1820 Settlers - Damant's Party

Damant's Party

Main reference The Settler Handbook by MD Nash

Additional information from South African Settlers

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Party Details

• Leader Lieut Edward Damant
• Number 57
• Area Party originated from Norfolk
• Area Allocated to the Party The old Waaiplaats barracks, then to the Gamtoos River. They were located at the source of the Kaffir Kraal River but the location was at once rejected by Lieutenant Damant and they moved to the Gamtoos River, their settlement being called Lammas.)
• 1820 Settler Ship Ocean
• Dates

• Departure London, 13 December 1819
• Arrival Table Bay, Cape Town - 29 March 1820
• Final Port - Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth - 15 April 1920

(Other parties on this voyage - Dixon, Howard, Morgan)

M.D. Nash 1987 - Settler Handbook

"No. 8 on the Colonial Department list, led by Edward Damant of Fakenham, Norfolk, who had held a lieutenant's commission in the 38th Regiment of Foot and subsequently in the West Norfolk Militia. He had made an abortive earlier attempt to emigrate to the Cape in 1817, in company with his sister and her husband Dr John Atherstone, in order to join their brother John Damant, then stationed at Uitenhage as Assistant Commissary General. John Damant had married the only daughter of a local landowner and merchant, Frederick Korsten, and in partnership with a third brother, Thomas Damant, had acquired a large estate on the Gamtoos River which they named New Lammas after their birthplace in Norfolk.

Early in 1819 John Damant had retired on half-pay and returned to England to engage additional labourers for New Lammas. The newly promulgated Cape emigration scheme provided the opportunity to make up a party consisting of the Damant and Atherstone families, including Thomas Damant's 13-year-old daughter Ann who had been living in England with her maternal grandparents, and some 20 indentured labourers. Although on the face of it this was a proprietary party, the status of one of its members, Philip Frost, is not clear; he probably joined the party as an independent settler as he purchased a farm on the Gamtoos in his own right in 1822. The party was recruited in Norfolk, Tee hailing from Sedgeford, Gibbon from West Barsham, Lake from Colkirk and Sterley from Billingford, all in the neighbourhood of Fakenham.

Shortly before Michaelmas quarter-day (29 September), Damant wrote to the Colonial Deparment asking as a matter of urgency to be informed whether his proposal had been accepted or rejected, 'the men being distressed beyond measure at the uncertainty of their situation as they would be deprived of work the whole of the ensuing Winter, should the proposition not be acceded to, and they not know it before Michaelmas, but were they now acquainted with it, they would be able to renew their present engagements if necessary'. The delay in notifying party heads of the success of their applications was the cause of numerous changes in the party lists, Damant's included.

Once his application had been approved, Damant invoked the influence of the Member of Parliament for Norfolk, Edmund Wodehouse, to try to obtain permission for him to take out breeding stock - horses and Norfolk bulls. This was contrary to regulations, however, and was refused.

Deposits were paid for 25 men, and the party embarked at Deptford in the regular transport ship Ocean, sailing from Portsmouth on 1 January 1920 and arriving in Table Bay on 29 March and Algoa Bay on 15 April. Two men of the party and one child died at sea. The location assigned to Damant was on the site of the old Waaiplaats barracks at the source of the Kaffir Kraal River, but he refused the land and removed his people to his brothers' property on the Gamtoos River".

Members of Damant's Party

[Bold links are to Geni profiles; other links are to other biographical notes]

• John Atherstone 29. Surgeon. Wife Elizabeth 37.

Children

• William Guybon Atherstone 5,
• Catherine Atherstone 4,
• Elizabeth Atherstone 3,
• Emily Atherstone 2.

Atherstone, Thomas 26. Husbandman.

• Last Name: Atherstone
• First Name: Thomas
• Date of Birth: chr. 2 Mar 1793
• Place of Birth: St. Mary Nottingham, Notts., England
• Parents – Father: Thomas Atherstone
• Parents – Mother: Mary
• Notes: Damant’s party of 1820 settlers. IGI. Probably a cousin of John Atherstone (q.v.) who sailed with the same party and was also born in Nottingham.

