Jamestown, Western Cape

Jamestown
View over Jamestown towards Stellenbosch
Jamestown Show map of Western Cape Jamestown Show map of South Africa Jamestown Show map of Africa  Jamestown shown within Western Cape
Coordinates: 33°58′44″S 18°50′53″E / 33.979°S 18.848°E / -33.979; 18.848Coordinates: 33°58′44″S 18°50′53″E / 33.979°S 18.848°E / -33.979; 18.848
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Cape Winelands
Municipality	Stellenbosch
Established	1902
Area
• Total	1.62 km2 (0.63 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	2,840
• Density	1,800/km2 (4,500/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	3.3%
• Coloured	84.8%
• Indian/Asian	0.5%
• White	10.9%
• Other	0.5%
First languages (2011)
• Afrikaans	89.8%
• English	7.5%
• Other	2.7%
Postal code (street)	Jamestown 7600
PO box	Webersvallei 7614
Area code	021

Jamestown, also known as Webersvallei ("Weber's Valley"), is a quiet rural settlement on the southern outskirts of Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands District of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is situated next to Blaauwklippen Vineyards, on the eastern side of route R44 from Stellenbosch to Somerset West and the Strand coastal resort. The main access from the R44 is via Webersvallei Road, the main road in Jamestown with watererven – long, narrow agricultural plots on the south bank of Blouklip River – on the north side of the road and residential plots on the south side of the road.

Over time, Jamestown has transformed from a subsistence farming village into a primarily residential area as residents have sought work elsewhere in order to survive. A heritage committee was established in 2010 to document the history of Jamestown for the benefit of future generations, to restore old buildings and to facilitate increased involvement in local festivals and commemorative events.

The village was named after James Rattray (1859–1938), a Stellenbosch businessman who owned a butchery in Dorp Street. He was the grandson of Scottish teacher James Rattray (c. 1795–1864) who immigrated to the Cape Colony in 1822, one of several British people recruited to the colony by Scottish missionary George Thom at the request of the governor Lord Charles Somerset. In 1902 Rattray and Rhenish missionary Jacob Weber (1856–1937), who was born in Lennep in Germany and sent to Stellenbosch in 1882, acquired a portion of the Blaauwklippen farm. The land was divided into plots and sold to coloured families, and most of the associated debt was paid off within twenty years. Street names such as Everbearing, Festival, Nared, Pajaro, Rolinda, Tiobelle, Titan, Torrey, Tribute and Whiteheart in the residential area are based on strawberry varieties, after the main crop grown there since 1902. Other crops grown there include beans, lettuce, potatoes and tomatoes.