Richard Gush, man of peace, heroic saviour of Salem and its inhabitants

BLAAI AF VIR AFRIKAANS

Richard was born at Beer, Devonshire, England, on April 24, 1789, as fifth son of Thomas and Mary Gush. At the age of fourteen Richard was a carpenter’s apprentice. Seven years later he went to London where he married Margaret Evans. They had six sons and four daughters. He came to the Cape as member and leader of a division of Sephton’s party. Gush and 35 families sailed from Gravesend in the Brilliant on February 15, 1820 and reached Algoa Bay on May 15. Hezekiah Sephton and his party of 344 settlers founded the village of Salem (peace), so named by Rev. William Shaw, along the Assegai Bush River, the only original settler village still in existence. It is a well-preserved village with sturdily constructed houses for security. The old Settler church, built in December 1822, served as a central fort and a place of worship and still forms the heart of the village. There is a village green on which cricket matches have been played since 1844, still in use today and is regarded as the oldest cricket pitch in the country.

The name Salem (Genesis 14: 18, Psalm 76:3) means peace, yet the village saw much strife during its early years. During the Sixth Frontier War (1834/5) 20 000 Xhosa warriors swarmed across the Colonial boundary and in ten days utterly destroyed what had been built up in fifteen difficult years. Salem was threatened by 500 Xhosa warriors, but an attack was averted by the courageous conduct of Richard Gush, a Quaker sternly opposed to violence, who calmly made his way through the barricades, rode out alone and unarmed to meet the enemy, dismounted, stood entirely alone completely at the mercy of the enemy and called for their chief whom he knew. The young Field Cornet Barend Woest interpreted. The astonished besiegers promised not to attack the village if Gush would bring food as they were hungry. Despite protests of his comrades, Gush took fifteen large loaves of bread, an armful of tobacco rolls and twelve pocket knives back to the enemy. Gush’s dignity and courtesy convinced the warriors to keep their promise and left without attacking Salem.

On a hill opposite the church where this historic event occurred, a simple stone monolith with a description of this act of heroism was erected in 1959 to commemorate the Quaker Richard Gush as saviour of the village and community.

Sources: Bulpin, TV: Illustrated Guide to SA, p.169; De Kock, WJ: SABW 1, p. 353; Erasmus, BPE: On Route in SA, p.199; Heese, AJ: SAG 2, p. 600; 9, p.435; Hockley, HE: The Settlers of 1820, p. 29, 40; Leigh, M: Toergids vir SA, p. 80; Milton, J: The Edges of War, p. 107; Nash, MD: The Settler Handbook, p. 117; Potgieter, DJ: SESA 1, p.525; 7, p. 415; 9, p. 473; Steyn A: Off the Beaten Track, p. 234.

Richard Gush, man van vrede, dapper redder van Salem en sy inwoners:

Richard is te Beer, Devonshire, Engeland, gebore op 24 April 1789 as vyfde seun van Thomas en Mary Gush. Op die ouderdom van veertien was Richard ’n skrynwerkersvakleerling. Sewe jaar later is hy na Londen waar hy met Margaret Evans getroud is. Hul het ses seuns en vier dogters gehad. Hy het na die Kaap gekom as lid en leier van ’n afdeling van Sephton se geselskap. Gush en 35 gesinne het op 15 Februarie 1820 in die Brilliant vanaf Gravesend vertrek en Algoabaai op 15 Mei 1820 bereik. Hezekiah Sephton en sy geselskap van 344 setlaars het die dorpie Salem (vrede), so benoem deur Eerwaarde William Shaw, langs die Assegaaibosrivier gestig, die enigste oorspronklike setlaarsdorp wat nog bestaan. Dit is ’n goedbewaarde dorpie met stewig geboude huise vir veiligheid. Die ou Setlaars- kerkie, gebou in Desember 1822, het gedien as sentrale fort en plek van aanbidding en vorm steeds die hart van die dorpie. Daar is ’n dorpsmeent waarop sedert 1844 krieket gespeel is, en vandag nog as krieketveld gebruik word, die oudste in die land.

Die naam Salem (Genesis 14: 18, Psalm 76:3) beteken vrede, tog het die dorp veel onmin in die vroeë dae beleef. Gedurende die Sesde Grensoorlog (1834/5) het 20 000 Xhosa krygers oor die koloniale grens gestroom en in tien dae alles vernietig wat in vyftien moeilike jare opgebou is. Salem is deur 500 Xhosa krygers bedreig, maar ’n aanval is afgeweer deur die heldhaftige optrede van Richard Gush, ’n Kwaker ten sterkste gekant teen geweld, wat kalm sy pad deur die verskansings gebaan, en alleen en ongewapen die vyand tegemoet gery het. Hy was stoksiel alleen uitgelewer aan die genade van die vyand. Hy roep deur sy tolk, die jong veldkornet Barend Woest, die hoofman wat aan hom bekend is. Die verdwaasde beleëlaars beloof om nie die dorp aan te val as Gush vir hul kossou bring nie, want hul was honger. Die besware van sy kamerade ten spyt, neem Gush vyftien groot brode, ’n arm vol tabakrolle en twaalf sakmesse terug na die vyand. Deur Gush se waardigheid en beleefdheid het die krygers bedaar en hul belofte nagekom deur Salem te verlaat sonder om dit aan te val.

Op die heuwel oorkant die kerk, waar die geskiedkundige die voorval plaasgevind, het staan ’n eenvoudige klipsuil met ’n beskrywing van die gebeure daarop gegraveer as herdenking van die redding van die dorp en gemeenskap deur Richard Gush.

Bronnelys

• Bulpin, TV: Illustrated Guide to SA, p.169
• De Kock, WJ: SABW 1, p. 353; Erasmus, BPE: On Route in SA, p.199
• Heese, AJ: SAG 2, p. 600; 9, p.435
• Hockley, HE: The Settlers of 1820, p. 29, 40
• Leigh, M: Toergids vir SA, p. 80
• Milton, J: The Edges of War, p. 107
• Nash, MD: The Settler Handbook, p. 117
• Potgieter, DJ: SESA 1, p.525; 7, p. 415; 9, p. 473
• Steyn A: Off the Beaten Track, p. 234