In 2025, Somerset marked an extraordinary milestone — 200 years since the town was incorporated  at the foot of the Boschberg mountain. Looking back over two centuries, it’s clear that this area carries a rich and layered history. From the early Khoi inhabitants to the arrival of European settlers — first the Dutch and later the English — Somerset has grown into a true melting pot of cultures, stories, and traditions. A Town of Many Names Over the years, the town’s name has e

William Hofmeyr Craib was born in Somerset East in 1895, into a family where education was looked upon, not as a right but a privilege,...

Up to 1880, Somerset East only two small private schools catered for the education of girls, while boys were catered for by Gill College....

According to a family history written by Walter Battiss’ sister Doreen Eaton, John Battiss (1805 – 1879) was born in France, but came to...

Walter Battiss was born in Somerset East on 6 January 1906. The family name was well known, because Battiss’ paternal great-grandfather...