This website is devoted to the history of the Molteno, Murray, Anderson, Stanford and Bisset families. It consists mainly of reminiscences, diaries, autobiography & other writings by members of the family over the past 150 years.

Robert Molteno started the mammoth task of writing a comprehensive history of the familiy, but unfortunatley passed away before he was able to complete it and get it published. We have decided to upload what he had completed, as he spent so many years researching and fitting things together for us all to enjoy.

Please note, the draft chapters do not contain photographs, as  you can see elsewhere on this website, members of the family have made available to Robert a treasure trove of pictures which he was hoping to draw on. We will attempt to upload some of them for you to enjoy at later stage.

One more thing, you may notice that each chapter has copious footnotes. The reason is that, so far as possible, Robert always wanted to be accurate in relating what has happened in the family over its long history since the 1770s, and for readers to feel confident that what they were reading was always based on evidence, and not speculation. He also left numerous notes to self at the beginning of each chapter, for example check footnotes, ask Marion to edit etc and in his eyes they were certainly not ready for reading yet. Some of the final chapters (17 – 20 specifically) are not yet complete, so I have left Robert’s initial notes in for you to get a sense of what he was still hoping to include.

It would be such a waste if they were never to be seen though, so please bear in mind that they are only draft copies when reading. Despite being unfinished, they are still fascinating – We hope you enjoy them!

Table of Contents

Foreword

1. Family Origins – Medieval Italy, Milan and the Village of Molteno
2. Anthony Molteno – Printseller of Pall Mall, 1780s
3. Becoming English – Anthony and Mary Molteno’s children put down roots in London
4. Prosperity to Bankruptcy – The eldest son, James Anthony Molteno, and his family
5. Poverty and Migration – John  and Caroline Molteno’s descendants scattered
6. Australia – Fred Molteno and ‘the young Paganini’
7. Hawaii – Frank Molteno goes whaling
8. Cape of Good Hope – John Charles Molteno makes good, 1830s and ‘40s
9. Hercules Crosse Jarvis – The Rock on which the South African Family stands
10. Self Government – Taking the lead (1854 – 1871)
11. Prime Minister – making use of Power (1872 – 1874)
12. Prime Minister – difficult years (1974 – 1878)
13. The next generation – growing up in the Cape
14. English Moltenos – Peckham, Guernsey and beyond 
15. Scottish Moltenos – Percy Molteno and Bessie Currie’s new clan
16. The Boer War, 1899-1902 – The Family Militants
17. South Africa Undone – The Act of Union (1910) and the seeds of tragedy
18. Kenya – Jarvis and Lenox Murray go farming
19. The First World War, 1914-18 – The family consumed
20. A Post-War World – Not everyone goes farming!
21. The 1930s – End of an Era
22. South African Tradegy – Donald takes up the cudgels
23. Reflections – 200 Years of the Family’s History
24. How should the book end?