Tag: Ian MacFadyen

  • The MacFadyen Boys

    The MacFadyen Boys

    Mr & Mrs MacFadyen had a shop in Harrismith where they sold implements. Farm implements? I dunno, says 96yr-old Mom, I think so. They lived in a house near Dr Reitz. That’s in the centre of town. They had four boys and Margaret. Then I think Mrs said enough.

    We always pronounced their name ‘MacFadgin.’ I don’t know why. It was spelt with a Y but pronounced MacFadgin or MacFadjin.

    All four boys went to war and only two came back.

    Douglas and Ian died, Billy and Bruce made it home. When the King and Queen came to Harrismith in 1947 they made a point of calling Mr & Mrs MacFadyen up to shake their hands.

    ~~oo0oo~~

    The feature pic is Kaoxa Camp near Mapungubwe. I used it because across the road is a Duncan MacFadyen gate to the Oppenheimer ranch/diamond mine. He is a conservationist and maybe a descendant of our MacFadyen boys, who knows?