Explorer, hunter, magistrate and Cape emissary to South West Africa

The journals describe his missions to Namaqualand and Damaraland to ascertain mining potential and possible incorporation into the Cape. As a result of his recommendations Walvis Bay and the surrounding territory was annexed but he was unsuccessful in Great Namaqualand.

Volume 1 contains the original diary from 11 Apr.-20 Dec. 1876 (269p.) and photocopies of the diary kept by his secretary from 5 Dec. 1876-24 Apr. 1877 (125p.)

Volume 2 contains the original diary from 29 July 1878-20 Jan. 1879 (198p.) and photocopies of the diary from 10 Jan.-2 Aug. 1880 (145p.).

Part of the journals was published as Report of W.C. Palgrave, Esq., Special Commissioner to the tribes north of the Orange River, Cape Town, 1877.

Letter of appointment to the 'Centraal Kinderpokken Comittee Johannesburg', signed by S.J.P. Kruger, State President and W.J. Leyds, State Secretary, Pretoria, 7 August 1894.

Author of Historical sketch of Zulu Mission in South Africa

Zulu-English vocabulary notebook.

The collection includes correspondence, extracts of birth and marriage registers, typescripts of speeches and press cuttings on war compensations.

Original deed in Dutch of the transfer of land to Floris Slabbert, dated 24 January 1706.

The document is signed and sealed by Willem, Adriaan van der Stel (1664-1733), Governor of the Cape (1699-1706) and son of Simon van der Stel, at the Castle of Good Hope.

Letters from missionaries in South Africa

Includes letters from S. Broadbent, E. Edwards T. Hodgson, S. Kay and G. Sass to the Secretaries of the Wesleyan Mission, London. Also letters from Rev. R. Moffat to Dr. J. Philip and Rev. R. Miles. The letters describe the efforts of the missionaries to overcome native superstition, to learn and translate into the native languages and their setbacks due to inter-tribal warfare.

Case papers from the K.B. division in the High Court of Justice and H.M. Court of Appeal (England) in the House of Lords relating to the claim for damages brought by Wernher Beit & Co. against Arthur Basil Markham 1901-1902. 6 items printed.

The action was one of slander arising out of a speech made by Markham in which he accused Wernher, Beit & Co., of being 'thieves and swindlers'. Subsequently he tried to produce evidence that there had been bribery and corruption in the company's dealings with the South African Republic and that the company had helped to incite the Jameson Raid for their own ends.

The collection comprises five items that document Watson's ongoing concerns with her TRC experience. She also recorded her thoughts about 'third force' operations and violence in the KwaZulu-Natal Region. This records accumulation constitutes a donation of photocopies of Watson's private TRC papers. She has retained the originals.

Materials collected from TRC Archival Audit.

The TRC Archival Audit

Between 2003 and 2006, SAHA and Historical Papers, University of Witwatersrand embarked on a project to locate, retrieve and make available records relating to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC). The project entailed conducting an archival audit of all existing TRC records in order to identify and locate documentation in danger of being lost.

In the process of conducting the archival audit, SAHA and HP located many collections from individuals and organizations that participated in the TRC process, including this collection. Selections from these materials as well as TRC related material found in the freedom of Information Collection and other pre-existing SAHA and HP collections, were digitized and can be accessed online at http://truth.wwl.wits.ac.za/

A guide to archival resources relating to South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission can also be found at http://www.saha.org.za/pdf/trc_directory.pdf

The matter was finally settled out of court because the State of Emergency had been lifted. There was no longer any need to pursue the relief sought in the application.