In this article, first published in 1976, Patricia Storrar does a masterly job debunking the myth that George Rex, the founder of Knysna, was the illegitimate son of King George III. She also reveals fascinating biographical information on Rex and provides details of the spaces and places associated with him. The article was published in Restorica, the old journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the Univerity of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish.
It is sad that there should be in South Africa today so few material reminders of the remarkable George Rex, one-time marshal of the court of vice-admiralty in Cape Town and for 35 years grand seigneur of the straggling little huddle of houses which was later to grow into the town of Knysna. It is even, considering the wealth of rumour, legend and speculation which has flourished round Rex's name for nearly a century and a half, a little strange.
Probable Sketch of John Rex (wikipedia)
A petrol station today plies its trade at No 17 Prince Street, Gardens, Cape Town, where once George Rex's handsome house, Schoonder Zigt, stood in its famous gardens. Melkhout Kraal, his even finer estate on the east bank of the Knysna lagoon, has virtually vanished without trace. Only with the help of...
