William Girdwood[1, 2, 3, 4]
Abt 1838 - 1907 (69 years)
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Name William Girdwood Birth Abt 1838 Auchendinny,,Scotland., 
[5, 6] Gender Male Death 5 Feb 1907 Tutura,Transkei,South Africa., Person ID I17430 My Genealogy Last Modified 25 Apr 2026 | Edit
Father Thomas Girdwood, b. 1866 d. 1868, ,,South Africa., (Age 2 years) Mother Isabella Inglis, b. 1806 Marriage - _HTITL: Husband
- _WTITL: Wife
Family ID F302713845 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family 1 Mary Robertson, b. Abt 1838 d. 30 Dec 1867, Umgwali Mission, (Age 29 years) Marriage 5 Aug 1862 Dundee,Angus,Scotland., [7] - _HTITL: Husband
- _WTITL: Wife
Children 1. Helen Girdwood, b. 18 May 1863, Dundee,Forfarshire,Scotland., d. Abt 1948 (Age 84 years)2. Isabella Girdwood, b. Abt 1864 d. 1896, ,,South Africa., (Age 32 years)3. Thomas Girdwood, b. 1866 d. 1868, ,,South Africa., (Age 2 years)Family ID F302713844 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 25 Jun 2020 | Edit
Family 2 Helen Forsyth d. 2 May 1912, Melville,Johannesburg,Transvaal,South Africa., Marriage Oct 1872 ,,South Africa., [8, 9] Children 1. Thomas Girdwood, b. 1874, ,,South Africa., d. 1877, ,,South Africa., (Age 3 years)2. Alexander Forsyth Girdwood, b. 20 Oct 1874, ,,South Africa., d. 15 Jun 1944, Telana,Main Rd,Muizenburg,Cape,South Africa (Age 69 years)3. Dr William "Bill" "Willie" Girdwood, b. 1876, ,,South Africa., d. 23 Jan 1954, Johannesburg,Transvaal,South Africa., (Age 78 years)4. Grace Jane Girdwood, b. Abt 1878, ,,South Africa., d. ,,South Africa., 5. Ethel Dorothy "Dolly" Girdwood, b. 1880, ,,South Africa., d. 1944, ,,South Africa., (Age 64 years)6. Alice Girdwood, b. Abt 1881, ,,South Africa., d. 1886, ,,South Africa., (Age 5 years)7. Dr Robert "Bertie" "RL" Laurie Girdwood, b. Abt 1883, ,,South Africa., d. 1967, ,,South Africa., (Age 84 years)8. Dr Arthur Inglis Girdwood, b. Abt 1885, ,,South Africa., d. 1970, ,,South Africa., (Age 85 years)9. Henry "Harry" Drummond Girdwood, b. Abt 1887, ,,South Africa., d. 25 Sep 1969, St Michael's Clinic,Mbabane,Swaziland (Age 82 years)10. Mabel Janet Forsyth Girdwood, b. Abt 1889, ,,South Africa., d. 1968 (Age 79 years)Family ID F302713843 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 2 Apr 2020 | Edit
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Notes - PRIVATE
- Rev William Girdwood - Minister, Missionary, Doctor, Magistrate.
His father was Rev Thomas Girdwood, a Minister.
William was educated at Edinburgh University and UP Church Theological Hall, Edinburgh.
He was licensed to preach in Feb. 1861 in the Presbytery of Edinburgh. The South African Medical Directory of 1896. p 36 says:
«i»Girdwood, Rev. William. Tutura U.P. Misison, Butterworth, Transkei--Licensed under proviso to Section 18. Act 34 of 1891; (RCS. Edin.); Med Off. Mission Dispens. for Gaikas and Gcalekas for Transkei. «/i»
«b»1861«/b» Penicnick U.P. Church (his father's church before him)
«b»1864 «/b»Called to York Place, U.P.C., Perth
«b»31.01.1865«/b» Inducted at York Place
Jan. «b»1867 «/b»Resignation to take up mission work in Kaffraria
Arrived in RSA «b»August 1867«/b».
