2. When Bishop Robert Gray, the first Anglican bishop appointed to the colony, eventually arrived as Bishop of Cape Town in 1848, he had already appointed Nathaniel Merriman as Archdeacon of Grahamstown, responsible for the entire eastern half of the Cape Colony. This was said at the time to be the first appointment of an archdeacon in Africa since the time of the Early Church. When John Armstrong arrived in 1854 as the first Bishop of Grahamstown, Archdeacon Merriman was, for a time, relocated to Uitenhage. Merriman himself became third Bishop of Grahamstown in 1871.

3. 1871: 30 November, St Andrew's Day. Nathaniel James Merriman was consecrated as third Bishop of Grahamstown in St George's Cathedral. (His son, John X Merriman later became a prime minister of the Cape Colony).

NOTE: A period of conflict followed during which Dean Frederick Henry Williams excluded from the cathedral as third Bishop he had helped elect. The reasons were, amongst other things, legalistic and personal. In legal actions reaching beyond the Supreme Court of the Cape Colony to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London, the Dean was supported by the law in his possession of St George's.

4. More about that feud with the Dean: Sir Sidney Shippard (1880-1885) also takes a high place among South African judges. His judgments show deep learning in Roman and Roman-Dutch law as well as in English law. Before elevation to the Bench he had practised at the Eastern Districts Bar where he had a distinguished career, appearing in many important cases. One which aroused widespread interest was that of Merriman v Williams (reported in Foord 172).

In this case Bishop Merriman had claimed the right, by virtue of his office as Bishop of the Diocese, to preach and perform his other ecclesiastical functions at his discretion within St George's Cathedral at Grahamstown. Dean Williams, who was at arms length with the Bishop upon several matters, dissented and refused to recognise any such right. In April, 1879, the Bishop, having previously admonished the Dean not to interfere with him, attempted to preach in the Cathedral, but was prevented from doing so by the Dean. The latter adopted the ingenious device of anticipating the usual time for delivery of a sermon by proceeding to the pulpit himself and commencing to preach. The Bishop, thereon, after a protest, left the Cathedral, which he never again entered.

Legal proceedings ensued as a result of this unhappy dispute and the Bishop converted a wood and iron building where the Post Office now stands and named it the Cathedral of St Michael. The Dean was first summoned before the Diocesan Court of Grahamstown, and on his failing to appear to answer the charge, he was tried in absentia, found guilty, and sentenced to suspension. He was also ordered not to repeat the offence. He snapped his fingers at all these pronouncements, and was thereupon excommunicated. Of this also he took no notice. An action in the Supreme Court was then brought against him, for a declaration of rights. It failed in effect upon the point taken by the Dean's advisers, namely that the Bishop was not a Bishop of the Church of England, but of the Church of the Province of South Africa; and therefore as the latter had severed its connection with the Church of England, the Dean, who was in his office as a member of the Church of England, was not amenable to the episcopal jurisdiction claimed by the Bishop. The Cathedral bells were rung lustily by the Dean, when the news came through.

Although it is stated (S.A. Law Journal 1902) that Shippard acted in Merriman's case, counsel shown in the report were Jones and Richard Solomon for the Bishop, and Leonard and Innes for the Dean. Shippard must have appeared in the Diocesan Court. On the Dean's death the feud ended and the temporary Cathedral used by Bishop Merriman was given up. Hence the name the Cathedral of St Michael and St George.

And a bit about his son John, born in Street:
MERRIMAN, Rt. Hon. John Xavier, P.C. 1909; M.L.A. Union of South Africa, since 1910; J.P.; surveyor, farmer; mem. Cape Parliament for Namaqualand, Wodehouse, now of Victoria West; b. Street, Somersetshire, 1841; s. of Bishop N. J. Merriman. Grahamstown; m. Agnes Victcent (d. 1923), d. of Hon. J. Vintcent, M.L.C. Educ.; Rondebosch Diocesan College; Radley, near Oxford. Went to South Africa 1849 and 1861; entered politics, 1869; joined Molteno Ministry, 1875-78; Scanlen Govt., 1881-84; Treasurer-General. 1890-93; member of Cape Jameson Raid Committee; drew up Report; Treasurer-General, 1898-1900; Prime Minister and Treasurer, 1908-10; Member of National Convention for Union. Address: Schoongezigt, Stellenbosch, Cape Colony. Clubs: Reform; Civil Service, Cape Town (Died 2 Aug 1926.)
Source: Who Was Who 1916-1928