City of Saints, noun phrase

Forms:
Also City of the Saints.
Origin:
See quotations c1970 and 1978.
A name given to Grahamstown (now Makhanda), a town in the Eastern Cape. See also Saint.
1871 ‘A Lady’ in Cape Monthly Mag. III. Aug. 88I hope we may find more catholicity of sentiment prevailing than what I have been led to expect in this so-called ‘City of the Saints’.
1896 ‘S. Cumberland’ What I Think of S. Afr. 196Grahamstown..is called the City of Saints, and I am inclined to believe that the exceedingly pious folk thereof think the description not at all inaccurate.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 121City of the Saints, A nickname given in early days to Grahamstown.
1955 A. Delius Young Trav. in S. Afr. 127‘The old City of Saints!’ said Mr Johnson affectionately. ‘They’ve got as many churches here as they’ve got schools, and that’s a fair number.’
c1970 Grahamstown, Cape Province (Grahamstown Publicity Assoc.) 20The City Of Saints. The most popular version of how Grahamstown earned this nickname has it that, during the early Frontier days, an outlying fort sent to town to fetch a vice. After calling at the various trading stores, the trooper returned to his outpost and reported, ‘There is no vice in Grahamstown.’
1978 Reader’s Digest Illust. Guide to Sn Afr. 144The city of Grahamstown has been given many picturesque names: the ‘City of Saints’ because there are more than 40 places of worship here.
1991 F.G. Butler Local Habitation 124What weather in the world can beat the autumnal glow of much of May and early June in the City of the Saints?
A name given to Grahamstown (now Makhanda), a town in the Eastern Cape.
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18711991

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