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John McGrath

Butcher, Grocer & Town Councillor

Keith Tankard
Knowledge4Africa.com
Updated: 14 October 2009
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DEATH NOTICE: see the Cape Archives, MOOC 6/9/472, No 1267.

John McGrath was born in Mallow (County Cork, Ireland) in 1847 but accompanied his parents to South Africa at two years of age.

He lived for some years at Port Elizabeth and then settled on a farm near Fort Jackson before eventually moving to East London where he established a butcher and grocer's shop entitled McGrath & Grout.

He entered the Town Council in July 1886 as a representative for Ward 2, was re-elected in February 1889 but resigned in June 1890 without giving a reason.

He was immediately re-elected and again in February 1892 but his seat fell vacant in October 1894 because of his ill-health.

He died at an asylum in Grahamstown on 6 April 1903 at the age of 56, and was buried at East London.

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