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1820 Settlers - Sephton-Gush Party

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  • Sophia Sarah Wallace, SM/PROG (1801 - 1894)
    SM.PIC.991. WALLACE, James: head and shoulders. Tin-plate. 12.1/2cm.x9cm.tin-plate photo. Biography: Born 1973 in Ayreshire, Scotland; son of James and Ann (nee Hunter) Wallace. In 1817 when he was abo...
  • Mary Anne Farmer (1808 - 1876)
  • Leah Maynard (c.1805 - d.)
  • Sarah Maynard (c.1779 - 1828)
  • Levi Maynard (c.1775 - 1856)
    Death Notice - Pallot's Marriage Index Levi MAYNARD of St.Neots, Hunts married Sarah MORTIMER in Stevington, Bedfordshire in 1797

Sephton's Party

1820 Settlers

Main Reference The Settler Handbook by MD Nash

Additional information from South African Settlers

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(Other parties on this voyage - Erith, Pringle)

M.D. Nash 1987 - Settler Handbook

"No. 40 on the Colonial Department list, led by Hezekiah Sephton, a carpenter of 1 Bedford Court, New North Street, Red Lion Square, London. This was a joint-stock party consisting mainly of small tradesmen, its members united by a common religious faith.

The party's original leader was Edward Wynne of Lincoln's Inn Field, London, a smith by trade and an active member of the Great Queen Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. In July 1819, a week after the announcement of the emigration scheme, he submitted an application on behalf of 10 families of the Great Queen Street congregation. He hoped eventually to increase the number to 100, so that the party would be entitled to nominate a clergyman to accompany it, whose salary would be paid by government.

By September, Wynne had enrolled 96 dissenter families wishing to emigrate, some of them from farther afield than Great Queen Street - Samuel Bonnin, for instance, applied to join them from Shillington in Bedfordshire. They formed themselves into the United Wesleyan Methodist Society, with a committee responsible for the organisation of the party. The selection of the clergyman was put in the hands of the committee of the General Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society, whose choice fell on the Rev William Shaw.

In October the death of Wynne's wife led him to withdraw altogether from the emigration scheme, and he nominated Thomas Colling, a builder of Wapping, to replace him as head of the party. Before joining Wynne, Colling had applied without success to take out a small party of his own. Colling did not last long as leader, however; in November he stood down and was succeeded by Hezekiah Sephton. Although three of Colling's adult sons emigrated with a division of the party, Colling himself, with his wife and younger children, delayed his departure for another month and sailed for the Cape in the last of the settler transports, the Sir George Osborn.

Deposits were paid for 101 men and their families, and the party embarked at Deptford in two divisions, the larger one of 66 families in the Aurora under Hezekiah Sephton, and the remaining 35 families in the Brilliant under Richard Gush. They sailed from Gravesend on 15 February 1820. Each division was accompanied by a surgeon: Dr Peter Campbell (officially a member of Bailie's party) in the Aurora, and Dr Charles Caldecott, who had applied unsuccessfully to take out a small party of his own before Sephton's, in the Brilliant. Two emigrants died on board the Aurora before she sailed: Elizabeth Croft, the wife of Charles Croft, and Joseph Goode, whose berth and that of his son (who stayed in England) were taken by George Clarke, formerly of Willson's party, and by Thomas Isted. The Rev William Shaw's Journal records that Elizabeth Jones, the 21-year-old wife of John Jones, died at sea, and 'several children were born and some died'.

Seven deaths were recorded among the party on board the Brilliant: Joseph, the infant son of Richard Gush; Sarah, wife of William Shepherd, and their daughter Mary Ann aged 3 and infant son William, all from consumption; Frances, wife of George Brown, and her newborn child; and George Bray, a 39-year-old coachmaker, who died while the ship lay at anchor in Algoa Bay. Mrs Bray and her children did not disembark but returned in the Brilliant to Simons Town. The surgeon of the party, Dr Charles Caldecott, died at Algoa Bay soon after landing. Besides Mrs Brown's ill-fated infant, four children were born at sea: Joseph Webb, James Temlett, WB Jenkinson and Frances Maria Searle.

