GILSON in Africa.

	A 1-3/4hp., Style U, "60 Speed" Gilson engine.
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The old motor has quite a romantic past. As far as we can tell the motor was purchased by a mine claim owner, Mr. H. Cunningham, on the first strike of the gold reef in the early days of Johannesburg. Shortly after, the man was killed in his mine, leaving a wife and daughter esconced in a corrugated iron 'new' house in the second suburb of Johannesburg. The two women sold the claim and took the motor home, where it was used to pump water onto a small vegetable garden that provided them with a small income . They also seemed to have made buttons and mended shoes for the miners, and so kept alive until in 1909 the Chudleigh's, a newly married couple, he a builder / carpenter from New Zealand, built next door in the then booming suburb of Doornfontein. Mrs.Chudleigh took pity on the two by then old ladies living next door, and, besides rearing her own ten children, managed to take care of them for the following twenty years.( the engine rested)

When the two old ladies passed away they left their entire estate to the Chudleigh's. Their family had been doing well so far, having sold the family store to a soon to be huge retail chain. They took their money and invested it wisely in the opening of the first platinum mines. The motor stayed in the storeroom until about 1979,when two of the sons of Chudleigh, aged about 54 and 56, (one of whom was still staying in the old house) pulled out the old motor and fired her up. The motor then rested until the brother who was staying in the house broke his leg and decided to sell all his possesions and move into an old age home. And this is how I came to be the proud owner.
I managed to buy the Cunningham's tool box,miners pick and shovel and a few household items resting with the motor. The motor has original dirt on it an the paintwork is beautiful underneath the preserving grease. Since taking the pics I have since found a few more pulleys that seem to go with the motor.

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