Florence Elizabeth Warland (1870 - 1906) was the daughter of Alfred Warland (1849 - ). Florence worked in London as a primary school teacher initially, living with her grandparents at 4 Frederick Place, Camberwell(see 1881 census) and her aunt Sarah Ann Warland.
The story of Florence Warland in South Africa, and the Cockerell family, is directly connected with the story of Kainon High School, as noted below.
Some of the information below is from Jill Warland (Canada), Karen Meeks-Carter (South Africa), the story of Kainon High School (provided to me around 2002), and information shared on publicly accessible online discussion forums.
Alfred Sydney/Sidney Cockerell (born May 1833) arrived on the ship 'Edward' in Durban in May 1850. Two months later, James Ridgway and his family arrived on the 'Henrietta'. The Ridgway family were New Church people belonging to a Conference Society in England.
According to the Kainon High School story, the family 'brought a whole set of the Writings of Swedenborg [theological writings originally written in Latin and published between 1749 and 1771] with them, and while they were busy sorting out their belongings and making furniture for their new house, these books, with many others, were left in boxes on a hard mud floor. When the boxes were opened, it was found that most of the books had been eaten by white ants, but noe one word of the Writings had been touched'. The New Church was established in this house in Durban.
Also in 1850, Robert Upton and family arrived in Durban.
In 1860, Emma Rigdway married Alfred Cockerell. They had three sons and seven daughters.
Elizabeth Upton, the daughter of Robert Upton, married Rowland Ridgway, the son of James Ridgway, in 1864. They had eight sons and two daughers.
Sometime after this, Stanley Cockerell married Alice Ridgway, and Henry Ridgway married Dalia Cockerell.
Around 1873, Alfred Cockerell bought several acress of land off Berea Road where he built a home named 'Syringa Villa'. The first Church services of the New Church in Durban were held in the drawing room of this home.
The book 'The Natal Who's who: An Illustrated Biographical Sketch Book of Natalians', likely printed around 1907, includes an entry for Alfred Cockerell (and his sons, see below).
COCKERELL, Alfred Sydney, retired Deputy Sheriff of Natal, 1882 - 1905; b. 13th May 1833 in London; s. of John Cockerell, Underwriter at Lloyds; m., 6th June 1861, Emma Ridgeway; 10 children. Educ. at Kemney, Aberdeen. Came to Colony, in the S.V. Edward, in May 1850. Add., Berea Rd, Durban.
The families of Charlie Grix and Harold Attersoll joined the group. In 1880, the first New Church Society commenced.
The first New Church building was erected on Alfred Cockerell's land in 1892. Alfred became the leader of the church and read the services. Charles Grix was secretary and Harold Attersolle was treasurer. The Society then built a hall behind the church, which was named 'Bayley Hall', after Dr Bayley, a New Church minister in England. The hall had a stage, two ante rooms, and a kitchen. Evening and day classes were held there, and many concerts and plays were put on.
The first New Church School was established in Bayley Hall. It needed teachers.
Florence Elizabeth Warland was a member of, and teacher at Burbon Road Church in England. Perhaps she was contacted directly or applied for the role of teacher at the New Church School. Delia Cockerell (who married Henry Ridgway) and Maud Cockerell (who married Cyril Braby) were teachers in the school which had around 25 - 30 children who lived nearby. Most of the parents attended Church services.
Florence Warland (who may have been unwell before leaving) migrated to South Africa in 1893 and commenced teaching.
Florence Warland married John D'Arcy Cockerell (usually known as D'Arcy), a clerk, on 31 October 1897 in Durban, South Africa. John Cockerell was the son of Alfred Cockerell.
John Cockerell worked for the Union Castle Shipping Line in Durban. He and his brother (possibly Stanley Dunbar Cockerell) were the tennis doubles champions of South Africa (there are numerous references to 'Cockerell and Cockerell' in the newspapers of the early 1900s).
The book 'The Natal Who's who: An Illustrated Biographical Sketch Book of Natalians', has the following entries for brothers John and Stanley Cockerell.
COCKERELL, John D'Arcy. Passenger's Clerk. U.C.M S.S. Co.; b. 17th April, 1869 in Durban; 2nd s. of A.S. Cockerell, of Durban. Widower; 1 d, Edna. Durban High School. Hobbies: Tennis and music. Add., Union Castle Office, West St., Durban; and Chelmsford Rd., Berea. Clubs: Berea L.T.C.; Berea Choral Union. Entered service of Castle Mail Packets Co. in 1887; subsequently, on amalgamation with Union Co., took charge of the amagamated Passenger Dept. In conjunction with brother won S.A. Championship Tennis Doubles 1906.
COCKERELL, Stanley Dunbar, Deputy-Sheriff; b. 1870, in Durban; y.s. [youngest son] of A.S. Cockerell, retired Deputy-Sheriff of Natal; m., 2nd Feb., 1900, Alice, d. of late Rowland Ridgway. of Durban. Educ. Durban High School. Recreation: Tennis. Add., the Court House; and "Silver Oaks." Windmill Rd., off Essenwood Rd., Berea, Durban. Club: Berea L.T.C;. Holder of Club championship 1903 - 1906. Runner-up of Natal Tennis Single Championship 1905. In conjunction with his brother won S.A. Doubles Championship 1906. After leaving school was for 2 years farming, up-country ; with Randles. Bro. & Hudson for 18 months; Union Co. 7 years; Union-Castle M. S.S. Co. 1 year, as Asst. Passenger Clerk: afterwards present position, which he has held for 3 years.
