EEUFEESGEDENKBOEK van die GEMEENTE UTRECHT 1854-1954 by Ds. F. G. M. du Toit

EEUFEESGEDENKBOEK van die GEMEENTE UTRECHT 1854-1954 (1954 Utrecht Congregation Centenary History)

A Centenary History of the Dutch Reformed Congregation of Utrecht, Natal, 1854 to 1954

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: EEUFEESGEDENKBOEK van die GEMEENTE UTRECHT 1854-1954
• Author: Ds. F. G. M. du Toit
• Publisher: Kerkraad van die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Gemeente, Utrecht, Natal, Utrecht, Natal
• Binding: Publisher's maroon cloth hardcover with black title lettering to the front board, in a printed dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Quarto-sized hardcover, illustrated with photographic plates and a facsimile of the oldest membership register. Printed by Caxton, Pretoria.
• Language: Afrikaans

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Good (G)
• Exterior / Boards: The maroon cloth boards are dull, with some surface dust or speckling and slight wear at the edges. The jacket spine is toned with a few spots. The corners and board edges are not closely assessed.
• Interior: The pages appear clean and tight. The front free endpaper carries a vertical brown tone band near the gutter and a few small specks, and some of the plate pages show small specks. Handwritten inscription to the front free endpaper. No bookplates or stamps.
• Provenance: Handwritten blue-ink inscription on the front free endpaper: "Aan 'n Eerbare Ou Suster - Met liefde, van Joe, Utrecht Junie 1972".
• The Dust Jacket: Present, protected in a durable archival-type plastic cover. The jacket shows signs of heavy use: chipping and small tears at the head of the spine and corners, losses at the upper edge and lower front edge, creasing at the edges, water staining and tide marks across the front and back panels, toning, and a short tear at the top. Grade: Fair to Worn.

Synopsis & Historical Value

Eeufeesgedenkboek van die Gemeente Utrecht 1854-1954 is the centenary commemorative history of the Dutch Reformed congregation of Utrecht in Natal, written by Ds. F. G. M. du Toit and published by the congregation's church council in 1954. It was printed by Caxton in Pretoria.

The congregation was founded on 19 November 1854 and was only the third Dutch Reformed congregation in the Colony of Natal. The volume is illustrated with photographs, including views of the congregation's two church buildings, and reproduces a facsimile of the oldest membership register with its calligraphic title page. A map of the congregation's area is printed on the back of the jacket.

The book has value as a local and church history of a Boer-founded town on the Natal-Transvaal border. It has been cited by later scholars as a source on the congregation's early years, which makes it a useful reference for collectors of Afrikaner heritage, church history and Natal local history.

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