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Hyman's Party
Main reference The Settler Handbook by MD Nash
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Party Details
- Leader Charles Hyman
- Number 42
- Area Party originated from Wiltshire
- Area Allocated to the Party Lynedoch river
- 1820 Settler Ship Weymouth
- Dates
- Departure 7 January 1820
- Arrival Table Bay, Cape Town - 16 April 1820
- Final Port - Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth 15 May 1820
(Other parties on this voyage Biggar, Bowker, Duncan Campbell , Cock, Ford, Gurney, James, Menezes, Osler, Parkin)
M.D. Nash 1987 - Settler Handbook
"No. 30 on the Colonial Department list, led by Charles Hyman, a labourer of Short Street, Westbury, Wiltshire. This was a joint-stock party made up of labouring men and their families from an area that was hard hit by unemployment and excited by the prospects of emigration. Hyman described to the Colonial Department the basis on which his party was formed: 'The eleven men are persons of an irreproachable character, each having some small property and being unwilling to be in actual servitude have unanimously chosen me their Representative - if we are allowed to proceed to the Cape tho', I will not boast of any superior Degree of Wisdom to some of the others (who are my Elders) yet going in this Brotherly way I make no doubt by our joint exertions we shall be able to surmount those difficulties which will naturally be in the way'.
Hyman assured the authorities that he had no selfish motive in assuming the direction of the party, other than 'to become settled on a piece of land I can call my own and Every Person going under my direction will enjoy everything equal with myself.' The parish authorities vouched for his good character, but there is no evidence that they contributed directly to his party's expenses.
Of the names on Hyman's first list, only Hyman himself, his wife and John Wheeler appeared in the final sailing list. Hyman's party, and that of Samuel James, absorbed the remainder of several other local parties that had formed and then disintegrated. Debnam, King, Neat and Weakly who joined Hyman's party were originally listed as members of a group led by Joseph Purnell of Frome in the neighbouring county of Somerset; Daniel Farley was first enrolled with a group from Beckington under the direction of Peter Pinnock.
Deposits were paid for 11 men who sailed from Portsmouth in HM Store Ship Weymouth on 7 January 1820, arriving in Table Bay on 26 April. Benjamin Trollip obtained employment in Cape Town, where he remained. A son of Daniel Farley was born and died at sea. The Weymouth reached Algoa Bay on 15 May, and the party was located on the right bank of the Lynedoch River, naming its location Standerwick. The three Wiltshire joint-stock parties under Hyman, Ford and James were exceptional among the settlers in remaining virtually intact under their original leaders for the first three years of the settlement; Hyman ascribed this to their 'having encouraged and cultivated a spirit of unamity (sic) amongst each other'".
Members of Hyman's Party
[Bold links are to Geni profiles; other links are to other biographical notes]
- Edward Adams, 21. Mason.
- Isaac Debnam, 38. Weaver. wife Mary George 39.
Children
- Eliza Debnam 17,
- John Debnam 16, Mary Ricketts? Gleaned from MH Smart Match
- Ann Debnam 13,
- Isaac Debnam 11
- Danie Farley, 28. Labourer and naval pensioner. wife Elizabeth 29.
Children
- William 5,
- Sarah 3,
- Joseph 2,
- James (born and died at sea).
- Charles Hyman, 21. Labourer. w Elizabeth 26.
- John William Hyman, 16 (brother of Charles Hyman).
- John King, 23. Labourer and naval pensioner. wife Eleanor 24.
Children
- John 2,
- Sarah 1.
- William Neat, 22. Labourer. wife Susan 23.
Child
- Jane.
- Hester/Esther Trollip 18 (daughter of Joseph Trollip). (Married Samuel Taylor James - leader of James's Party apparently at Sea and again in South Africa after they arrived).
- John Trollip, 22. Labourer. wife Elizabeth 20.
- Joseph Trollip 38. Labourer. wife Susan/Susanna Crouch 39.
Children
- Stephen Trollip 19. Labourer. wife Mary 20.
- William Trollip, 24. Labourer. wife Patience 22. Child Alfred 1.
- Joseph Weakley 27. Gardener. wife Emma Kinton 26.
Children
- Mary Weakley 5, Married Joseph Ebenezer Thackwray of William Smith's Party
- Joseph Weakley 3, Married Mary Filmer of Sephton/Gush Party
- John Benjamin Weakley 1.
Main sources for party list
Return of settlers under the direction of Charles Hyman (Cape Archives CO 6138/1,87); Muster-roll and Log of HM Store Ship Weymouth (Public Record Office, London); Special Commissioner William Hayward's notes (Cape Archives CO 8542).