COLLECTIBLE BOOKS: A right, royal mystery
A collectable book on auction sheds light on the king of Knysna
The story of George Rex of Knysna, said to be the son of George III, dates back to 1756 in London at the corner of Market Street and St James Market. According to a book now on online auction, Great African Mysteries by Lawrence G Green (originally published in 1935), it was there that George III, then Prince George, first noticed the young Hannah Lightfoot, "the fair Quakeress" who worked in her uncle’s drapery shop. The prince frequently spotted her during his walks and rides from Leicester Square to St James’s Palace. She returned his attentions. The result was a secret but legal marriage. Some sources believe the wedding took place in Kew Chapel and it is said that the Duke of York, Prince George’s brother, attended the ceremony. The chapel was razed later by fire, destroying the marriage register. A son was born who took the name of George Rex. To avoid complications he later went to the Cape in voluntary exile during the first British occupation. He received a generous cash se...
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