Captain William Walter Harding, SV/PROG

William Walter HARDING was born about 1782 in Ireland and during the Napoleonic Wars served in several campaigns including that in Egypt.

These notes are from the book The British Residents at the Cape 1795-1819 by Peter Philip.

HARDING, William Walter, Capt. Cape Regiment/Cape Corps. Served South Africa 1812-19. He served in the Napoleonic Wars with Abercromby in Egypt, with Moore in Spain, and at Walcheren, Sicily & Malta (VRS No. 48).

Capt. & Mrs H, Grahamstown subscribe to Bible & Schools Commission (25).

Mrs Harding & son arrive TB ' for this place' in the "Uitenhage Packet" ex Algoa Bay (104/25). Took part in Battle of Grahamstown. 1819 sold his commission in the Cape Corps to Lord Charles Somerset's son, Henry (VRS No. 48)

Appointed Dep. Landdrost, Cradock, residing on the farm "Driefontein" (18/25).

1819-20+ ditto, also Vice-President of Matrimonial Court & of School Commission (21).

Sold house and erf 'aan de Kowie Rivier', Grahamstown to Charles Trappes (TO 26.11.19) (173).

Appointed Resident Magistrate, Beaufort West (19)

Reference codes: 21- African Court Calendar/Kaapsche Courant VRS No. 48 - Publications of the Van Riebeeck Society, CT, 1st & 2nd series. 25 - Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser 104 - CO6086 (Cape Archives reference No.) /25 as per the above. 18 - Vol. 111 of History of South Africa, 1795-1834 by George McCall Theal/25 as above 173 - Deeds Office, Cape Town, Register of Transfers of Property - Aug. 1818/Dec 1830 19 - Vol 1V (Same as 18 above)

From Mr Duncan H. Ferguson P.O. Box 368 Cradock Captain HARDING, Deputy Landdrost of Cradock.

<< Going through the magazine 'Looking Back' for September (1981), I saw the story about Cradock. It says that the Deputy Landdrost in 1819 was Captain HARDY. This is wrong. The Deputy Landdrost of Cradock from 1818 to 1823 was my Great-Great-Grandfather, Captain William Walter HARDING, 1782-1831. I have a copy of Captain HARDING's Will which was drawn up in Cradock on 23 March 1823.

I also have copies of pages 35 to 38 of George Thompson's book, "Travels and adventures in Southern Africa". He came to Cradock in 1823 and visited Captain HARDING and his wife. When Captain HARDING came to Cradock there was no house for him. He stayed on the government water farm called 'Driefontein'. This farm now belongs to the South African Railways and I have often worked on the farm. I work for the Railways as a **bricklayer.

Captain HARDING grew corn and made his own wine. George THOMPSON said that this wine was the best frontier manufactured wine he had tasted. I enclose a history of Captain HARDING and his nine children for your records. I have been occupied with our family history on my mother's side since 1975 and I have obtained just about all the information I can on the family history. In the course of my research I have visited many interesting places and met a lot of interesting people.

Captain HARDING purchased an Ensigncy (2nd Lieutenant) in the 20th Regiment of Foot (East Devon) in 1800; Promoted to Lieutenant on 25 Jun 1803 and to Captain, 12 Oct 1809. He took part in the Egyptian campaign of 1801 and in the battle of Maida (Calabria, Italy) on 6 July 1806. He also took part in the Spanish campaign 1808-1809, being evacuated from Corunna with the rest of the British forces on 16 January 1809. He took part in the ill-fated Walcheren expedition of 1809 and later served in Malta and Sicily. He transferred from the 20th Regiment to the Cape Corps in November 1811, served on the frontier of Cape Colony and took part in the defence of Graham's Town when it was attacked by Makana in 1819.

Captain Charles SOMERSET of the 9th Lancers, a son of Lord Charles SOMERSET, purchased Harding's Captaincy on 17 June, 1819. After HARDING left the army he joined the civil service and was Deputy Landdrost of Cradock 1819-1823. He left Cradock on 17 January 1824 and became Government Resident at Plettenberg Bay 1824-1826. He became Deputy Landdrost of Beaufort West on 15 November 1826. On the 4 January 1828 magistrates were appointed for the first time in the Cape Colony, and Captain HARDING was appointed Resident Magistrate at Beaufort West at £300 per year. On 20 June 1828 he was transferred to Graaff-Reinet as Justice of the Peace. On 12 December 1828 he was transferred back to Beaufort West as Resident Magistrate. On 6 March 1829 he was appointed Justice of the Peace at Swellendam. On 18 July 1829 as Resident Magistrate at Uitenhage where he died on 27 March 1831.>>

SOURCE: Looking Back, March 1982.

Irish Records Extraction Database about William Harding Name: William Harding Sex: Male Marriage: 1809 Marriage Place: Diocese of Cork & Ross, County Cork, Ireland Spouse: Eliza Herrick Source: Albert Eugene Casey, Eleanor L. Downey-Prince, and Ursula Dietrich.. Index of O'Kief, Coshe Mange, Slieve Lougher and Upper Blackwater in Ireland. 16 vols. Birmingham, Alabama: Knocknagree Historical Fund, 1952-1971.

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William Walter Harding, Capt. Cape Regt./Cape Corps, served at Cape 1812-1819. He had served with Abercromby in Egypt, with Moore in Spain, and at Walcheren, Sicily and Malta. - http://www.southafricansettlers.com/?p=6734