The Deed of Assignment signed in 1907 by the Who's Who of South Africa

1907 Deed of Assignmentof the estate of Louis Sytner owner of the once famous and popular Palmerston Hotel, Plein Street , Cape Town..On top of the rare Cape of Good Hope 1 pound revenue Stamp (Barefoot 139 page 275, 2002 catalogue of Southern African Revenues) it is signed by the founders (as creditors) of famous South African Companies - almost all listed later on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

They include the men who founded Syfrets, Guardian Assurance Company, South African Breweries, The Imperial Cold Storage & Supply Company , Struik Publishers, , The Castle Wine & Brandy Co , The Van Ryn Wine and Spirit Co Ltd (Rembrant Group) , South African Produce Wine & Brandy Co and finally the clear signature of O.A. Ohlsson , Managing Director of Ohlsson Cape Breweries - representing Sytner's creditors.

This is an interesting complete Notice to Creditors and Debtors being a Deed of Assignment of the estate of louis Sytner prepared by the Syfrets company that went on to manage the share issued of hundreds of Johannesburg Stock Exchange Listed Companies.

The Palmerston Hotel, Plein Street , Cape Town was one of the first Hotels with an off license and accounts show that its off licence liquour store was far more profitable than any other aspect of the Hotel. Today a high rise building can be found in its place.

Some of the companies who are signatories to the deed, images above, have merged and today are among the largest in Africa.

Rembrant Group (cigarettes), South African Breweries (beer), Syfrets (financial services) are some examples. Struik is today a major South African orientated publisher.