The Sayce Clan of South Africa

Submitted by Clive Percy Sayce

Introduction

 Frequently at some stage in their life, people become interested in finding out about “their roots “ and their forebears, so, what follows should of interest to anyone having the ‘Sayce’ surname.

The surname “Sayce” originated in England and dates back many centuries, and to see the lineage of our branch of Sayce’s, reference can be made to the in-depth genealogical research done by Douglas Sayce, which reveals that its origins are from the mid-west area of England bordering on to Wales.

The Sayce’s mainly originated from Shropshire and Herefordshire from where they spread to the industrial areas of England and the colonies of the Empire.

Alfred & Martha Sayce

The South African Sayce family originated through Alfred Sayce who was born in Bishops Castle, Shropshire, and ended up settling in Woolwich, London in the 1880’s.

Alfred and his wife, Martha Mulford had two daughters and seven sons, the youngest of which was Percy Cecil.

Another of the sons, George, married Marie Unwill and emigrated to Canada. He often returned to London to work during the winter period and to see his family.

I recall my father telling me the story of how all the sons had their own key to the house in 85 Chesnut Road, East Plumstead. One Christmas eve George arrived unannounced from Canada and let himself into the house with his key as a surprise to the family.

Percy Cecil Sayce

Percy Cecil is the first Sayce to emigrate to South Africa, arriving in 1922. Percy was very musically talented and by the age of twelve had become an accomplished violinist and had a good singing voice. However, when he left school, his father insisted he learn a trade as a carpenter in his building company in London. But unlike some of his brothers, Percy rebelled and became an apprentice Fitter and Turner at the Woolwich Arsenal, London, instead of working for his typically Victorian father.

At that time he also stopped playing the violin, much to his mother’s disappointment, but fortunately started again later on. During the First World War, Percy worked for the munitions manufacturer Woolwich Arsenal in London, so he was not conscripted into the army, unlike his brother Ernest.

Ernest was badly gassed in France and returned home shell shocked from which he never fully recovered. He continued to live in London until the early 1950’s. Because of his condition, Ernie occasionally lost his senses and would run off, usually to the local football club grounds. His brothers would chase after him and bring him home.

Fortunately I was able to meet my uncle Ernest whilst in London on my way to Glasgow in 1950. He was delighted to meet Percy’s son and gave me a small wooden suitcase that he had made, which I have subsequently given to my son Gavin.

During World War 1, on Sunday September 3, 1916 Percy went to see his violin, which was being made by a violin maker who lived near Cuffley, Hertfordshire. It so happened that on the same day an important historical event took place and recalling that event was this article which appeared in The UK Mail dated 22/1 /2002 in answer to a readers question.

“In the early hours of Sunday, September 3,1916, Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson, a twenty one year old Royal Flying Corps officer was flying in his BE2c biplane and heading back to his airfield. As he flew over Cuffley, Hertfordshire, he saw a German Schutte–Lanz airship, one of the so called “baby – killers” ( Because they were used by the Germans to bomb London civilian suburbs.) It was caught in the searchlights following bombing raids over Finsbury Park, Tottenham and Enfield in North London. Risking danger from ground shell fire and the crew of the airship firing at him, Robinson put his aircraft into a dive and flew under the airship to within 500 ft. there he emptied an entire drum of incendiary bullets from his solitary Lewis gun, into its belly and side. The airship began to glow and in a few seconds the whole rear end was blazing before falling into a field behind the Plough Inn, Cuffley. All 16 crew members perished . Leefe Robinson received the Victoria Cross (the only VC award for bravery in the UK) from King George V four days later. He died December 1918 after returning to the UK, following appalling treatment in captivity. He was buried at All Saints, Stanmore. A memorial still stands on the Ridgeway in Cuffley. “

Percy told a story behind the above story which is; when the German’s first used airships to bomb London they were filled with hydrogen, which being inflammable were able to withstand the ordinary machine gun bullets used by the RFC ( Royal Flying Corp later called RAF). Secretly an incendiary bullet had been developed and made by Woolwich Arsenal and used for the first time on the above occasion at great risk and with such success that it stopped the Germans using this type of airship, thus saving many civilian lives. Another good reason for the awarding of Victoria Cross.

Due to the historical importance of the above event, Percy asked his violin maker William Robson, to inscribe the name “Cuffley” inside his violin. It must have been a fine instrument, as offers were made to buy it when it was entered in a violin competition in London. It was this violin that Percy brought to South Africa in 1922 and enabled him to make a living playing it. He kept it all his life and it is now in the possession of his son Brian.

