Trails With Tales: Kaapschehoop - Formerly “Duivel’s Kantoor”

jeeksparties8
Oct 8
2 min read

Fanny Frances Lambourn: History Meets QR Codes

After a hiking weekend in the magical mist of Kaapschehoop a few weeks ago, we wrapped up our trip with the Pear Orchard Trail — a charming little 3 km walk, perfect for people who prefer their exercise scenic, not sweaty.

Naturally, we decided to “just extend it a bit” (because that's how we roll). Our new destination?

The cemetery.

And what did I find ? A backstory buffet laid out just for me.

There she was, Fanny Frances Lambourn (née Perrin), immortalized in a portrait at the gates of the cemetery. But not just with solemn sepia — oh no, Fanny came accessorized with two QR codes.

Seeing a Victorian-era face next to two canary-yellow QR codes was surreal - history and tech colliding in the most awkward handshake. But hey—who was I to walk away from a tale practically begging to be told?

Turns out, Fanny married Charles Rupert Lambourn, and their daughter Daisy tied the knot with a Nel - making it a full-on family saga. Fourteen members of the clan now rest in the Kaapschehoop historical cemetery.

Daisy, ever the caretaker, looked after the grounds until her death in 1963.

From “Devil’s Office” to “Cape of Hope” - Kaapschehoop’s Branding Journey

But the Lambourns didn’t just rest in peace; they also helped keep alive the story of how Kaapschehoop got its very marketable name.

Before the church ladies intervened, the area was called "Duivel’s Kantoor" - literally, "the Devil’s Office".

Because who wouldn’t want to list that as their address?

The name came from the blood-red furrows cutting through the landscape, which must’ve screamed “hellish real estate” to the settlers.

Naturally, the locals weren’t thrilled about living in Satan’s administrative branch. So, in 1886, along came Marthinus Wessel Pretorius from the Gold Commission, who while surveying the cliffs and rolling hills, apparently squinted and declared,

“Looks like Table Mountain. Let’s call it Kaapsche Hoop - the Cape of Hope.”

And just like that, Duivel’s Kantoor was re-branded.

The Lambourn Legacy - Digitized for the Curious

Thanks to Fanny, Daisy, and their tech-savvy descendants (or maybe just the local heritage society), Kaapschehoop’s stories are now QR-coded for the modern traveler.

The Lambourns may rest quietly under the pines, but their tales are still very much alive.