NguSophia Gray
Kwinkulungwane ye-19
Ifoto kaSophia Gray. Umfanekiso: ngoweNational Portrait Gallery, eLondon
“Simngcwabe izolo kumaNgcwaba aseClaremont umama wakho obekekileyo, phantsi kwethunzi lenkonzo yethu engekagqitywa, awayengumyili wesakhiwo sayo, nalapho wabonakalisa umdla kakhulu,” nguBishop Robert Gray kwincwadana eyayisiya kunyana wabo uCharles, yangenyanga kaTshazimpuzi ka-1871.
USophia Myddleton wazalelwa kusapho olwalunento yonke nolwalukwelona nqanaba liphezulu kumanqanaba oluntu eYorkshire, eNgilani. Iintsuku zake zobuntwana wazichitha ekhwela ihashe, esenza imizobo ekwathanda
nokufunda noyise owayekholelwa kakhulu ekuzifundiseni iintombi zakhe. Wahlangana ze wazimanya ngeqhina lomtshato noRobert Gray, ingqonyela kummandla waseDurham. Bazimisela ukwenza luqilima inkonzo yamaKrestu eNgilani, de wachongwa uRobert njengoBhishophu wokuqala waseCape of Good Hope.
Ngaphambi kokuthabatha uhambo lwabo olwaluza kubafikisa eKapa ngenqanawa, uSophy wafumana izicwangciso zokuyilwa kwesimo senkonzo awayenokuzithatha ze azitshintshe xa sikho isidingo. Wayesele enazo iincwadana ezazigcwaliswe yimizobo yakhe apho wayeyile khona imizobo yenkonzo eneenkcukacha. Noxa waligcisa elalizifundisile nje; waba yimbalasane yomzobi weemephu zezakhiwo. Ngaphambi kokuyishiya kwakhe iNgilani, uSophy noRobert baqokelela ngaphaya kwe-130 000 yeeponti (ethelekelelwa kwizigidi ezintathu kule mihla), ukuze bakhe iinkonzo eKapa. Bafika eKapa ngenyanyanga yoMdumba ka-1848 ze ngoko nangoko bazimasa inkonzo yangorhatya eSt George’s.
USophy waqhuba nokuyila izakhiwo zenkonzo ezingamashumi amane kwisithuba nje samashumi amabini anesine eminyaka. Ekufikeni kwakhe eKapa, zazilishumi kuphela izakhiwo zenkonzo yaseNgilani. Ezinye zeenkonzo zakhe ziquka iSt Saviours eClaremont (apho wangcwatyelwa khona), iSt Pauls eRondebosch, ndawonye neenkonzo eSwellendam, eKnysna nskwakunye nomnquba waseSt Mark’s eDistrict Six (owathi watshatyalaliswa ngethuba kududulwa abantu).
Nangona wayengumntu ozifihla kakhulu izinto zakhe owayengathandi ukonwabisa, uSophy wasindleka uthotho lweendwendwe olufana nenkosikazi kaBhishophu, ze wenza wonke ubani azive esekhaya futhi amkelekile ekhayeni labo eBishops Court.
UBishop Robert wayesoloko ehlutshwa yimpilo, ngelixa wayesoloko echitha iiveki esongana naye kwangelo lixa awayesebenza njengomlawuli owayengekho sesikweni kwidayosisi yakhe eyayinkulu neyayiquka iNatal, iSt Helena, i-Orange Free State, kunye neTristan da Cunha. Wayemkhapha phantse kuzo zonke iihambo zakhe zedayosisi, eyayingumgama wamakhulu-khulu eekhilomitha. Ngelixa wayekhenketha ilizwe, wayecebisa ze wakhetha nokukhetha impahla nendlela yezakhiwo eyayifanele iinkonzo zakhe yaye wayethanda uhlobo lweGothic kwizakhiwo kuzo zonke ezo wayeziyile ngokwakhe.
USophy wayechazwa njengenkweli-mahashe eyayiphum’ izandla, “owayengcono kunayo nayiphi na indoda.” Kunamhla nje ungomnye
wabantu abakhoyo kweyimbalasane iFestile Ekumantla yaseSt. Georges Cathedral eKapa. Uzotywe enxibe ilokhwe eluhlaza yaka ekhwele elinye lamahashe akhe.
