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When Rebecca arrived in South Africa it is likely that she
disembarked in Durban and travelled by road to
Pietermaritzburg to Mrs Gray who perhaps was hosting
her. Mrs Gray had a connection with the then Governor
of Natal, Lord Arthur Havelock and his wife Lady
Havelock, who were resident at Government House in
Pietermaritzburg. This good lady wrote a reference for
Rebecca and sent it to Lady Havelock asking if there
could be a position available for her young protégé in
her household. Rebecca kept Lady Havelock’s positive
response all her life and it was found in her papers after
she died.
The letter was written on November 16th 1886 and it
gives the starting date of Rebecca’s position as 13th
December. This would mean that Rebecca was eighteen
at the time if her birth date is correct. Bearing in mind
that it would have been impossible for her to start work
so soon after the letter arrived had she still been in
England one must assume that she was already in South
Africa at the time.

THE LETTER FROM LADY HAVELOCK

So, in due course, Rebecca started her domestic duties at
Government House which, bearing in mind its size, must have been quite intimidating!

G O V E R N M E N T HO U S E P I E TE R M A R I T Z B U R G I N TH E 1 8 8 0 ’ S :
A B O U T T HE T I M E O F R E B E C C A ’ S E M P L O Y M E N T TH E R E

I rather suppose that Rebecca would have lived there with the other maids; could one of those
attic rooms above have been hers? Did she look out of those windows and wonder how she had
come to be in this strange place so far away from home and so very different? And so very, very
hot!
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