The Brilliant anchored in Simon's Bay on 30 April 1820, and the Aurora a day later. Both ships reached Algoa Bay on 15 May. The two sections of the party were reunited on disembarking at Algoa Bay, and located at Rietfontein, but orders were soon received for their removal to a new location on the Assegai Bush River, as the first site had been earmarked for a party expected under the leadership of Major General Charles Campbell. The new location was named Salem, meaning 'peace'; here an attractive village arose (the only village founded by a settler party that still exists today) with a community notable among the settlers for 'the order with which its affairs were conducted, both spiritual and temporal'.

The Maynard family obtained permission to settle in Cape Town".

Sephton's Division

Party Details

  • Leader Hezekiah Sephton
  • Number 344
  • Area Party originated from London
  • Area Allocated to the Party Assegai Bush River - Salem
  • 1820 Settler Ship

Aurora

Dates

  • Departure Gravesend, London 15 February 1820
  • Arrival Simon's Bay - 1 May 1820
  • Final Port - Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth 15 May 1820 No other parties were on this ship - but see Gush's division below)

Members of Sephton's Party

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

Aaron Aldum 39. Weaver.

Wife. Edith Ida Blake 32.
Children

John Ames 44. Surveyor.

Robert Bagshaw 27, Wireworker.

Wife Ursula Coventry Bagshaw 20.
Child :

Samuel Bonnin 40. Husbandman.

Wife. Ann Worrell 37. (Not the mother of the 2 daughters of Samuel)
Children

Benjamin Booth 32. Baker.

Wife. Margaret Mortimer 28.
Children

James Bryant 25. Sawyer

Wife. Mary Elizabeth Ilbery 23.
Children :

Peter Campbell 42, Surgeon.

Wife. Sarah Sanderson 32.
Children :

Charles Chandler 32. Farmer.

George Clark 36, Husbandman.

Wife. Elizabeth Keeler 31.
Children :

Charles Thomas Croft 26, Copper plate printer.

Wife. Elizabeth Seadon 22 (died at sea before sailing). (Charles later married Mary Hancock of this Party.)
Child :

Samuel Cyrus 37. Labourer.

Wife. Deborah Claridge 28.
Children

Philip Dixie 30, Smith.

Wife. Elizabeth Dixie 27.
Children :

James Edwards 24, Shoemaker.

Wife. Ann Thomas 23.
Child :

John Evans 27. Cotton spinner.

Wife. Ann 25.

Samuel Field 26. Husbandman.

William Fowler 23. Husbandman.

David Hall 32. Labourer.

Wife Ann 24.
Child

  • James 2.

Hancock, James 43. China painter.

Wife. Ann Kennedy 29.
Children

 [Mary Hancock, SM/PROG '''Mary Hancock'''] 32 (sister of [James Hancock, SV/PROG '''James Hancock''']). 

*Harris 17. (Sister of William Harris and servant of William Shaw).

William Hazell 39. Butcher.

Wife. Mary 29.

Martha Hill 16. (servant of Peter Campbell).

Thomas Holmes, 34. Husbandman.

Wife. Mary Watts 34.
Children

George Howe 44. Master mariner.

Wife. Francis 50.
Child

  • Maria Howe 14.

James Howse, 23. Labourer. (Later married Sarah Ann Dold of Willson's Party)

Thomas Jenkins 13. (brother-in-law of James Kidd).

John Jones 25. Bricklayer.

Wife. Elizabeth 21 (died at sea).

James Kidd 24, Fur skinner.

Wife. Ann Jenkins 30.

William Robert Lee 18. Labourer.

William Lee, 39. Butcher.

Wife. Ann Lee 38.
Children :

William H J Matthews 26. Labourer.

Wife. Frances Croxton 28.

James Mortimer Maynard 20. Sawyer.

Joseph Maynard 18. Sawyer.

Levi Maynard 44. Husbandman.

Wife. Sarah Mortimer 40.
Children

John Oates 31. Shoemaker.

Wife. Elizabeth Kent 35.
Children

John Paine 33. Carpenter.

Wife. Sarah 29.
Child

  • Mary Paine 5.

Samuel Richard Painter, 37. Gardener.

Wife. Harriet Bailey 34.
Children

Benjamin Patrick, 42. Husbandman.

