Shouty Grandad had cause to pop along to the local hospital a couple of times last week, one of the members of staff happened to mention to him that his surname was the same as that of the original benefactor of the hospital. His namesake had given £121,000 in the late 1800's to allow a tuberculosis hospital to be built out in the countryside (fresh air was thought to be an effective cure for TB at that time). Naturally, Shouty Grandad and I harnessed the power of the tinterwebby and looked up said 'namesake'.
It transpires that this philanthropist was born in Norfolk, educated at Cambridge, made friends with Cecil Rhodes (of Rhodesia fame) and mooched over to South Africa where the pair of them set up the De Beers Mining Company, mining for diamonds and gold. They secured the mining rights for a large part of Matebeleland (Rhodes had a hand in causing the 2nd Boer War in this area) and its environs, most of which now is part of Zimbabwe.
Our hero and his partner Rhodes "duped" the British Government when they sold the mining concession to them and made millions of pounds on the deal!!
On his retirement, he moved to Scotland where he was wealthy enough to by 2 homes (one a castle), one for him and his family and the other for his guests.
Shouty Grandad is now checking out flights to Zimbabwe, apparently he wants a word with Mugabe about his 'birthright' and 'inheritance'??? I haven't the heart to tell him our branch of the family has no roots in Norfolk!
