Historical records matching Capt Alexander Harvey Biggar, SV/PROG
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About Capt Alexander Harvey Biggar, SV/PROG
According to his death notice he died 27 December 1838; in line with opinion of many historians.
http://www.southafricansettlers.com/?p=189
1820 British Settler
Alexander Harvey Biggar 39, Capt, was Leader of his own Party on the Weymouth, and together with his wife Mary Straton 39, and their 11 children, they emigrated to South Africa.
Party originated from Hampshire.
Departure 7 January 1820. Arrival Table Bay, Cape Town - 16 April 1820. Final Port - Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth 15 May 1820.
Area Allocated to the Party : Brak River
Children :
Margaret Graham Biggar 20
Ann Harold Biggar 18
Mary John Biggar 16
Jean Straton Biggar 14
Georgina Biggar 12
Agnes Elizabeth Biggar 10
Charlotte Biggar 8
Robert Biggar 7
Alexina Biggar 3
Helen Biggar 1
George Biggar (born at sea)
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Marriage in Brechin, Angus, Scotland
2 March 1799 Lieutenant Alexander BIGGAR of His Majesty's 15th Regiment of Foot and Miss Mary STRATON, daughter of the Rev Mr. George STRATON, Episcopal Clergyman in Brechin, were contracted in order to marriage; and their banns having been published three several times and no objection offered were married the 3rd current.
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The Biggar family, Alexander Harvey Biggar (29 October 1781 – 27 December 1838) and his two sons Robert (12 September 1813 – 17 April 1838) and George (20 February 1820 – 17 February 1838), were pioneer traders at Port Natal, in what was to become the Colony of Natal. Subsequent to the massacre of Retief's delegation, they became involved in the exchange of attacks between Zulus and settlers. Although contributing to the overthrow of Dingane, all three lost their lives in the conflicts of 1838. Alexander's grandson John Dunn became a well-known Natal pioneer in his own right.
Marriage in Brechin, Angus, Scotland 2 March 1799 Lieutenant Alexander BIGGAR of His Majesty's 15th Regiment of Foot and Miss Mary STRATON, daughter of the Rev Mr. George STRATON, Episcopal Clergyman in Brechin, were contracted in order to marriage; and their banns having been published three several times and no objection offered were married the 3rd current.
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Dick Pierce and his wife worked in PE as servants to Robert Newton Dunn, also an immigrant of 1820. When Robert Dunn moved his family in the 1830s to Port Natal, where his father-in-law, Alexander Biggar was a leading figure in the fledgling settler community, with – like most of the other Englishman there – a son by a Zulu woman, the Pierces went with them.
- Crampton, Hazel. ‘The Sunburnt Queen’. Johannesburg: Jacana. 2004. Print. Contact Sharon Doubell
http://www.30degreessouth.co.za/the_great_trek.html
Many ineresting aspects of his life covered by Robin Binkes in his book "The Great Trek Uncut", 2013
Biggar, Alexander, retired paymaster of H.M.’s 85th Regiment of Foot, head of a party from Hampshire, in the Weymouth. The location assigned to them was in the Kareiga Valley adjoining Major Fraser’s farm, and not far from the Theopolis Mission Station. In 1834 he removed to Durban, Natal, where about thirty Englishmen resided, either permanently or in the intervals between hunting excursions.
In 1833 he was appointed Landdrost by Mr. Landman, in the name of the “Association of South African Emigrants.” He was suffering under great depression of spirits, consequent on the loss of his sons and his entire property, and declined to perform the duties of that office.
His son, George, was murdered by the Zulus in the great massacre of the Boers by Dingaan, 17th February, 1838.
His son Robert was in nominal command of a force from Port Natal against Dingaan, com- prising twenty English traders and hunters, twenty Hottentots, about 1,500 blacks, fugitives from Zululand, and succeeded in capturing 3,000 to 7,000 head of cattle, with which they returned to Natal. Soon after this, in command of another expedition against the Zulus, he was killed in battle 17th April, 1838.