Children

Charles Penny, 33, Bricklayer.

Wife. Susannah Bagshaw, 25.
Children

William Penny (30), Bricklayer.

Wife. Rosanna Brough (30)
Children

Robert Pitt 43, Husbandman.

Wife. Lucy 39.
Child

William John Pratten 34, Bricklayer.

Richard Prior 44. Glazier.

Wife Sarah 42.

William Prynn 40. Husbandman.

Wife. Jane Clark/Clarke 35.
Children

James Rawlins 17

Robert Rawlins 15 (these 2 Rawlins brothers in the care of William Sargeant ).

William Rees 47. Miner and naval pensioner.

Wife Ann 41.

Daniel Roberts 37, Shoemaker.

Wife Harriet Batson Mills 33.
Children

Thomas Robinson (38) Umbrella maker.

Wife Mary Ann (38)
Children

Benjamin Rudman 27. Husbandman.

Samuel Rudman 29. Husbandman.

Wife Ann Tringham 19.

William Sargeant 32. Baker.

Wife Mary Miller 37.
Children

Hezekiah Sephton 43. Carpenter.

Wife Jane Hardy 43.
Children

William Shaw 21. Minister.

Wife Ann Maw 31.
Children :

Joseph Short, 33. Gardener.

Wife Mary Edwards 30.
Children

Thomas Slater, 43. Cotton dealer.

Wife. Sophia Hall, 42.
Children

Richard Smith 46. Carpenter.

Wife. Mary 48.
Child

  • Owen Smith 12.

Henry Sparks (30) Carpenter,

Wife. Mary Tussler 38.
Children

Priscilla Purcell 45 . (Her Husband John Stuart Talbot sailed with Gush's Division)

Children

William Trotter 33. Husbandman.

Wife. Ann 34.
Child

  • Ann Trotter 7.

Joseph Turpin, 29, Schoolmaster.

Wife. Mercy Chubb,19.

Samuel Lake Upcott, 46, Wool comber

Wife. Mary Anne Morris, 36.
Child

Thomas Wallis 43. Farmer.

Wife. Sarah 43.
Children

  • Mary Wallis 12
  • Henry Wallis 10
  • Charles Wallis 4.

Charles Watson, 13 (brother of William Watson).

William Watson 19. Labourer.

Wife. Mary Ellen Wyatt 23.

Thomas Wells 43. Grazier.

Wife Sarah Lambert 42.
Children

George Wilmot 13 (brother of Joseph Wilmot).

Joseph Wilmot 30, Glass cutter.

Wife. Susannah Richmond 24. (Nash erroneously records predeceased Ann Routledge as Joseph's wife on this journey.)

James Witheridge 39, Bricklayer.

Child

[Charles Wood Charles Wood 30. Carpenter.

Wife. Ann Penny 23.
Child

George Alfred Wood 14 (apprenticed to Richard Smith). (Later married Susannah Garbett of Willson's Party.)

Thomas Youngs 45. Shoemaker.

Wife. Ann 38.

Gush's Division

Party Details

  • Leader Richard Gush
  • Number
  • Area Party originated from London
  • Area Allocated to the Party Assegaii Bush River - Salem
  • 1820 Settler Ship

Brilliant

Dates

  • Departure Gravesend, London 15 February 1820
  • Arrival Simon's Bay - 30 April 1820
  • Final Port - Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth 15 May 1820 (Other parties on this voyage Erith, Pringle)

Members of Gush's Party

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

George Bray, 39 Coachmaker (died at sea).

Wife. Ann Hall 45.
Children

George Brown 34. Gardener.

Wife. Frances Haines 34 (died at sea).
Children

Charles Caldecott 39, Surgeon.

Wife. Mary Torkington 41.
Children

John Colling 25. Boatbuilder.

Thomas Colling 20, Brush maker.

William Colling 18, Wharfinger.

John Filmer 49. Sawyer.

Wife. Mary Whitbread 29.
Children

Thomas Filmer 47. Sawyer.

Wife. Elizabeth Whitbread 67. Died at Sea.

