Contact Artefacts please if you have any comments or more information regarding this record.	Menu Home Upfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon		Baker, King + Co. - Hogsett Buildings - Anderson Memorial Museum Dordrecht, Eastern Cape

Date: 1886 Type: Commercial Status: Extant Street: Grey Street   Click to view map Coordinates: 31°22'28.36" S 27°02'53.38" E Alt: 1621m

Currently [2018] the Anderson Memorial Museum. The Hogsett Buildings were named after William Trimble Hogsett who traded in Dordrecht under the style of General Importer. William Trimble Hogsett was born in England in 1858 and probably came to South Africa as a young man. The first recorded reference to Hogsett - in the Frontier Guardian of 6 December 1884 - is an announcement that the well-known East London business of Baker, King & Co was to open a branch in Dordrecht on the Market Square, to be managed by William Trimble Hogsett. A small building was leased for that purpose. Eighteen months later work was started on the construction of new larger premises for Baker, King & Co and by October 1886 their new building opened for business. The following is a paraphrased account which appeared in the Frontier Guardian No. 612, dated 16 October 1886: Dordrecht of a dozen years ago and Dordrecht at the present time are so vastly different as to be almost unrecognisable. Baker King & Co, near the DRC parsonage, has a Main Store facing Grey Street, 62 feet (19 m) long, 49 ft (15 m) wide and 25 ft (7.6 m) high. The front is in splendidly dressed stone. The front wing adjoining Mr R V Cotterell is 25 ft (7.6 m) wide by 16 ft (4.8 m) high and the total width of the of the front is 65ft (19.8 m). Adjoining the main store (grocery & hardware) are the show room 30 ft (9.1 m) by 15 ft (4.6 m), work room 16 ft (4.9 m) by 15 ft (4.6 m), private office of the manager 16 (4.9 m) ft by 15 ft (4.6 m). The Wool store at the back is 60 ft (18.2 m) by 49 ft (14.9 m) and outside building is 120 ft (36.5 m) by 26 ft (7.9 m), comprising Timber store room, forage room and stables." The contractors for stone & brick work: Messrs J Harris & R Wood; Carpentry work: Joseph Jones; Painter: R J Williams, Manager: W T Hogsett. In 1890 Hogsett was listed as the Treasurer of the Wodehouse Turf Club. The Baker, King & Co building would in due course become known as Hogsett's Store by which stage it is likely that Hogsett was the owner of the property. W T Hogsett married Kate Davey, daughter of John Grace Davey of Camborne, Cornwall. The date and place of marriage has not been determined. The couple's eldest child was Thomas John Gordon born in Dordrecht on 15 February 1885. He served as a Corporal in the 1st Royal Marine Light Infantry Battalion of the Royal Navy Division and was Killed in Action on 18 February 1917 at Mesmil - Martinset, Somme. Hogsett was a popular figure and featured prominently in the development of the town, particularly in the provision of water, hence the name of the Hogsett Reservoir. He served as Mayor of Dordrecht six or more times. Hogsett's wife Kate died in Dordrecht on 14 May 1904 and is buried in the town cemetery. Sometime later Hogsett married Daphne (surname unknown). Hogsett died in 1938 and is also buried in the local cemetery. Hogsett's Estate Papers are dated 1939 and are lodged at the Cape Archives. The Hogsett building now accommodates the Anderson Museum. Reference: Martinson, William Hogsett Reservoir: Heritage Assessment: Revision 3, Osmond Lange Architects + Planners for Aurecon, East London, August 2019. Submitted by: William Martinson.