Percy’s sister Ella lived in London through both World Wars and endured the infamous Blitzkrieg of London city during World War 2. Her son Gerry was drafted into the Military Intelligence and her daughter Olive was a nursing Sister. I also met Ella and her husband Will Paterson and their son, Malcolm in 1950. I stayed with them for a few months whilst deciding where to go next.

Percy’s sister, Lucy and her husband William Cottle were killed in 1945 by a direct hit from a “doodle bug” flying bomb in the latter part of World War 2.

Percy emigrates to South Africa

In 1922 Percy decided to leave England and emigrated to South Africa, arriving in Johannesburg in the middle of the ‘general strike’ of mine workers. He found it very difficult to get a job and did manual labour until he had the chance to join a touring entertainment company called the Musical Madcaps playing his violin. After a short while this group folded up and he was once again jobless. Times were hard ! So, he started playing his violin and singing at weddings and functions to earn a living.

While living in Johannesburg, Percy was introduced to Mildred Winifred du Toit, known as Winnie, who also loved music and played the piano and sang very well. She invited him to her home at 16 Samuel Street, Regents Park for a “musical evening”, which was a popular form of entertainment in those days. There he met her parents Joshua and Henrietta du Toit, also her brothers Reuben, Reginald, Alfred and Basil all of whom could play a musical instrument. (Winnie won a gold medal at an Eisteddfod for singing). Percy and Winnie eventually teamed up and become duet entertainers at functions and were married in March 1924 in East London. In 1929 Percy and Winnie had a son while in East London, and named him Clive Percy Sayce.

Hard times continued and they moved to the Transkei (now the Eastern Cape), where Percy toured to various towns showing silent movies (bioscopes as they were called then) as a livelihood, until “talking” movies came into being. He then started his business called “Percy Sayce’s Talkies”, still touring a number of towns in the Transkei and used Idutywa as his base. The original company of Kinekor helped finance him and hired movies to him, which were railed to Queenstown, where Percy collected them every fortnight, returning the previous one at the same time. He also had an arrangement with the Chevrolet agents in East London, to sell him a new vehicle each year, because of the long distances he had to travel. Because of Percy’s work the family were only together every two weeks for one weekend, which was most unfortunate and didn’t provide much family life.

One can only imagine the poor condition of the Transkei roads in the late 1920’s, and Percy had many an experiences getting stuck in the mud and having to strap chains to the tyres to get some grip. On one occasion the left side of his vehicle sank into an unmarked grave near the edge of the “road” and the local people helped to dig it out and used oxen to finally pull it out. After smiles and handshakes all round he went off on his way. It made their day for the friendly Xhosa people.

On another occasion when on the road between Lusikisiki and Port St Johns he reached the Umzumvubu River, which was in flood and the pont was washed away. The steep hills and muddy roads behind him prevented going back, so he expected to spend a cold and wet night in his vehicle. In a short while he heard shouts from the opposite bank and saw lights. It was a group of white townsmen from Port St Johns who were expecting him that night to show movies. They rowed their boats over the river and made a few trips with all the projection equipment on board and took it along the riverside road to the Town Hall (It is still there to this day). They and their families were not going to be deprived of their night’s entertainment !! After a while the flood subsided, the pont restored and Percy’s vehicle retrieved and he proceeded to Umtata a few days late, surprising the people there, as they had heard that the river had been in flood.

Holidays, most times just Winnie and Clive, were spent in Port St Johns to be at the seaside and they stayed at the Windsor Hotel, which is no longer there, and spent time on Second Beach, which is beautiful and provided soft white sand and safe swimming.

As Clive grew older he was sometimes taken on a trip with his Dad as a special treat. The local Black children would run down and open the farm gates when they saw travellers approaching and they smiled and waved and enjoyed their reward of sweets. Like all boys Clive would pretend he was driving and made the appropriate engine sounds and turning an imaginary steering wheel much to Percy’s amusement.

During the mid-1930’s Percy and Winnie were regrettably divorced, and Winnie returned with Clive to Johannesburg and stayed with her parents for most of the time. Winnie never remarried and sadly passed away in March 1950. Winnie was buried in West Park Cemetery, Johannesburg, in grave No.3128 next to her parents.