George Gravett, l8. Labourer, (brother of William Gravett )

William Gravett 16 (in care of his uncle - Richard Pickstock.) (Brother of George Gravett.) (Later married his cousin Charlotte Pickstock of this Party.)

Gush, Richard 30. Carpenter.

Wife. Margaret Evans 29.
Children

George Hodges 32. Saddler.

Wife. Mary 30.

Samuel Hodges 32. Husbandman.

James Hogsflesh 37. Coachmaker.

Wife. Margaret 21.

Thomas Samuel Hood 20. Fruiterer.

Thomas Isted 40, Cotton spinner.

Wife. Susan Eliza Morgan 28.
Children

George Jenkinson 31. Chairmaker,

Wife. Sarah Jenkinson 31.
Children

Rowland Jones Gardener.

Thomas Sellom King 39. Carpenter.

Wife. Sarah Prime 39.
Children

Thomas Marsh, 50. Watchmaker.

Wife. Martha Marsh 50.
Children :

John Miller 29. Husbandman. (He later married Hannah Jenkinson of this Party)

William Miller 40, Husbandman.

Wife. Elizabeth Dennison 42.
Children

William Muire 25. Tailor.

Wife. Mary Ann Winter 21.
Child

Thomas Norton 38. Smith and naval pensioner.

Wife Elizabeth Aylward 38.
Child :

Christian George Ochse 20. Furrier.

Wife Ann Munday 21.

Richard Pickstock 45. Tailor.

Wife Frances Gravett 35.
Child

William Rayner 26 Hatter.

Wife Martha Morris 22.
Child

Edward Searle 28, Undertaker.

Wife Mary Malkin 26.
Children :

William Shepherd 30, Packer.

Wife Sarah Ann Morris 22 (died at sea).
Children

John Stuart Talbot 47. Master mariner. (His wife and children sailed in Sephton's division - see above).

James Temlett (22) Shepherd.

Wife Ann Winter (21).
Child

William Tilley 27. Saddler.

Wife. Hannah 25.

James Urry 42, Tailor

Wife. Mary Wadmore 36.
Children

John Watkins 21. Mathematical instrument maker.

Wife. Martha 20.

Charles Watson Upholsterer.

Christopher Webb 31, Shoemaker.

Wife. Mary Gush 20.
Children

Peter Matthias Wichmann 40. Tailor.

Wife. Catherine 36.
Child

  • Elizabeth Wichmann 17.

John Woods 11 (in the care of William Shepherd).

Main sources for party list

Agent of Transports' Returns of settlers on board the Aurora transport at Simon's Bay, and settlers in charge of Mr Richard Gush (Cape Archives 6138/2,76-81). Dr Campbell's name is included in these returns but Dr Caldecott's is omitted. (His presence in the Brilliant, his death at Algoa Bay and the refund of his deposit to his widow are confirmed in Cape Archives CO 178/122 and 1/AY 8/71.) Special Commissioner William Hayward's notes (Cape Archives CO 8543).

AE Makin, in The 1820 Settlers of Salem, lists Robert Harvey and his wife as late additions to the party, but Harvey's name is not in the Agent's Return of the party as it arrived at the Cape, and no evidence of his presence has been traced in colonial records. The name of John Talbot senior does not appear in the Agent's Returns; according to AE Makin, he quarrelled with the captain of the Aurora, the transport in which his family sailed, and he himself sailed in the Brilliant.

  • Thomas Colling, a former head of Sephton's party was unable to embark in the Brilliant, but sailed in the Sir George Osborn as an independent settler attached to Gardner's party.

Further reading

AE Makin, The 1820 Settlers of Salem (Wynberg, Juta, 1971). The late Mr Makin's extensive research notes are lodged in the 1820 Settlers Memorial Museum, a division of the Albany Museum, Grahamstown;

Thomas Pringle, Narrative of a Residence in South Africa (London, Moxon, 1835). Pringle's party sailed in the Brilliant, and he describes the voyage to the Cape and the arrival at Algoa Bay.

Celia Sadler, Never a Young Man: extracts from the letters and journals of the Rev. William Shaw (Cape Town, HAUM 1967).

Journal of William Shaw ed WD Hammond-Tooke (Cape Town, AA Balkema, 1972).

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