In the article below Pam McFadden reveals some of the history behind the Little Church at Van Reenen which is considered by many to be the smallest church in the southern hemisphere.
Maynard Reginald Nelson Matthews was appointed as magistrate in Dundee from 9 December 1901, having been transferred from Newcastle and having served in number of towns throughout Natal. He also served as Chairman of the Dundee Cottage Hospital and in 1906 was the Chief leader of the Dundee Militia Reserves and Commander of Dundee under Martial Law.
On his retirement in 1921 he continued to serve Dundee as the Chairman of the Dundee & Glencoe Liquor Licensing Boards 1921-1925, was a member of the Dundee Town Council in 1922 and served as Mayor 1923-1924.
On 19 March 1925 there was a rock fall at Burnside Colliery, near Glencoe. A number of miners were trapped underground. Llandaff Matthews, was employed as a shift boss on this mine. As soon as news of the disaster spread he organised some men on the mine to go underground to save survivors and recover bodies. There was no formal Mine Rescue Service at the time. The organisation was officially founded later that year, with this accident being one of the motivations for a formal volunteer rescue service of mining men based on each mine. The men Llandaff led underground managed to save eight men. As he went into the shaft one last time there was a second rock fall. He was buried under the rock and died...
