Sir John Woodhead (22 January 1832 - 16 April 1898) was four-times

Mayor of Cape Town The Mayor of Cape Town is the head of the local government of Cape Town, South Africa; currently that government takes the form of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. In the past, the position of Mayor has varied between that of an ...

and a local businessman.

Life

Sir John married Margaretta Maynard in 1854 and immigrated to South Africa in 1861. After working for a tannery, he established his own leather goods company, Woodheads, in Cape Town in 1867. He was elected

for four terms: 1886 - 1887, 1888 - 1889, 1893 - 1894 and 1896 - 1897. The

Woodhead Dam Woodhead Dam is a dam on Table Mountain, Western Cape, South Africa. It was built in 1897 and supplies water to Cape Town. The dam, which was the first large masonry dam in South Africa, was designated as an International Historic Civil Engineer ...

and the Woodhead Tunnel on

Table Mountain Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the ...

are both named after him. Sir John laid the last stone for the Woodhead Reservoir in 1897, and was knighted for his vision in promoting the project on 25 January 1897. He died on 16 April 1898 in Cape Town and is buried in Maitland Cemetery.

Family

Sir John had a number of children, including Phoebe Henrietta (1870-1947) who married Wilfrid Murray (son of lexicographer Sir James Murray). Sir John had at least two sons: Henry Woodward and Joseph Maynard. Henry served in the

Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles The Chief Langalibalele Rifles (formerly known as the Cape Town Rifles and Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles) is a reserve infantry regiment of the South African Army. History Origin The Regiment was founded on 28 November 1855, as the Cape Rifle ...

, a South African raised regiment that had served alongside Canadian troops in the South African War. A letter in the possession of the

Canadian War Museum The Canadian War Museum (french: link=no, Musée canadien de la guerre; CWM) is a national museum on the country's military history in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military history, in ad ...

from Joseph, written on 13 June 1900, relates that Henry took command of the Duke of Edinburgh's Own Volunteer Rifles after the commanding officer was killed in action.

References

1832 births 1898 deaths Mayors of Cape Town Immigrants to South Africa South African businesspeople {{SouthAfrica-mayor-stub