• COOPER, John 27. Bricklayer.
• DAMANT, Ann 13 (in the care of her uncle Edward Damant).
• Damant, Edward 33. Lieut, 38th Regiment.

Child

• Louisa Damant 2.
• Last Name: Damant
• First Name: Edward
• Date of Birth: chr. 20 Jun 1786
• Place of Birth: Lammas with Little Hautbois, Norfolk, England
• Parents – Father: William Damant
• Parents – Mother: Elizabeth Castell
• Spouse: Mary Atherstone, daughter of Hugh Atherstone of Nottingham, England
• Marriage Date: 19 Jan 1817
• Marriage Place: Bulwell, Notts., England
• Date of Death: 1863
• Children:

• Louisa 1818
• William Edward chr. 23 Dec 1824 Arnold, Notts., he went to America and had issue.
• Caroline Atherstone chr. 18 May 1830 Friar Lane Independent, Nottingham
• Hugh Atherstone chr. 18 May 1830 Friar Lane Independent, Nottingham, married Catherine Ann Cumming (3 sons 1 dau.) and died in 1898
• Ann Mary chr. 26 Feb 1832 Friar Lane Independent, Nottingham.

• DAMANT, John 34. Commissary (half-pay).
• DURRELL, Henry 27. Husbandman.
• FRANCIS, John 24. Husbandman.

• Philip Frost 32. Husbandman. Wife Elizabeth 30.

Children

• Philip Frost 11,
• James Frost 10,
• William Frost 7,
• Edward Frost 6,
• John Frost 4,
• Mary Frost .

• GIBBON, Edward 21. Husbandman.
• HAMES, Joseph 20. Husbandman.
• JACOBS, John 21. Husbandman. wife Catherine 20.
• Lake 19. Husbandman.
• Philip Lawson 22. Husbandman.

• * Last Name: Lawson
  • First Name: Philip
  • Date of Birth: 24 Nov 1798, chr. 23 Dec 1798
  • Place of Birth: Lanchester, Durham, England
  • Parents – Father: Philip Lawson
  • Parents – Mother: Margaret Wood

• MALES, Thomas 18. Shoemaker (died at sea).
• John Matthews 22. Husbandman.

• Last Name: Matthews
• First Name: John
• Date of Birth: 1799
• Place of Birth: England
• Name of Spouse: Margretta Elizabeth Stigling
• Date of Death: 16 Aug 1860 age 61
• Place of Death: Hopejohn, Cape
• Notes: DN 8077.1/2/1860.
• Children:
  • Elizabetha m. to Christoffel Golden
  • Carolina Johanna m. to John McDermid
  • Ellen Magdalena m. to James Wilson
  • Catrina Susanna m. to William Meyer
  • Maria Louisa, minor
  • Magdalena Christina, minor
  • Marpetta Johanna, minor

• PRICE, John 25. Husbandman (died at sea).
• Henry Purvis 32. Blacksmith.

• Last Name: Purvis
• First Name: Henry
• Date of Birth: 1787
• Place of Birth: Ireland
• Date of Death: 29 Jun 1845 age abt 56
• Place of Death: Cape Town
• Notes: Damant’s party of 1820 settlers. Notes from Settlers Museum in Grahamstown. Henry Purvis was formerly a lieutenant in the Navy, latterly a storeman. It is not known whether he was married or not as he was found dead in 1845.

• SELEY, William 26. Husbandman.
• SMITH, Stephen 27. Carpenter. w Ann 27. c Henry 5, Harriet 1 (died at sea).
• STERLEY, Thomas 19. Husbandman.
• Thomas Sterley 54. Born 1757 from Norfolk. Died 2 Oct 1848 age 83y 6m, at Port Elizabeth. Husbandman and army pensioner.

