Illing family
The Rev. William August Illing was born at Potsdam, Germany, on the 25th April 1828. He was a brilliant Scholar, Languages, a gifted musician and he was one of the youngest members of the Berlin Philharmonic Society. The musical instruments at which he excelled were the violin, organ and piccolo and he played a violin solo at a Command Performance before the Emperor. He studied for the ministry of the Lutheran Church and came out to South Africa with the Berlin Missionaries in the early 1850s, stationed at Kaffraria and then sent to Natal, where he was given the care of about twenty freed African slaves.
In 1859 he married Isabella Elizabeth Maritz, a descendent of the Voortrekker leader, Gerrit Maritz and they arrived at Ladysmith in 1860, bringing the African slaves with them, to establish a Mission Station, which was known as St. Johns. Isabella was a courageous and fitting helpmate, giving unstintingly of her time in caring for her home, children and the arduous duties of missionary work. After a few years, Rev. Illing renounced the Lutheran faith and became a convert of the Anglican Church and was ordained at All Saints’ Church in 1869 by the Right Rev. MacRorie, Bishop of Maritzburg.
They had a large family of eleven children. Two sons, Theophilus and Solomon died in infancy. The surviving nine children, six daughters and three sons, grew to adulthood, married and remained in the Ladysmith district throughout their lives, with the exception of two daughters, Magdalene and Caroline who settled at N’kandhla and Botha’s Pass respectively. The three sons, Herman, William and August (Gus) started working at an early age in a general dealers business, which they eventually bought and founded the firm of Illing Brothers but after some years Herman and Gus sold their share, leaving William as the sole owner; they went farming in the district.
One of the oldest businesses in Natal was that called Illing Brothers store who were general importers and established circa 1856, originally as Knight & King and was held for a time by J Hutchinson. The store specialized in the portation and sale of general merchandise buying hides, stock, firewood etc contracting to the military on a large scale. William was born in Natal son of a missionary to the natives. He started with a small capital and worked up to one of the largest concerns in the Klip River district.
In 1890 he visited England with a Zulu choir which he had trained and financed himself. The tour opened in earls Court and took in Cheltenham, Bath, Gloucester and many other prominent towns.
The eldest son, William Augustus Junior stayed on in Ladysmith to begin the trading operation at the corner of Queen Street and Murchison Street where the current Illings building now stands. He was a good sportsman and served as the President of the Ladysmith Rugby/Football Club, Tennis Club and various other sporting activities.
William Augustus married Marie Aletta Pieters of Dundee origin and had four children, the eldest of which was Wilfred Leonard who joined the trading store next to the Royal Hotel and, together with some of his brothers, built up a thriving business.
Wilfred married Neara Humphrys, the daughter of a naval father, who ended up in Durban after initially trying out Canada. Neara moved to Ladysmith and they took up residence in the dwelling at 8 Convent Road, which is one of the few houses in Convent Road alongside the St Augustines Convent, which was operated by the order of St Augustines in those days. Wilfred and Neara had three daughters: Evadne Ann, Sonia Jane and Judith Mary.
The eldest daughter, Evadne Ann was schooled at St Annes College at Hilton and, while she was at home on holidays, met Gilbert Cecil Richmond, the eldest son of George Gilbert and Dorothy Richmond who lived on the farm Arcadia on the Bergville Road. They married in 1953 and built a house alongside the Illing residence in Convent Road, known as No 2 Convent Road, where they lived their entire lives.