1820 British Settler

Isaac Debnam, 38, Weaver, together with his wife Mary George 39, and their 4 children, were part of Hyman's party of 42 Settlers on the Weymouth.

Party originated from Wiltshire.

Departure 7 January 1820. Arrival Table Bay, Cape Town - 16 April 1820. Final Port - Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth 15 May 1820

Area allocated to the Party : Lynedoch River

Children :

• Eliza Debnam 17
  
• John Debnam 16
  
• Ann Debnam 13
  
• Isaac Debnam 11
  

DEPOT Genealogical Society of SA

• DESCRIPTION Debenam, I - Gravestone.
• STARTING 0000
• ENDING 18550804
• REMARKS Old Grahamstown Cemetery, Grahamstown, Western Cape.
• SUMMARY + Isaac Debenam. Died 04-08-1855. Aged 71 years.

Isaac Debnam (b. 1782); Occupation: Weaver Spouse: Mary (b. 1781) Children... Eliza (b. 1803); John (b. 1804); Ann (b. 1807); Isaac (b. 1809) Party: Hyman Ship: Weymouth

The Captain's Log of the Weymouth spells his name DEBNOM. Some sources maintain that the original spelling of the surname would have been DEBENHAM. What is certain is that at some stage after arrival in South Africa the members of the family were all using the spelling DEDNAM. Tracing their records is difficult because the following spellings have all been used: DEBENHAM, DEBNAM, DEBNOM, DEBNUM, DEDNAM, DEDMAN, DEADMAN and even DEELMAN, the latter a mis-transcription of a badly-written entry in a Baptism Register. A member of the extended Dednam family, Desi Scheepers, has compiled a list of descendants of Isaac (published on Facebook), and she maintains that all people in South Africa with the surname DEDNAM are descended from Isaac. I have found at least one exception to this assertion.