«b»1867«/b» Henderson Mission on the Thomas River with Rev JA Chalmers
«b»1868«/b» Took up work at «b»Tutura Mission«/b», Transkei. Did much medical work as well as preaching the Gospel. He well supported Rev Tiyo at Tutura where he had been requested to be Tiyo's helper.
His medical skill soon won the heart of King Sarhili's Prime Minister who he had cured of an obstinate disease and the mission grew in favour.
«b»1872«/b» onward «b»Mfengu Dispensary, Nqamakwe«/b» invited by Captain Blyth, then Mfengu resident, to settled in Fingoland as a medical man. Established the Mfengu Hospotital and dispensary
c. «b»1877«/b» He founded the new station of «b»Qolora«/b» where his fame as a physician drew patients from all Fingoland.
During the last Frontier War (1877-78) the stations at Tutura and Qolora were both burned to the ground.
«b»1880«/b» Tembu Rebellion; gazetted as Army Surgeon
«b»1881«/b» Resident Magistrate of the Tsomo District at «b»Mbulu«/b» due to ill health eventually moved to «b»Kentani«/b»
«b»1885«/b» He resumed work at «b»Tutura«/b» and set himself earnestly to rebuild its waste places. The district immediately responded and in no part of the older mission was there more progress.
«b»1892«/b» It was a flourishing station under a missionary whose deep interest in the Xhosa, knowledge of their language, medical skill and administrative ability won the hearts of his people and made him a power for good all round Kentani Hill
«b»1894-5«/b» Returned to Scotland
«b»1903«/b» Severe Enteric fever, ill health
«b»1904«/b» Scotland
assisted in his work by Rev Burnside Soga
died on 5 February «b»1907 «/b»
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The Sogas and William fell out and after some research as to why this had happened,
it appeared that the Sogas were indignant that William was living under the same roof as the governess. I suppose they were Victorians and very puritanical.
A cousin, Rev Richard Girdwood, Grandson of Alec , did this bit of research, and unearthed some correspondence between William and the United Presbytery board.
§«tab»William was emphatic that all was above board, but it eventually
§«tab» led to his resignation from the mission.
§«tab»He set up a medical practice and I have photos of him at his Fingo Dispensary in Nqamakwe.
§«tab»He was also Justice of the peace and was gazetted as army surgeon in the Tembu Rebellion war, for which he received a medal. Apparently, he was the only medical practitioner between EL and Port St Johns at the time.
§«tab»After the war he was magistrate of Kentani for a while.
Things must have improved with the United Presbytery Board because he was invited to take up his old post at Tutura again and stayed there until he died in 1907
I have been to Tutura once and it is very peaceful there set amongst the many trees which I imagine they must have planted. The church is still called the Girdwood Memorial church and William was buried there. His tombstone is inscribed in Xhosa. (Tiyo Soga is also buried there )
The blacks called him "Gadudu".
Source:Girdwood, David. Email of 2008 Mar 29
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Sources - [S437] Slowan, William J., Slowan, William J. The Story of Our Kaffrarian Mission, (Edinburgh, 1894), pp. 56, 60, 78-9, 82 (Reliability: 3).
- [S438] Lennox, M.A. Rev John, Lennox, M.A. Rev John: Our Missions in South Africa, (Edinburgh, 1894.), p. 45-6, 60 (Reliability: 3).
- [S819] Christian Express, (1 March 1907), Obituary (Reliability: 3).
- [S1233] Christian Express, (1 March 1907), Obituary (Reliability: 3).
- [S599] Girdwood, David. E-mail of 2008_03_29.
- [S1183] Girdwood, David. E-mail of 2008_03_29.
- [S1337] British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices (Reliability: 3).
No image seen. Info from Family Search.org - [S155] Amathole Museum.King William's Town, South Africa. Missionary Files., E-mail of 18 Oct 2007 from Stephanie Victor, Archivist. (Reliability: 3).
- [S1020] Amathole Museum.King William's Town, South Africa. Missionary Files., E-mail of 18 Oct 2007 from Stephanie Victor, Archivist. (Reliability: 3).
- [S437] Slowan, William J., Slowan, William J. The Story of Our Kaffrarian Mission, (Edinburgh, 1894), pp. 56, 60, 78-9, 82 (Reliability: 3).