MARY M. PAGE 
1867-1925 
Mary Maud Page, botanical artist in the Bolus Herbarium, University of 
Cape Town, died in Cape Town on February 8th, 1925. She was the second 
daughter of Nathaniel Page, Esq., J.P., of Croydon, and was born on September 
21st, 1867, in London, where she lived till she went out to South Africa. Her 
education was received at private schools in England, followed by a year in 
Paris at a “finishing school.” Later on she spent six happy months in the 
south of France at Grasse with a friend, and learnt to converse easily in 
French. This accomplishment went far towards making her friendship with 
the French Missionaries and their families whom she met subsequently in 
South Africa all the more satisfying and genial. 
Dogged by ill-health from early childhood Mary Page’s whole life was a 
brave struggle to achieve, in spite of the many drawbacks that deterred her ; 
and she fought on to the end with indomitable courage. Anyone less imbued 
with a deep and lasting love of Nature would have been saddened and ren- 
dered hopeless. But she was ever being comforted, restored, and inspired 
by her love ; and this keen delight in the beauty of her surroundings and the 
glorious sunshine, coupled with a never-failing sense of humour, bore her 
victoriously through the most painful periods of her life. Occasionally there 
was a note of bitterness, but it was usually momentary and passed from an 
impatient shrug into a joke, and she was her courageous self again. Who can 
forget the merry twinkle of her blue eyes and the ready wit that refreshed us 
at every turn? How often, even between the twinges of pain, a gleam of fun 
would light up her face, and we would be laughing at one of her inimitable 
quips ! No wonder she made friends and was beloved wherever she went. 
The record of her activities is an extraordinary one. She worked at the 
School of Art (Caldrons) until her eyesight failed and she was obliged to give 
it up. Then she took a course of wood-carving; learnt to work with metals 
and enamels; excelled in various kinds of needlework, embroidery and lace- 
making; and learnt Braille in order to help a blind friend for whose use she 
translated many books. During the three years of her father’s mayoralty of 
Croydon — at the time of the Boer War, the death of Queen Victoria, and the 
accession of King Edward — she took her full share of the labours that fell 
to the lot of the Lady-Mayoress and her daughters. At the same time she 
thoroughly enjoyed the privileges involved and her accounts of impressive 
scenes in Westminster Abbey and elsewhere have thrilled the writer, 
