1820 English Settler

Robert Pirie 35, in Leader Thomas Willson's Party of 307 people on the La Belle Alliance.

Party originated from London.

Departure The Downs, Deal, Kent, England on 12 February 1820. Arrival Table Bay, Cape Town - 2 May 1820. Final Port Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth at the end of May.

Area Allocated to the Party : Beaufort Vale on the Bush River.

Accompanied by wife Mary Rachel Horn 24, daughter Margaret, 11, and tiny son Robert Pirie Jnr, born at the end of 1819.

1820Settlers.com Notes

Robert PIRIE was married four times and widowed thrice. He had 7 children. His first wife was Elizabeth Boulden whom he married in 1807 in England. They had no children.

His second wife, Elizabeth Booth, bore him a daughter, Margaret, in 1808.

In 1815 he married his third wife, Mary Pearcey, who bore him two sons who died young.

His fourth wife was Mary 'Rachel' Horn (known as Rachel in the family, not Mary). She was born in England in about 1795. Together they had Robert in 1819 in London, and three daughters who were all born in the Eastern Cape. All 3 daughters were baptised on the 25 March 1827.

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He lived in Clerkenwell, London.

Robert emigrated with Mary and his daughter, Margaret, with the Willson Party on the Belle Alliance. He and Mary Rachel had 3 more daughters in SA.

(Note that on all 3 baptism entries the mother's name is given only as Rachel. On the ship's and emigration details she is listed as Mary. In the KAB reference to Robert's will she is named "Mary Rachel"

• DEPOT KAB
• SOURCE CO
• TYPE LEER
• VOLUME_NO 3958
• SYSTEM 00
• REFERENCE 88
• PART 1
• DESCRIPTION MEMORIALS RECEIVED. MARY RACHEL PIRIE, WIDOW OF ROBERT
• PIRIE.
• REMISSION OF FINES.
• STARTING 1832
• ENDING 1832
• DEPOT KAB
• SOURCE MOOC
• TYPE LEER
• VOLUME_NO 7/1/117
• SYSTEM 01
• REFERENCE 111
• PART 1
• DESCRIPTION PIRIE, ROBERT. WILL.
• STARTING 18270000
• ENDING 18270000
• REMARKS FILED 1832.

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Robert Pirie 35, wife Mary 24 and daughter Magaret 11 went out to South Africa as part of Willson's Party aboard La Belle Alliance, boarding at Deptford, spent a month icebound on the Thames and eventually sailed from the Downs on 12/2/1820, arriving at Algoa Bay at the end of May.

The party was located on the Bush River, a tributary of the Torrens. Robert's occupation was shown as a Baker.

He was buried in Grahamstown in 1827 by Rev. Thomas Ireland.

He had held Allotment No. 11 on Beaufort Vale.