Sir benjamin durban biography of abraham

Photograph of a Khoisan lady. Source: unknown

1300-1599

c.1300-c.1500

The Khoisan are established as the dominant power in the southern and south-western Cape regions.

1460

Portuguese navigators, representing the interests of the Portuguese Royal House and merchants eager to find a sea-route to India around the south coast of Africa, reach the coast of Guinea, West Africa.

1483

Diogo Cão, a navigator acting under the instruction of the Portuguese King John II, reaches the mouth of the Congo River. 

1485 

Cão puts ashore at Cape Cross, north of present-day Walvis Bay. 

1487

The Portuguese explorer Batholemeu Dias sails down the coast to reach southern Angola. He later lands at present-day Walvis Bay and soon after at Lüderitz Bay. 

1488

Dias succeeds in circumnavigating the Cape, naming it "Cabo de Boa Esperança" or the Cape of Good Hope. This is a major breakthrough in the search for discovering a sea-route to Ind

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KUDOS to MELROSE RESTOR

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Editor: Dr Saul Issroff
Copyright © 2000 Saul Issroff, Mike Getz, SAfrica SIG
and Jewishgen Inc.
URL: http://www.jewishgen.org/SAfrica/norden/index.htm
Revised: 6 April 2000

 

Benjamin Norden (1798 - 1876) was the longest living and, arguably, the best known and most successful of this family of British 1820 settlers ^[1] at the Cape. He seems to have been an enterprising business man transforming himself from London tailor to general dealer, merchant, auctioneer and property speculator. In common with many members of his family, Benjamin Norden was extremely litigious, many of the cases in which he was involved being against his relations.

Benjamin took an active role in the local business community and in local politics. He was a city commissioner in Cape Town (municipal councillor). His trading ventures led him to stay as a guest of Dingane as representative of Sir Benjamin D'Urban and into partnership with Aaron de Pass. Another friend wa