Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa since September 1795, Volume 1 (1908).pdf/380

346 1829, at the request of the consistory, Sir Lowry Cole consented to rename the place Colesberg. A village was then laid out, and on the 29th of November 1830 the first building lots were sold. On the same day the corner-stone of a church was laid.

On the 26th of October 1825 elders and deacons nominated by the landdrost were approved by the governor for a congregation with its centre at the new village of Somerset East. The reverend George Morgan, who had arrived from Scotland a few days previously, was appointed clergyman at that place, and commenced duty there on the 8th of January 1826.

On the 1st of April 1825 the foundation stone of a church was laid on the farm Pompoenkraal, in the Cape district, with a view to a separate congregation being formed there. Lord Charles Somerset favoured the project, but no haste was made, and it was only on the 12th of July 1826, after he had left the colony, that the elders and deacons nominated by the landdrost were approved by the head of the government. The reverend Mr. Berrange, of Capetown, was then appointed consulent, and acted in that capacity until the 26th of May 1828, when the reverend James Edgar became resident clergyman. The church place continued to be called Pompoenkraal until the 31st of August 1837, when it received the name D'Urban, which again at a later date was changed to Durbanville.

At Clanwilliam there had been since 1816 a mission of the Dutch reformed church conducted by Mr. L. Marquard, but with the exception of the few English speaking people who attended the reverend Mr. M'Cleland's services before his removal to Port Elizabeth, the Europeans in that part of the country were members of the congregation of Tulbagh. In 1826 Clanwilliam was formed into a new parish of the Dutch reformed church. On the 17th of August of that year elders and deacons nominated by the landdrost of Worcester were approved by the acting governor, and on the 17th of September were installed in office by the reverend Dr. Thom, clergyman of Tulbagh, acting as consulent. Services