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ALIWAL
The small, sleepy town of Aliwal North lies on the southern bank (Cape Province side) of the Orange River. Today, two bridges cross the river into the Orange Free State (now ‘The Free State’). When Aliwal North was founded in 1849, and named in honour of a battle won by Sir Harry Smith in the Punjab, there were no bridges. The town was positioned at a point where the river was easily fordable.
Months after Aliwal North was established, a young Jew, recently arrived in the Cape Colony from his native Bavaria, came to the barely built town and opened up a general store there. He was Henry Bergmann, a first cousin of my mother’s grandmother. Business was brisk, and soon Henry became a wealthy man. His reputation was so great that he became elected a town councillor, and held other civic positions.
In 1860, wishing to get married to a Jewess (they were scarce in the Cape Colony in those times), he made a journey to Frankfurt on the Main, and married Jenny, the daughter of a prominent banker. The newlyweds returned to Aliwal North.
Henry’s business continued to prosper, and he became the managing director of one of Aliwal North’s banks, soon to become the only one in the town.
In 1866, Henry took his own life. The reasons for doing so have become obscured in the mists of time. In my novel “ALIWAL”, I have woven fiction with fact in order to reconstruct the tragic life of my relative, and to provide a plausible, if unproven, reason for his suicide.
See also: http://www.adamyamey.com/page3.htm
Months after Aliwal North was established, a young Jew, recently arrived in the Cape Colony from his native Bavaria, came to the barely built town and opened up a general store there. He was Henry Bergmann, a first cousin of my mother’s grandmother. Business was brisk, and soon Henry became a wealthy man. His reputation was so great that he became elected a town councillor, and held other civic positions.
In 1860, wishing to get married to a Jewess (they were scarce in the Cape Colony in those times), he made a journey to Frankfurt on the Main, and married Jenny, the daughter of a prominent banker. The newlyweds returned to Aliwal North.
Henry’s business continued to prosper, and he became the managing director of one of Aliwal North’s banks, soon to become the only one in the town.
In 1866, Henry took his own life. The reasons for doing so have become obscured in the mists of time. In my novel “ALIWAL”, I have woven fiction with fact in order to reconstruct the tragic life of my relative, and to provide a plausible, if unproven, reason for his suicide.
See also: http://www.adamyamey.com/page3.htm
- GenresSouth AfricaFiction
378 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2010
About the author
Adam Yamey
27 books95 followersAUTHOR/ retired DENTIST
Adam Yamey
Adam Yamey is a retired dentist and active author.
He has published several books, including: "Albania on my Mind"; "Scrabble with Slivovitz;" (Once upon a time in Yugoslavia); "From Albania to Sicily"; "Exodus to Africa"; "Rediscovering Albania"; "Aliwal"; "Bangalore Revealed"; "Indian Freedom Fighters in London (1905-1910)"; "Imprisoned in India"; "Beneath a Wide Sky: Hampstead and its Environs"; "Beyond Marylebone and Mayfair: Exploring West London", and "Golders Green & Hampstead Garden Suburb: Visions of Arcadia".
His latest book is an entertaining collection of some of his experiences of travel in India between 1993 and 2023:
"THE HITLER LOCK & OTHER TALES OF INDIA"
In early 2023, he published a book about a famous Victorian photographer: "BETWEEN TWO ISLANDS: JULIA MARGARET CAMERON AND HER CIRCLE"
Born in 1952 in London, he attended Highgate School, and then University College London. After a doctorate in mammalian physiology, he became an undergraduate once more and qualified as a dental surgeon. After 35 years in general dental practice, he retired in September 2017.
Adam married a lady from India, in 1994, and, since then, has been visiting her native land frequently. India has become his second home.
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A tree in Cubbon Park, Bangalore (a city that I visit regularly)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 10, 2012
I am somewhat biased, as I wrote this book!
This novel is a fictionalised biography of the first member of my mother's family to set foot in what is now known as 'South Africa'. It is based to some extent on my researches into Henry's life, and tries to fill in the gaps that historical records have failed to reveal.
ALIWAL is not only a tale of adventure, but also a contribution to the history of Intercontinental travel in the mid-19th century, albeit relayed in the framework of fiction.
A number of people, who have read it already, have pointed out something which I had not realised was special about my tale when I was writing it. This was that my novel deals in detail with the difficulties and practicalities of intercontinental travel in the mid-19th century.
Many of us have ancestors who moved from one continent to another, as did Henry Bergmann, the hero of ALIWAL, my novel. In his case, he left Bavaria, and ended up in southern Africa. Many of us know of stories like this, but few can describe in detail the problems that our ancestors encountered when they traveled between continents back in the days before steamships, before there was telegraphy or telephony, and when mail took months to get from one continent to another.
I was incredibly lucky with my sources of information.