In 1937 Percy married Eunice May Wilson who had cared for him during a serious illness. They lived in Umtata and had a son there in 1938, naming him Brian Percy Sayce.

At the start of the Second World War in 1939, Percy applied to return to England, but was advised by the British Embassy to apply for a job with Stewarts and Lloyds in Vereeniging, as they were starting production of munitions as part of the war effort. He was offered a job because of his previous experience with Woolwich Arsenal, London. So, in about 1940 Percy sold “ Percy Sayce’s Talkies” to his assistant Eric Lieson. He moved to Vereeninging with Eunice and Brian where he started work at Stewarts and Lloyds. Once again Percy’s life was affected by war.

Early in 1943 Clive, now 14 years old, went to live with Percy, Eunice and Brian in flat No. 12A Jasmine Mansions, Vereeniging. Not as grand as the name sounds, but it was a home and handy for schools, and housing was very scarce at that time, as were a lot of other things such as petrol, tyres, and sugar. In about 1943 the family moved to Meyerton, 18 km outside of Vereeniging, to a bigger house and grounds, but travelling back and forth to Vereeniging become a problem, so they moved back to town after a couple of years.

Percy became friendly with a piano player called Vic Brian, who had a band and played music for local dances and functions. During a conversation Percy told Vic about his ability to play the violin. Vic then coerced Percy into playing it for him to hear, but by then his violin had no strings and was in a neglected state. Eunice then also encouraged Percy to start playing again and had his violin repaired and polished up. After a bit of practice he again became a reasonably good violinist. Percy and Vic enjoyed themselves together ,and Vic eventually persuaded Percy to play a few times in his band. However, this did not last long and the old violin was put back to rest.

During World War 2, Percy joined the National Volunteer Brigade in Vereeniging, like many men of his age and other “key men” did, as well as carrying on with their civilian jobs. (The NVB was an Army unit formed to be on reserve in the event of any threat to the country from without or within.) It became a ritual that at six o’clock every night there had to be silence in the house while the Percy listened to the BBC news on the short wave radio to get the latest on the progress of the War. He was very saddened by the death of his sister Lucy and her husband in London near the end of the war.

Percy played bowls at the Stewarts and Lloyds Bowling Club, which he helped to start up at the newly built Recreation Club in Vereeniging. He was the Chairman and before he retired he was made a Life Member for his services to the Club.

His final position at work was Transport Manager and on his retirement Percy, Eunice and Brian moved to East London. By then Clive had married Nan and they had their first son Douglas and stayed in Vereeniging. Percy and Eunice also lived for a while in Port St Johns where he became Chairman of the local Bowls Club and insisted Brian and Clive also become members, very likely to increase income from their annual fees. But it worked out well, because to his delight he and his two sons, together with another player, as members of Port St Johns Bowling Club, competed in the 1966 South African Bowls Championships in Johannesburg and did rather well. Later on Percy and Eunice moved back to live in East London.

Sadly, Percy Cecil Sayce passed away in 1968 and was cremated at the Cambridge Cemetery in East London, Eastern Cape, RSA.

Percy Cecil Sayce, the person

Life in the Victorian age could not have been easy, but the family managed well enough as all the sons had jobs as artisans, but it must have been hard for the Mothers bringing up such large families, as was quite usual in those bygone days.

His parents would have been proud of their son Percy, as he was good man, noted for his complete honesty, integrity and belief in fair play, with high intelligence and a keen sense of humour. He gained the respect of his peers and superiors, was kind and highly principled, and a man of his word. He often came across as a being “cold” and didn’t find it easy to show affection, but inside he was proud of his family and loyal to his country of birth and adoption.

As well as playing the violin, Percy was always keen on sport and played soccer, and cricket at which he was good enough to play once for the County Kent, but he dropped a catch and was not selected again. In later life in Vereeniging he took up bowls and become very good at it. He was also a good bridge and chess player.

Clive Percy Sayce ( Eldest son of Percy Cecil Sayce )

Clive was born in East London, South Africa on 6-Feb-1929, but the family lived in Idutywa in what was then known as The Transkei, now part of the province of the Eastern Cape. Clive grew up and went to school there until he was about 8 years old. Unfortunately at this time his parents were divorced and Winnie and Clive went to East London for a year, then to Johannesburg to stay with his grandparents, the du Toit’s, in Regents Park.