Florence Cockerell (nee Warland) ceased to teach after she married. Delia and Maud Cockerell continued to teach, as did their sister Laura and also Alice Ridgway, but once they all married the school closed. See below from 1922 for the re-opening.
Florence and D'Arcy Cockerell lived at Chelmsford Road, Durban. They had the following children:
Possibly before 1906, Florence's aunt Sarah Ann Warland (born 25 May 1856) arrived in South Africa.
Florence Cockerell died on 8 September 1906 aged 36 years and 5 months. Her death certificate states that her father was 'Dead' and her mother 'Mrs Warland, London'. (Source: Death certificate).
John D'Arcy Cockerell then married Enid's nursemaid, Marjorie Adriana (Blanche?) Flowers. John and Marjorie had children:
As far as is known, Sarah Ann Warland never married. She died in Natal on 18 November 1927.
From 1903 to 1906, the New Church Society had the Rev James F Buss as its first minister.
In the period after this, a Miss Elsie Champion (with a BA from Pietermaritzburg College) became interested in the Church via Kathleen Cowley (nee Cockerell), and became a member in 1912. Elsie had taught for a few years in Natal and was now interested in re-starting the New Church School.
In 1914, the Rev F E Gyllenhaal was sent from the General Church in Bryn Athyn and it was through in, and with the help of the Rev Theo Pitcairn, that the Durban Society joined the General Church in 1919.
Elsie Champion went to Bryn Athyn to study, returning to Durban in 1922. By the time, the Church had moved to Fusgrave Road but had no hall. Mrs Stanley Cockerell offered Elsie used of her garden and verandah in case of rain. She also offered four of her daughters and a son to start a school (presumably this meant to attend the school). The then minister, Mr Odhner, chose the name Kainon, and the new Kainon High School opened in August 1923. It had nine pupils.
The school was based in Upper Glenwood until February 1924 when it was moved to D'Arcy Cockerell's residence on Vouss (Veiss - sp?) Road which had a room and a garden. There were 18 students. The school had five different classes, one of which was the Junior Certificate. Mr Odhner taught religion, Viole Ridgway, Sylvia Pemberton and Doris Muford helped with 'handwork', swimming, netball and a few junior class subjects, while Elsie Champion taught the seniors.
In August 1924, the school moved again to the cottage behind the church. This was an old wood and iron house with a very large room leading on to a wide verandah and became known as the School House. Behind it was a pleasant grassy lawn where the children had physical training and played games, including netball.
About this time, Mr Odhner was asked to go to Toronto and the Rev Theo Pitcairn looked after the Society for a little while with the new young minister, the Rev Elmo Roton (sp?). By 1926, a new hall was built for meetings and other entertainment, but it was not a great success as the windows were said to be too small, there were no 'dressing rooms', no platform and no kitchen.
It was also not successful as a teaching area. The student found it difficult to pay attention. Eventually a concrete platform was built outside the hall where the students were taught each day unless it rained.
In 1927 Doris Mumford left for Bryn Athyn to continue her studies and Joan Harris (nee Braby) took her place.
As noted in the Kainon school history, the school was still technically 'private' and privately funded. It was decided that the church should take over the school so that teachers could receive better salaries.
By this time, Enid Cockerell, the only surviving daughter of Florence Cockerell (nee Warland), became a senior teacher at the schoool. Elsie Champion spent a year at Bryn Athyn and Colette de Caraoenac taughter French.
Enid Cockerell left the school at the end of 1929 when she married Louis Isaac Levine, a school principal in Durban. They had three children:
Jennie Gaskill, a New Church teacher from Bryn Athyn, replaced Enid Cockerell at the school and remained there for two years.
The school fell into hard times from this time, partly due to the war. Elsie Champion retired. The school, managed by Sylvia Pemberton, had only three primary classes. Sylvia Pemberton remained with the school until 1966.
John D/Arcy Cockerell died on 14 January 1936 at 52 Vause Road, Durban, Natal. His second wife Marjorie signed the death certificate (Source: Death Certificate).
The school remained running under Sylvia Pemberton's guidance. Mrs Gordon Cockerell taught Hebrew, Carol Buss taught Afrikaane, and Gillian Simon (nee Mayer) helpd with lower classes.
Sylvia Pemberton retired from the school in 1966, replaced by Alix Mayer (nee Smith).
Eventually it was decided build a school at Westville where it now continues as Kainon School. The following is from the school website (26 April 2020):
Kainon School is a progressive, independent co-educational Christian school with small classes and dedicated teachers, providing a nurturing environment for learning. Kainon School is a member of ISASA (Independent Schools Association of South Africa). Kainon School was founded in 1923.
Our Christian morals and values permeate everything we do – from our strong academic programme in line with the National Curriculum to our well-rounded sport and extra-curricular activities. Being a smaller school all our children are included in the cultural activities and sports teams and events whether this is their strength or not. We offer learner support during the school day and private after school extra tuition.
In keeping with the Kainon tradition, we acknowledge the time honoured values of In Usibus Felicitas (Happiness in a Useful Life) in all we do. Kainon includes bible based values and morals as part of our Life Orientation in our daily curriculum and aims to support parents in the challenging task of parenting.
Page created 1 April 2013, updated 26 April 2020. Copyright © 2021 Andrew Warland. (andrewwarland(at)gmail.com)