• Wife Ann Moorecroft 44, b. 1775 Norfolk. Died 2 Jul 1849 Grahamstown. Married 8 Jul 1799 St. Michael Coventry, Warwick, England.
  • Thomas Born 17 1803 Norfolk,
  • John 15 b. 1807 Norfolk m. 25 Jul 1831 Frances Cronk and d. 9 Oct 1876 age 66 Grahamstown (7 children),
  • Mary 12 Mary Ann b. Jan 1805 Norfolk m. 1824 John Matthews, d. 20 Oct 1888 age 83y 9m Port Elizabeth (q.v.)
  • Lydia 8 1812 Norfolk m. George Mitchell Gates of Port Elizabeth, and d. 30 Sep 1867 age 59 Port Elizabeth (q.v.),
  • Maria 6, b. 1814 m. John Kemp
  • William 3, b. 1816 Norfolk m. 22 Jun 1841 Frances Ratcliffe (she d. 2 Nov 1881 age 60y 10m), he d. 29 Nov 1870 age 53 Madder Rivier, OFS (6 children
  • James 1.b. 1819 m. Ann Foxton (she d. 23 Oct 1906 age 81y 6m) he d. 16 Apr 1906 age 87y 4m
  • Stephen b. 1821 Hankey, Cape m. 9 Jan 1842 Uitenhage to Charlotte Mary Henley (she d. 3 May 1901 age 79) he d. 9 Aug 1875 (q.v.
  • Mary Ann b. Port Elizabeth m. B. Ward d. July 1875 (4 children).

Info from - South African Settlers - Thomas Sterley

Thomas Sterley had served 17 years in the 52nd Regiment of Foot, but by 1820 was a servant to Mr. Damant, and in CO48/45 p. 1040 wrote from Billingford, Norfolk. DN 9845/1848, 2570/1854, 3332/1876, 1911/1888, 3999/1867, 6748/1870, 1956/1875, 1959/1875. IGI.

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 1040

Billingsford Norfolk

Oct 22, 1819

Honorable Sir

Having engaged to serve Messrs DAMANT of the Cape of Good Hope as a labourer for the term of five years and wishing to take my Wife and Family of seven children who are all agreeable to accompany me there I hereby request your permission for the same purpose to embark from this Country. Beging the favor of your reply as soon as possibly convenient as the first ship will soon sail for the Cape. I beg you will direct for me as above.

I am Honorable Sir

your obed humb servt

Thomas STERLEY

(My age is 54 years)

• Tee, Richard 34. Husbandman. w Sarah 29. c Richard 7, Frances 6, Susannah 4, Elizabeth 1.

Note. The name of Richard Tee's wife and the names and ages of their children have been amended to agree with family records (they are given in the Agent's List as Mary 30, Richard 8, Mary 7, Charlotte 5 and Elizabeth 2). Edward Frost (6) does not appear in the Agent's List, but according to a family historian he sailed with the rest of the family.

• Last Name: Tee
• First Name: Richard
• Date of Birth: 1812
• Place of Birth: England
• Parents – Father: Richard Tee
• Parents – Mother: Sarah Potter
• Name of Spouse: not given
• Date of Death: 6 Apr 1886
• Place of Death: Uitenhage, Cape
• Notes: DN 568/1886.
• Children:
  • Susan m. to Thomas Ruslen
  • Richard
  • Mary m. to Cooper
  • John
  • Joseph
  • James
  • Edward
  • Frederick
  • Alfred
  • Lamech

THOMPSON, William 21. Husbandman.

WELLS, John 20. Tanner.

WHITE, William 28. Husbandman.

Main source for party list

Agent of Transports' List of settlers under Edward Damant Esqre (Cape Archives CO 136). Edward Damant's wife was confined shortly before the party sailed and did not emigrate, but the name of her 2-year-old daughter is included in the Agent's List.

Further reading

DG Damant, The Damants and their Party (Port Elizabeth Historical Society, 1984).

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