For various reasons Clive went to a number schools, the main ones being Marist Brothers College as a boarder for a year and then Witwatersrand Technical College, Braamfontein also for one year. During this period of his growing up his grandparents moved to Honeydew farm, which he enjoyed and learned about life on a farm, riding horses and other experiences while living in the countryside. It was while at Wits. Tech. in 1942 that he realised his love of engineering, physical science and chemistry. In 1943 he felt the need for a father and after a disagreement with his mother he went to live with his father, Percy and his wife Eunice and their younger son Brian in Vereeniging. He transferred to the Vereeniging Technical College, where he passed Matric In December 1944 at the age of 15, with distinctions in Mathematics, Science and Engineering Drawing and Design.

In his early teenage years Clive was involved in The Boy Scouts movement and became Chief Scout of his Troop, played cricket and football, and was a choir boy at the Anglican Church until he had a big fallout with the Minister about his father being a divorced man.

On 6 Feb 1945 he was contracted as an Apprentice pattern maker in the foundry at Stewarts and Lloyds, which he was fortunate to get as his father worked there, and jobs were scarce after the end of the war. In 1949 Clive won the Best Apprentice award, probably because he had continued his studies at night school and obtained Advanced Technical Certificates 1 & 2 in a number of subjects.

At the age of 18 Clive was called up to do his compulsory National Army Service in the 1st Anti-Aircraft Regiment based in Vereeniging. Hated it, but survived and learned a lot about life having to attend “camps” each year for five years. He also continued playing soccer and cricket.

On 5 Feb 1950 he became a journeyman pattern maker and moved to the Benoni to where he was offered a job to by the ex-Foundry Manager under whom he worked as an apprentice, and then to Port Elizabeth so as to have a better chance to get a sea passage to England. It was Clive’s goal to go England, which he longed to see having heard so much about it from his Dad. Clive, with twenty pounds in his pocket, sailed from P.E. on the Rochester Castle cargo ship in June 1950. In London he stayed for a while with his aunt Ella, uncle Will and cousin Malcolm. He then spent the first two weeks and all his money, twenty pound, seeing the main sites in London, before getting a job. The horrendous bomb damage from the war was still evident to see, particularly in the East End docks area. Food rationing was still in force in Britain at that time and a Ration Book had to be issued to one on arrival even though World War 2 had ended in 1945. Clive loved his Aunt Ella, who was very kind to him. He got on well with his cousin Malcolm and they have kept in touch over the years, and last met at Gatwick Airport in 2007.

Clive's trip to the Scotland

In September 1950 being footloose and fancy free, Clive decided to move on from London and went to Glasgow and worked as a Patternmaker for John Brown Shipbuilders, where the famous ships the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth 1 were built. He learned a lot more about his trade and grew as a person still being only 21 years of age. It was difficult to get suitable lodgings and eventually stayed as a lodger with a small family in Bath St. in the centre of Glasgow. While in Glasgow he got to know and like the Scottish people, but the weather in winter was harsh.

This is an extract from a story Clive told his son after Douglas had rejuvinated Clive's tool box - "In June, 1950, I was 21 years old, when I arrived in Hull, England by ship and caught a late train to London, because of dock strikes at London harbour. I had travelled on a cargo ship, the Rochester Castle. I recall, when I arrived at Earls Court Station at about 11 o’clock at night in 1950, a porter lifted my tool box onto a trolley and said “What have you got in here, son...Gold?” He was so strong and experienced that he lifted it by himself, full of tools, then my suitcase. A London Bobby strolled up the empty station platform and realised my predicament. He then instructed a taxi driver to take me to my Aunt Ella’s house in Charlton for one pound, in spite of Charlton not being in his territory. The Bobby saw I was from South Africa and had met some of South Africans during WW1. South Africans were well thought of then in the UK. My Aunt Ella was still up at after midnight when I arrived, because she had told her family 'Clive will be here tonight'. My uncle Will and cousin Malcolm were asleep in bed. Things were tough in those days and war rations for food and clothes were still place."

One Saturday night in Glasgow at The Kelvin Halls ballroom dance hall Clive met and danced with a lovely young girl, Nan Duncan. Clive asked Nan if he could see her home, she turned him down, but did let him walk her to the bus stop to her home in Sandyhills. On the way to the bus stop, they made a date to meet “under the clock” in Renfield Street the next Saturday evening and go to a movie. All went well and they started dating, going to various ballroom dance halls, and visiting places like Loch Lomond, Callander (walked in the snow) and Edinburgh. They fell in love and got engaged in April 1951. Not having much money Clive decided to return to Vereeniging, South Africa in order to save some money. Nan accompanied him to London before he departed by ship then she returned to Glasgow.

