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Osler's Party
Main References - The Settler Handbook by MD Nash and 1820 Settlers.com
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Party Details
- Leader Benjamin Osler
- Number 32
- Area Party originated from Cornwall
- Area Allocated to the Party Mansfield 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, Hyman, James, Menezes, Parkin)
M.D. Nash 1987 - Settler Handbook
"No 47 on the Colonial Department list, led by Benjamin Osler, a merchant of Falmouth, Cornwall, who had spent seven years in Cadiz and Gibraltar and travelled to the West Indies, Portugal, Spain and Italy on business. His application was forwarded by the Mayor of Falmouth, Andrew Young, who recommended him as a man of good character.
This was a joint-stock party, recruited in and about Falmouth (William Mallett was from Penryn), each man paying his own deposit except for Osler's servant John Bridgeman. The party of 11 men and their families left Portsmouth on 7 January 1820 in HM Store Ship Weymouth, reaching Table Bay on 26 April and Algoa Bay on 15th May. The party was located on the left bank of the Mansfield River and named the location Pendennis. (Pendennis Head and Pendennis castle are landmarks overlooking Falmouth Bay). Benjamin Osler died in 1821.
Members of Osler's party
[Bold links are to Geni profiles; other links are to other biographical notes]
- James Ball 44. Schoolmaster. Wife Ann 45. Child James Ball 6
- Richard Blee 22. Ironmonger. Wife Jenopha 19.
- John Bridgeman 19. Husbandman.
- John Dale 24. Boot and Shoemaker. Wife Mary 17
- Richard (or James) Eva 24. Baker. Wife Elizabeth 22
- Henry Goodman 23. Currier. Wife Elizabeth 20
- William Mallett 45. mason. Wife Jane 45
Children
- Stephen Mallett 13
- Mary Ann Mallett 12
- Amelia Mallett 10
- Elizabeth Mallett 6
- Benjamin Osler 44. Merchant. Wife Jane Sawle 45.
Children
- Susannah Osler 20
- Stephen Osler 13
- Mary Ann Osler 12
- Amelia Osler 10
- Elizabeth Osler 6
- Charles Blight Pearse 35. Merchant. Wife Ann 32
Children
- Eldred Pearce 11
- Charles Pearce 8
- Horation Pearce 6
- Joseph Richards 25. Boot and Shoemaker. Wife Sally 21
Children
- Sally Richards 3
- Phillis Richards 1
- James Weeks 29. Baker and confectioner. Wife Grace Ackerley 25.
Child
- Elizabeth Weeks 2 (Died at Sea).
M.D. Nash 1987 - Settler Handbook
"Osler had a very large family of 10 children, and informed the Colonial Department that he planned to 'leave three or four of the youngest with their friends at home' until he had established himself at the Cape. Only four children were entered on the official list, but it appears that at least three others did in fact emigrate with their parents. Susannah Osler, aged 20, is known to have married John Colman of Cock's party, a month after the Weymouth reached Algoa Bay, and when Benjamin Osler died in 1821 his widow was left on the location with six dependent children - a son of 15 and five daughters between 4 and 14. Joseph Richards, who according to the sailing list emigrated with a wife and two children, described himself in 1822 as an unmarried man; it is conceivable that 'Sally Richards' on the sailing list was actually Susannah Osler, and 'Sally' and 'Phillis', aged 3 and 1, her two youngest sisters. (It was not uncommon for single women among the emigrants to be listed as the 'wives' of unmarried men in order to avoid paying separate deposits). Another man of the party, John Dale, claimed in 1822 that he had left his wife and family in England; his 17-year old 'wife' Mary, as she was entered in the sailing list, may have been another of the Osler daughters.
John Carpenter's name does not appear on the sailing list or in the Muster-roll of the Weymouth, but he sailed with Osler's party and was allowed to land at Cape Town for health reasons. He rejoined the party on its location three months later (Cape Archives CO 178,50). Richard Wilton, another unlisted settler, was engaged as a servant by Osler and Carpenter in England (Cape Archives 1/AY 13/1). No mention has been found in Colonial records of the presence of John Bridgeman of Henry Goodman at the cape, and either or both of them may have been replaced at the last minute without the change being reflected in the sailing list".
- John Carpenter
- Susannah Osler 20 (daughter of Benjamin Osler).
- Richard Wilton
Main source for party list
List of settlers under the direction of Benjamin Oslet (Cape Archives CO 6138/2, 31); Muster-roll and Log of HM Store Ship Weymouth (Public Record Office, London); Special Commissioner William Hayward's notes (Cape Archives CO 8543). Richard Eva in the sailing list is referred to as james Eva in Special Commissioner Hayward's notes.
The 1820 Settler Correspondence - Osler
OSLER, Benjamin - Extra Data
IGI extracted marriage:
- Benjamin OSLER married Jane SAWLE on 9 April 1797 in Falmouth, Cornwall
IGI extracted baptisms: for Falmouth, Cornwall, children of Benjamin and Jane OSLER:
- Joseph Osler baptised 12 August 1798 (born 12 July)
- Benjamin baptised 29 May 1801 (born 5 March)
- Jane baptised 22 August 1802 (born 1 August)
- Stephen Sawle baptised 24 October 1804 (born 27 September)
- Mary Ann baptised 18 June 1806 (born 25 May)
- Amelia baptised 26 December 1807 (born 28 November)
- Julia baptised 21 March 1810 (born 1 December 1809)
- Eliza baptised 21 August 1811 (born 29 July)
- Sarah baptised 22 November 1815
- Philippa baptised 8 April 1818
Benjamin's correspondence mentions 10 children, but only four are listed in The Settler Handbook, confirmed by the muster roll of HMS Weymouth (ADM37/6145 National Archives, Kew). Nash speculates in The Settler Handbook that “Joseph RICHARDS” was actually a son of Benjamin, in which case “Sally” (3) and “Phillis” (1) could be the two youngest siblings. There is no Susanna OSLER listed on the muster roll but Nash supposes that “Sally RICHARDS” is in fact Susannah OSLER. There is a submitted IGI entry for a Susanna OSLER, daughter of Benjamin and Jane, born 15 November 1799 in Falmouth. Julia may have died in infancy.