He played a vital role in the battle of blood river: http://samilitaryhistory.org/misc/bldrvr.html It is interesting to speculate on the role played by the Natal settlers, i.e. Capt. Alex Biggar, Joyce and Parker as well as the Port Natal Bantu. The position of Biggar's scots cart is unknown but its unique shape when compared to a Voortrekker wagon would probably have excluded it from the [- 7 -] outer ring. It would seem reasonable to assume that Biggar, Parker and Joyce took their places in the firing line. The Port Natal Bantu are more problematical. It is known from accounts of the Battle of the Tugela fought on 11 April 1838 that Joyce, presumably a former member of the 12nd Regiment, had his division of Port Natal Bantu armed with a fair number of muskets which they were trained to fire in volleys at his command. At this battle they shot the advancing Zulus down in hundreds. It is doubtful if they were armed or organised in the same way at Blood River and probably played a passive role. Serving under Commandant A.W. Pretorius was Karel Landman as his deputy while there were six other commandants: J.H. de Lange, (Hans Dons), J. Potgieter, P.D. Jacobs, S. Erasmus, J.J. Uys and L. Meyer. With them moved a force of 464 Voortrekkers plus three English settlers, Parker, Joyce and Capt. Alex Biggar. The latter had moved up from Port Natal in the company of Karel Landman and had with them approximately 120 Port Natal Bantu and Biggar's scots cart. They joined the commando at Skiet Drift.
On the 23rd December, 1838, Alexander was killed in battle with the Zulus.
His eldest daughter, Margaret Graham Biggar, died unmarried at Graham’s Town, 31st May, 1890, at the advanced age of ninety years ; his other daughters, Ann, married Charles Maynard, Esq., a merchant at Graham’s Town ; Mary, married — Kuhr, a merchant at Port Elizabeth ; Jane, married II. von Ronn. merchant at Port Elizabeth ; and Helen, married N. P. Krohn, merchant at Graham’s Town.
DEPOT South African National Museum of Military History TYPE Manuscript REFERENCE 968.04 DESCRIPTION Blood River, Battle of. STARTING 0000 ENDING 0000 SUMMARY + Article by GA Chadwick re battle of Blood River.
+ Article from Cape Times, 7.12.1938 re Before and after
Blood River by N Gluckmann.
+ Picture of painting of Blood River by E van
Musschenbroek.
+ Picture of painting by WH Coetzer.
+ '''Article from the Sunday Times, 15.12.1957 re the battle
and Capt. Alexander Biggar'''.
Bigger & Dunn Key Dates
1820 - Circa: Alexander Harvy Biggar and Robert Newton Dunn arrive with the Darniel party. The Darniel party was a private party, the arrived on the Duke of Malbourgh.
1824 - The first white settlers were 26 hunter/traders arrived at Port Natal. Before the end of the year only six remained - Spencer.
1826 - October. The Zulus deemed all persons who 'wore clothes' to be Europeans - this included Hottentots (Fynn P129)
1828 - Shaka Zulu. Killed by Dingaan
1828 - Dingaan became paramount chief of the Zulu's
1835 - Other 1820 settlers in Port Natal in 1835 - see list below
1836 - May. Alexander Harvey Biggar moved to Natal with his younger son George
1836 - Robert Newton Dunn and his wife Ann moved to Natal. Ann was the daughter of Alexander Harvey Biggar.
1837 - Port Natal Volunteers under Commandant AH Biggar formed and disbanded - MacKeurtan P198
1838 - February 6. Retief Killed by Dingaan. Two of Alexander Biggars sons are killed at the slaying.
1838 - Robert Newton Dunn (1796-1847) arrived in Natal circa 1836 and purchased the deceased James Collis' farm Sea View in 1838.
- John Dunn Foundation
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Capt Alexander Harvey Biggar, SV/PROG's Timeline
| 1781 |
October 29, 1781
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Cork, County Cork, Ireland
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| 1799 |
December 1799
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Scotland, United Kingdom
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| 1801 |
August 18, 1801
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Renfrew, Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
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| 1803 |
1803
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| 1805 |
1805
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| 1808 |
November 29, 1808
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Dover, Kent, United Kingdom
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1808
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| 1810 |
August 4, 1810
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| 1812 |
September 27, 1812
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Edinburgh castle, Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom)
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