Charlie Molteno was the private secretary to his father Sir John Charles Molteno, the first premier of the Cape..South Africa. He was a member of the Cape Parliament for Tembuland. Chairman of government Land commission.

The following extracts are from the diary of Alice Greene (his sister Betty's partner in life):

Sept 25, 1898 - Ousting from seat by Rhodes
"I am deeply thankful that Rhodes has not got in a majority of his own dummy followers, for he is a most dangerous man with most dangerous plans. He has ousted Mr Charles Molteno from TembuLand, I am sorry to say, for Mr Charles is a fine man and a true friend of the natives. However, so cheating and illegal and vile were the means employed during the elections to put in the friends of Rhodes that quite a little crop of protests have sprung up and Mr Charles is contesting the validity of the result."

Feb 19, 1899 - Birth of Lucy
"On Thursday morning came the great news from Mrs Murray about Mrs Charles Molteno - "A fine little girl. Both well." It was little more than a fortnight since we had left her, so we felt very particular interest in the announcement. Besides which Mrs Molteno is a person in whom one is bound to take a special interest. I wish I could see the baby. It ought to be a little beauty."

Sept 4th 1900 - Millers Point, Simonstown
"Mrs Charles Molteno is going to live for six months at Miller's Point, beyond Simonstown, a most lovely wild place on the coast, consisting of only a house or two, I think. She will be pretty lonely there as Mr Molteno cannot always be at home and I cannot help thinking it would be great comfort if you (Helen Green) could spend a long visit there. Mr Molteno goes to England today to fetch his wife.

Oct 23 1900 - Mrs Charles Molteno could bring it as she leaves England in November.

11 Feb 1901 (Monday)
A very hot morning but decided to go to Miller's Point, so hurried up & got ready for 10:58 train. A lovely journey up. Very hot in Simonstown but so enjoyed the quaint little place. Cooler when outside. Had our lunch by the wayside & got to Miller's Point about 2:30. Found them on the stoep. Went up the hill side to look at Water lily pond. After tea a long time on sea shore, then walk towards Smith Winkel Bay with Mr Molteno. Really the beauty of the place quite astonishing. Enormous rocks on coast, beautiful mountains to the right stretching right up from the sea. The green right against the blue. Lovely kloofs (steep sided valleys). No road, only a little foot path on mountain side. Got back in time for supper at 7. Chatting in the evening about war news....Spent Tuesday morning on hill side on Castle Rock. A most lovely walk to Simonstown. Train drawn up outside station. Has to run for it. An exquisite ride back.

(Millers Point is a few miles south of Simonstown. It is not a village but a place on the edge of the beach where the Molteno family had a house. The house is now a restaurant and some of the adjoining land is a camp site but one can still see what a beautiful spot it must have been).

9 March 1901 (Sat)
"Wrote to Mr Molteno, deciding to take his land''

11 March 1901 (Mon)
''Mr Charles Molteno came & Elizabeth found that his land is enclosed by Malay village, so said she would not have it."

21 March 1901 (Thur) - Millers Point
"Went up in holy slippers to see water lily pond. Started out at half past nine with Mr Molteno for a regular long walk. Walked past Smithwinkle Bay right up on to the plateau. Perfectly lovely up there, high & lonely & wide & grey. Sat a long time on kind of cairn of rocks, from which we could see miles & miles of see and land. Got lovely flowers on return. In the afternoon had a little dip in the sea all by myself. Not very successful. Went out for a walk to a pretty little farm.

22 March 1901
Before breakfast went down to beach to bathe. Most lovely clouds & air & mountain exquisite, but water rather chilly. After breakfast began to rain & rained steadily all the morning. Read ''A vendetta of the desert'' Mrs Molteno told story of Lohengrin very prettily at supper.

17 June 1901 (Mon)
Mr Molteno came in to get my signature for the land transfer.

1st Aug 1901 (Thur)
Went on to C Molteno's. Found him very low about his own farm where horses are commandered & everything being ruined.

29 Dec 1901 (Sun)
On Wednesday (Xmas Day) we went up to Kenilworth & had such a very nice day. It was a very large family gathering, as the two Mr Moltenos were there, Bibbins, Mrs Charles & her two children, ourselves, the whole Murray party, a young khaki (soldier) & Dr Stanley Murray, Dr M's brother. Then in the afternoon there was quite a family crush. Victor Molteno & Frank Molteno, Mrs Blenkins & Miss Jarvis (Mrs Molteno's aunt) & so on...quite the old Cape family sort of gathering, which this terrible war has rather put out of fashion. Everybody seemed happy......"