANDREW GEDDES BAIN. Served in the 6th frontier war 1834-35; appointed diplomatic agent to the Xhosa (Gaika, Imidange, Amabele) in 1836; exposed the brutal execution of King Hintsa; fought alongside Fengu forces in the 7th frontier war 1846-47, clashed with the British authorities and WAS DISMISSED. Known to the Xhosa as XOLILIZWE, 'peacemaker'. Cape Parliament for Fort Beaufort 1854, Port Elizabeth 1859, Legislative Council for the Eastern Circle 1868; one of only two eastern members supporting Responsible Government, carried 1872. Retired 1873, d. 13 Oct 1882. TERTIARY SOURCE - good enough to establish that the man is documented and roughly when, not good enough to quote as fact on a page. His own journals and the DSAB are the citable sources. [TO VERIFY] | [31 Jul 2026] Checked against the Wikipedia biography, and two details in this row need stating more exactly than 'dismissed' and 'eighteen years in parliament'. He was dismissed during the SEVENTH FRONTIER WAR of 1846-47, after fighting with a Fengu division and clashing with the British authorities, and went back to surveying on his own farm. His parliamentary service is three seats, not one term: the Cape lower house for FORT BEAUFORT from 1854, for PORT ELIZABETH from 1859, and the Legislative Council for the EASTERN CIRCLE from 1868. Died Somerset East, 13 Oct 1882. The road partnership with Andrew Geddes Bain is older than this project assumed: OUDEBERG PASS 1829 and VAN RYNEVELD'S PASS 1832, both BEFORE he came into the Koup in 1833.
Kept verbatim. This project contradicts published genealogies and corrects a family's own oral tradition, so every claim has to be checkable by someone who was not in the room.