On arrival in SA he restarted work at Stewart and Lloyds as a Draughtsman and waited for Nan to join him. Nan arrived in SA in November 1951 and also managed to find a job. Nan was very homesick and things turned out badly with Clive’s stepmother. So Nan moved into a boarding house. Nan and Clive saved hard and were married 14 April 1952 and were fortunate to rent a small flat. A few years later they moved into a house of their own in Three Rivers, where their first son Douglas was born in 1954. In 1956 their second son Ronald arrived, followed by their third son Gavin in 1960.

It was during this period that Clive was promoted to Chief Draughtsman in a new Tubular Structures Dept. and eventually became Manager. However, in 1961 he was offered a better opportunity as Sales Manager with a GKN company, Twisteel Reinforcements in Johannesburg, at a grand salary of 150 Pound per month and a Company car. So, the family had to move and Mondeor was chosen as their suburb to live in, where they eventually had a nice house built with four bedrooms, large garden and a lovely view. They had their fourth son Ian in 1963.

Mondeor was an ideal suburb in which to bring up children and they had a lots of friends, freedom and fun things to do. They became known as “the Sayce Boys” The size of the family now put holiday hotels out of reach, so Clive decided to design and build a caravan. After six months of planning and hard work it was successfully completed in 1966, with indispensable help from Douglas and Ronald, which taught them a lot about the use of tools and working with their hands. Nan made the bed covers and curtains. Having a caravan enabled the whole family to have holidays in many far places such as The Kruger Park, Kimberley, Fish Hoek, the Wilderness, East London, Nelspruit, the Drakensberg Mountains, the Natal Coast and many places in between. It was a fun time and all enjoyed it, except for the chores, but they got done too.

Clive’s career with GKN progressed well with hard work and loyal support from Nan and in 1968 he was promoted to Sales Director, then in 1974 he became General Manager then Managing Director in 1976 and joined The Board of Directors of GKN SA. They decided to merge Clive’s company Twisteel, which was profitable, with another one of their companies, Mills Scaffolding, which making losses, and Clive was appointed as Managing Director of GKN Millsteel in 1978. Nan and Clive decided to move into a townhouse in Bedfordview, because by this time Douglas had married Karen, and Ronald had left to work in Cape town and later married Jenni and they emigrated to Australia. Gavin was doing his Army Service training and later went to Wits. University and Ian was in Matriculant at Jeppe School for Boys.

During the 1970’s and early 80’s South Africa was going through very difficult times politically and economically because of the Apartheid system and International sanctions started being applied by major countries such as Britain and the USA. In 1984 Clive was made Chairman of GKN South Africa with the brief that if certain criteria were not met, the Companies were to be sold or closed down. Sadly the final result was that all GKN SA Companies ceased to exist by 1988, except for Chep. This was a very difficult and traumatic experience for Clive and when the job was done, he was glad to retire on pension in March 1988 after having been with GKN for 27 years. Retirement required an adjustment for both Nan and Clive, but all went well and he occupied himself with interests in bowls and serving on various Committees, and holidaying with Nan in Scotland, Europe and Australia, visiting family.

Their next move was to a retirement village called San Sereno in Bryanston, from 1991 to 1996. Ian and Alison had married and decided to emigrate to Brisbane, Australia in 1992.

In 1996 Clive and Nan moved from Johannesburg to the warmer climate of Uvongo, Natal. Douglas had earlier that year moved to Shelly Beach with Karen, to work for Coastchem in Port Shepstone. Clive and Nan's main activities were travelling overseas, keeping in touch with family, watching TV and bowls.

In April 2002 Clive and Nan celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Estuary Hotel preceded by a sea cruise on the Monterey, with all four sons and their wives and granddaughters Skye and Chloe. Some also visited the Hluhluwe Game Park. The anniversary was a wonderful occasion, with family and good friends.

In January 2008 Clive and Nan moved to The Village of Happiness, Margate, which provided them with better security and other facilities for their age group. In June of 2008, Doug & Karen took Clive and Nan for a weekend holiday to Port St Johns, where Clive was able to visit the old Town Hall in which his father Percy had showed movies in the late 1920's.

Now both in their 90's, Clive and Nan have bravely had to deal with self-isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic.