Richmond

Richmond is named after the Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, father of Lady Sarah Lennox (1792 - 1873), who was married to the Cape Governor, Sir Peregrine Maitland.

Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond
(1764 – 1819).

Charles Lennox had 14 children, Sarah the 4th child and second eldest daughter. In 1815 he fought in the war against Napoleon. While serving in Canada he was bitten by a pet fox, and died of rabies.

Sir Peregrine Maitland
(1777 – 1854).

After serving in Canada and India, Maitland became governor in 1844, but was replaced by Harry Smith in 1847. Sarah Lennox was Maitland's second wife, and they had a daughter Sarah (1817 - 1900).

Attractions

Also see the neighbouring towns.

Richmond is a small town with about 8'000 inhabitants, and is located on the Great Karoo central plateau on the banks of the trickling Ongers River, fed by three fountains. The original farm on which the town was founded was named Driefontein, which means Three Fountains.

Architecture

There are several Victorian buildings of the late 1800s with latticework.

Saddle Horse Museum

Richmond has a Saddle Horse Museum, one of only two in the world. The other museum is in Kentucky (USA). The museum was established in 1955 by Charl van den Heever and Bill Sieberhagen. Exhibits include saddles, harnesses, carriages and carts. There is also a stamp collection with horse related themes.

Daniel Skuil’s Brickworks

This brickworks uses technology that is thousands of years old. The brick clay is mixed by a rotating wheel, driven with donkey power. The blindfolded donkey strolls in circles for the entire day. Raw bricks are first sun dried, then baked in a kiln.

Die Richmond Supper Klub

Die Richmond Supper Klub is a family restaurant housed in one of the oldest buildings in town. This was built in the 1830s before the town was established. The building originally served as school dormitory for girls of the farming community who attended school in town.

The Klub serves a variety of dishes ranging from Karoo lamb to pizzas, cooked in its own oven, and has an Africana book collection.

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History

In the early days the area was rich in game, with herds of springbok claimed to contain a million or more heads. Lion was also still found in the area.

Richmond was founded in 1843 on the farm Driefontein, owned by PJ van der Merwe, as a location for the religious community of the area.

In 1844 permission was sought from the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, Sir Peregrine Maitland to name the town after him. He declined and suggested Richmond, after his father-in-law, the Duke of Richmond. The name became official in October 1845.

In 1848 the town became a magisterial district, and in 1854 a municipality.

Along with other local exhibitors, a farmer from Richmond exhibited agricultural wares at the Paris International Exhibition of 1867. Among the items were preserved meat, soap, wheat and barley.

Anglo-Boer War

Richmond lies in the WWF AT1314 Nama Karoo ecoregion.

Richmond often suffers periods of long droughts, and sometimes violent floods.

Temperature:

Summer: 18°C - 37°C
Winter: 3°C - 21°C