Difference between revisions of "Emma Krogh"

From ESAT
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Emma Krogh]] (b. **/**/1884 - d. Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland, **/**/1960)  was a music teacher, the first female head of a school in Pretoria and could claim to have been  the first identified actress in a South African film.
 
  
She was the daughter of a Deputy State Secretary in the administration of [[Paul Kruger]]’s Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, and clearly had musical training.  Though a document in the National Archives Repository identifies [[Emma Krogh]] as "very anti-British", she nevertheless married English-born Captain Percy Blakemore, who came to South Africa as a trooper in the ranks of the Strathcona Horse, but ended up as officer commanding the 1st Squadron of the Kings' Colonials during the South African War. He remained in South Africa to become a farmer near Lindley in the Orange Free State, but later deserted his wife and daughter Stella to return to England, reportedly to become a professional gambler (others sources claim that he was last known to be peddling Bibles in Australia)
+
(b. 25/10/1874 - d. Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland, **/**/1960). Actress. Emma (Emmarentia Susanna Catharina) Krogh, the daughter of a Deputy State Secretary in the administration of Paul Kruger’s Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, could claim to have been the first identified actress in a South African film. She played the heroine in ''[[The Great Kimberley Diamond Robbery]]'', filmed and directed by [[R.C.E. Nissen]] for [[Rufe Naylor]]’s [[Springbok Film Co.]], first shown on 11 December 1911 at the [[Tivoli]] (afternoon) and the [[Orpheum]] (evening) in Johannesburg. She was a music teacher, the first female head of a school in Pretoria and also the mother of [[Stella Blakemore]], the author of extremely popular Afrikaans children’s books, notably the Maasdorp series for teenage girls and the Keurboslaan series for boys, the latter written under the pseudonym of Theunis Krogh, which was the name of her maternal grandfather.
 +
   
 +
Though a document in the National Archives Repository identifies Emma Krogh as “very anti-British”, she nevertheless married English-born Captain Percy Blakemore, who came to South Africa as a trooper in the ranks of the Strathcona Horse, but ended up as officer commanding the 1st Squadron of the Kings' Colonials during the South African War. He remained in South Africa to become one of three officers running the Orange River Colony Settlers Association, but later deserted his wife and daughter to return to England, reportedly to become a professional gambler.
  
Her daughter, [[Stella Blakemore]], would become the author of some plays and a number of extremely popular [[Afrikaans]] children's books, notably the ''Maasdorp'' series for teenage girls, and the ''Keurboslaan'' series for boys, the latter written under the pseudonym of [[Theunis Krogh]], which was the name of her maternal grandfather.  
+
For some time Emma ran a music and drama school in Pretoria where her daughter, who had married David Owen, a Welshman who was in the British colonial service in Swaziland, took over some of her duties. When Owen was transferred to the Gold Coast (today’s Ghana), the couple’s adopted children were sent to school in Wales, where their grandmother joined them. In 1954 they all moved to Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland, where Emma died in 1960. (FO)
  
Emma's acting career consisted of a role as the heroine in ''[[The Great Kimberley Diamond Robbery]]'', filmed and directed by [[R.C.E. Nissen]] for [[Rufe Naylor]]'s [[Springbok Film Co.]], first shown on 11 December 1911 at the [[Tivoli Empire Theatre]] (afternoon) and the [[Orpheum Theatre]] (evening) in Johannesburg. 
+
(Note: Though her gravestone in Warrenpoint is clearly engraved 1880-1960, her father’s estate papers give her date of birth as 25 October 1874)
 
 
For some time Emma ran a music and drama school in Pretoria where her daughter,  who had married David Owen, a Welshman in the British colonial service in Swaziland, later took over some of her duties.  When Owen was transferred to the Gold Coast (today's Ghana), the couple's adopted children were sent to school in Wales, where their grandmother joined them.  In 1954 they all moved to Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland, where Emma died in 1960.
 
  
  

Revision as of 20:45, 26 October 2016

(b. 25/10/1874 - d. Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland, **/**/1960). Actress. Emma (Emmarentia Susanna Catharina) Krogh, the daughter of a Deputy State Secretary in the administration of Paul Kruger’s Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, could claim to have been the first identified actress in a South African film. She played the heroine in The Great Kimberley Diamond Robbery, filmed and directed by R.C.E. Nissen for Rufe Naylor’s Springbok Film Co., first shown on 11 December 1911 at the Tivoli (afternoon) and the Orpheum (evening) in Johannesburg. She was a music teacher, the first female head of a school in Pretoria and also the mother of Stella Blakemore, the author of extremely popular Afrikaans children’s books, notably the Maasdorp series for teenage girls and the Keurboslaan series for boys, the latter written under the pseudonym of Theunis Krogh, which was the name of her maternal grandfather.

Though a document in the National Archives Repository identifies Emma Krogh as “very anti-British”, she nevertheless married English-born Captain Percy Blakemore, who came to South Africa as a trooper in the ranks of the Strathcona Horse, but ended up as officer commanding the 1st Squadron of the Kings' Colonials during the South African War. He remained in South Africa to become one of three officers running the Orange River Colony Settlers Association, but later deserted his wife and daughter to return to England, reportedly to become a professional gambler.

For some time Emma ran a music and drama school in Pretoria where her daughter, who had married David Owen, a Welshman who was in the British colonial service in Swaziland, took over some of her duties. When Owen was transferred to the Gold Coast (today’s Ghana), the couple’s adopted children were sent to school in Wales, where their grandmother joined them. In 1954 they all moved to Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland, where Emma died in 1960. (FO)

(Note: Though her gravestone in Warrenpoint is clearly engraved 1880-1960, her father’s estate papers give her date of birth as 25 October 1874)


Sources

St. John Daily Sun, 4 June 1903

http://www.nb.co.za/authors/2462

http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/submitted/etd-06172005-101329/unrestricted/01chapter1-3.pdf

http://www.jagermedals.com/South%20Africa%20Campaigns%20from%201799/jm423.html

Private correspondence

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities K

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page