Firstly, I am in possession of a 9 page letter which Henry, the hero of my novel ALIWAL, wrote to his parents soon after disembarking in Cape Town in 1849. Many of the details of the sea voyage described in my book derive from this letter.
Secondly, I was even more fortunate when someone in Germany sent me a transcript of a letter, which his great-grandfather wrote in 1860 soon after arriving in Smithfield in the Orange Free State. This letter writer not only sailed from Europe to Cape Town with Henry Bergmann and his new bride, but also he crossed the Karoo, the great wasteland in the heart of the Cape Colony, with Henry and his new bride. The detail provided in this letter has also helped to enrich the quality of the information in my novel.
Some have critcised my emphasis on Henry's long journeys across the oceans and then the uninhabited wastes of the interior of the Cape Colony, and others have praised this. Whatever the future reader may decide about this aspect of my novel, I would like to think that in a small way I have added something to the reader's appreciation of the history of European settlement in southern Africa.
However, the most important thing is that I hope that you enjoy reading my book!
Available on www.lulu.com:
[ http://www.lulu.com/shop/adam-yamey/a... ]
and also on http://WWW.AMAZON.COM ... paperback & Kindle
This novel is a fictionalised biography of the first member of my mother's family to set foot in what is now known as 'South Africa'. It is based to some extent on my researches into Henry's life, and tries to fill in the gaps that historical records have failed to reveal.
ALIWAL is not only a tale of adventure, but also a contribution to the history of Intercontinental travel in the mid-19th century, albeit relayed in the framework of fiction.
A number of people, who have read it already, have pointed out something which I had not realised was special about my tale when I was writing it. This was that my novel deals in detail with the difficulties and practicalities of intercontinental travel in the mid-19th century.
Many of us have ancestors who moved from one continent to another, as did Henry Bergmann, the hero of ALIWAL, my novel. In his case, he left Bavaria, and ended up in southern Africa. Many of us know of stories like this, but few can describe in detail the problems that our ancestors encountered when they traveled between continents back in the days before steamships, before there was telegraphy or telephony, and when mail took months to get from one continent to another.
I was incredibly lucky with my sources of information.
Firstly, I am in possession of a 9 page letter which Henry, the hero of my novel ALIWAL, wrote to his parents soon after disembarking in Cape Town in 1849. Many of the details of the sea voyage described in my book derive from this letter.
Secondly, I was even more fortunate when someone in Germany sent me a transcript of a letter, which his great-grandfather wrote in 1860 soon after arriving in Smithfield in the Orange Free State. This letter writer not only sailed from Europe to Cape Town with Henry Bergmann and his new bride, but also he crossed the Karoo, the great wasteland in the heart of the Cape Colony, with Henry and his new bride. The detail provided in this letter has also helped to enrich the quality of the information in my novel.
Some have critcised my emphasis on Henry's long journeys across the oceans and then the uninhabited wastes of the interior of the Cape Colony, and others have praised this. Whatever the future reader may decide about this aspect of my novel, I would like to think that in a small way I have added something to the reader's appreciation of the history of European settlement in southern Africa.
However, the most important thing is that I hope that you enjoy reading my book!
Available on www.lulu.com:
[ http://www.lulu.com/shop/adam-yamey/a... ]
and also on http://WWW.AMAZON.COM ... paperback & Kindle
July 10, 2012
I felt that the characters in this book were very representative of the period and of their ethnic background. Heinrich, the Jewish central character, is an actual person. So when I discuss him in this book, I am talking about the portrayal of the fictional character, not the real Heinrich Bergmann. Heinrich wasn't an ordinary individual because he was responsible for some significant achievements. Yet I found his outlook to be typical given his background even though his actions were not typical.
There was an important Portuguese character in Aliwal. I was a bit surprised to find him in South Africa during this period. I had understood that the first major wave of Portuguese immigration to South Africa was in the 20th century. Yet I did find a web page dealing with early Portuguese settlers in South Africa at http://southafricanresearcher.blogspo...
The book was well-plotted. It was a story line that kept me reading. My main problem was that I wanted to see more depth in the characterization. The characters were plausible, but not indelible.
There was an important Portuguese character in Aliwal. I was a bit surprised to find him in South Africa during this period. I had understood that the first major wave of Portuguese immigration to South Africa was in the 20th century. Yet I did find a web page dealing with early Portuguese settlers in South Africa at http://southafricanresearcher.blogspo...
The book was well-plotted. It was a story line that kept me reading. My main problem was that I wanted to see more depth in the characterization. The characters were plausible, but not indelible.
June 27, 2012
A very interesting read about a part of the world I know very little about, especially it's history. Well paced and written, made all the more intriguing because of its factual background. Thanks to the author for its introduction!
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September 24, 2012Kindle format is currently free at Amazon.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews