Fairbridges History – Henry Arderne

In 1902 the then senior partner of Fairbridges, Henry Arderne, donated the sum of £ 1,250 payable in five annual installments to the South African College, later the University of Cape Town, to endow a chair of English language and literature. Arderne was a partner of Fairbridges from 1864 to 1908 and a highly respected man. He was well travelled and his visitors book at his house in Claremont was signed by many distinguished persons including the author Rudyard Kipling. Arderne Professors have included Andre P Brink and J M Coetzee and the current Arderne Professor is John Higgens, who was appointed in 2013.