Salem, South Africa

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}} {{Use South African English|date=January 2015}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Salem | image_skyline = 1820 Methodist Church and graveyard 05.jpg | image_caption = 1820 Methodist Church in Salem | pushpin_map = South Africa Eastern Cape#South Africa | coordinates = {{coord|33|28|17|S|26|29|00|E|region:ZA_type:city(1000)|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[South Africa]] | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = [[Eastern Cape]] | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = [[Sarah Baartman District Municipality|Sarah Baartman]] | subdivision_type3 = Municipality | subdivision_name3 = [[Makana Local Municipality|Makana]] | subdivision_type4 = Main Place | established_title = Established | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | population_total = | population_density_km2 = auto  | demographics_type1 = | demographics1_title1 = [[Bantu peoples of South Africa|Black African]] | demographics1_info1 = | demographics1_title2 = [[Coloureds|Coloured]] | demographics1_info2 = | demographics1_title3 = [[Indian South African|Indian]]/[[Asian South African|Asian]] | demographics1_info3 = | demographics1_title4 = [[White South African|White]] | demographics1_info4 = | demographics1_title5 = Other | demographics1_info5 =  | demographics_type2 = | demographics2_footnotes = | demographics2_title1 = | demographics2_info1 = | demographics2_title2 = | demographics2_info2 = | demographics2_title3 = | demographics2_info3 = | demographics2_title4 = | demographics2_info4 = | demographics2_title5 = | demographics2_info5 =   | timezone1 = [[South African Standard Time|SAST]] | utc_offset1 = +2 | postal_code_type = [[List of postal codes in South Africa|Postal code]] (street) | postal_code = | postal2_code_type = [[Post-office box|PO box]] | postal2_code = 6150 | area_code_type = [[Telephone numbers in South Africa|Area code]] }} '''Salem''' is a settlement in [[South Africa]], about {{convert|20|km}} south of [[Grahamstown]] and {{convert|20|km|mi}} north of [[Alexandria, Eastern Cape|Alexandria]]. It was founded as a settlement of the [[Hezekiah Sephton]] party of [[1820 Settlers]] comprising the following families and individuals: Jones, John Filmer, Aadam Proctor, Wm. Muir, Urry, Watkins, Mika Williams, Colling, Booth, Rees, Talbot, Bryant, Wm. Penny, Oats, Prior, Timlett, Rayner, Prinn, Istead, Jenkinson, Cyrus, Wells, Marsh, Serle, Sparks, C. Penny, Witherage, Gush, Wickman, Clark, Watson, Hancock, Shaw, Webb, Kidd, Meller, Evans, Hogsflesh, Slater, Croft, Turpin, Brown, Ochse, B. Rudman, S. Rudman, Caldicott, Watkins and R. Jones. The families travelled in three parties from Port Elizabeth, the last arriving at the Salem site on July 23.<ref name="Powell1960">{{cite book|last=Powell|first=F. Whinchcombe|title=Hancock's Drift: The Story of the Great Wagon Road|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xykEHQAACAAJ|year=1960|publisher=F.W. Whinchcombe|location=21 Berg Str, [[Pietermaritzburg]]}}</ref>{{rp|11}} The name is of biblical origin ({{bibleref|Genesis|14:18|KJV}}) and, proclaimed the Sunday after their arrival by the Reverend Shaw,<ref name="Powell1960" />{{rp|18}} means 'peace'; the local application refers to a reconciliation between sects.<ref name="Raper1989">{{cite book|last=Raper|first=P. E. |title=Dictionary of Southern African Place Names | url = https://archive.org/stream/DictionaryOfSouthernAfricanPlaceNames/SaPlaceNames#page/n395/mode/2up|year=1989|publisher=Jonathan Ball Publishers|isbn=978-0-947464-04-2|page=395|via=[[Internet Archive]] }}</ref>

A church built from mud blocks and thatch was consecrated in 1824, and replaced by a stone structure in 1832. The church often served as a refuge for women and children during the [[Xhosa Wars|Frontier Wars]]. Several settler houses, built in the [[Georgian architecture|Georgian style]], have been preserved.<ref name="Olivier2005">{{cite book|author=Sandra Olivier|title=Touring in South Africa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=urN9XqmQ_RUC&pg=PA77|year=2005|publisher=Struik|isbn=978-1-77007-142-1|page=77}}</ref>

In December 2017 the Constitutional Court upheld a land claim lodged in respect of the Salem Commonage by descendants of the Black community that previously occupied the land.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZACC/2017/46.html|title=Salem Party Club and Others v Salem Community and Others (CCT26/17) [2017] ZACC 46 (11 December 2017)|website=www.saflii.org|access-date=2017-12-12}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.grahamstown.co.za/page/salem Makana Tourism - Salem]

[[Category:Populated places in the Makana Local Municipality]] [[Category:Populated places established in 1820]]