1820 British Settlers

Richard Southey 11, together with his parents and 6 siblings, were members of George Southey's Party of 49 Settlers on the Settler Ship Kennersley Castle.

Party originated from Somerset.

Departed Bristol, 10 January 1820. Arrived Table Bay, Cape Town - 29 March 1820. Final Port - Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth 29 April 1820.

Area Allocated to the Party : Bush River - Lower Albany

Children :

• Sophia Southey 16
  
• William Southey 13
  
• Richard Southey 11
  
• George Southey 9
  
• Elizabeth Southey 7
  
• Robert Henry Southey 4
  
• Canon Southey 1
  

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Colonial Secretary of the Cape Colony

Lieutenant Governor of Griqualand West

Sir Richard Southey KCMG (25 April 1808-22 July 1901) was a South African colonial administrator, cabinet minister and landowner.

Southey was the son of 1820 Settlers leader George Southey of Culmstock, Devon, and later of Bloemhof Farm, Albany. He voyaged to South Africa with his family aboard the Kennersley Castle in 1820. The family were the cadet branch of a family of Devonshire gentry and were cousins to Poet Laureate Robert Southey.

Southey began is career in as an officer during the Frontier Wars of the Eastern Cape. He was a lieutenant in the Albany Mounted Sharpshooters and Captain of the Corps of Guides.

Later he became secretary to Sir Harry Smith in Natal. He filled two of the highest offices in the colonial government; firstly as Treasurer (1861-1864) and later as Colonial Secretary (1864-1872). In 1873 he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Griqualand-West where he found one of the first diamonds in South Africa on a witch doctor. He laid it on a table before the Cape Parliament and declared "Gentlemen, this is the rock on which the future success of South Africa will be built".

His residence in Cape Town was Southfield House in Plumstead, where he died in 1901. His first wife was Isabella Shaw (1810-1869). After her death he married Susan Krynauw (1842-1890) who became Lady Southey. He had two daughters and eight sons, including Richard Southey who gained distinction as a military commander.

His niece was Lady Frost, born Frances Cordelia Powell, married to Sir John Frost.

Southey is ancestor to several distinguished South African families.

From Wikipedia

References: Dictionary of South African Biography ______________________________________________

BRITISH SETTLERS WHO ROSE TO DISTINCTION

8. Another of the settlers who rose to distinction, and whose career has been one of exceptional brilliance and usefulness, is Sir Richard Southey, who came with his parents as a lad, eleven years of age. Southey's party, of which his father, Mr. George Southey, was the head, came from Somersetshire. They were located between Manley's Flat and Bathurst, with Holder's and Greathead's parties for immediate neighbours. Like other of the sons of the settlers growing up in the district, he acquired the language and became familiar with the habits and customs of the Kafirs, and acquainted with the numerous by-paths through which those marauders penetrated into the Settlement and robbed the settlers of their cattle. During the war of 1835 with his brother George and other young sons of the settlers, formed a Corps of Guides to direct the military forces under Colonel, afterwards Sir Harry, Smith, to reach the Kafirs and fight them in their stronghold, the Fish River Bush. In this capacity he did good service, which led to his employment under Sir Benjamin D'Urban's Government as Magistrate in the New Province of Adelaide, subsequently abandoned. He then returned to Graaff Reinet, where he resided for ten years. On the return to the Colony of Sir Harry Smith as Governor in 1847, he was appointed Secretary to the High Commissioner and accompanied him through the Colony, the Orange Free State, and Natal, and was present at the battle of Boomplaatz in August, 1848. Mr. Southey was left as President of the War Tribute Commission, formed for the purpose of levying fines upon persons who had been engaged against the Colony, both as a punishment and to pay expenses. Within six months he collected and paid into the treasury ^9.000. In 1849 ^^ was appointed Civil Commissioner and Resident Magistrate of the large district of Swellendam, which, even in those days, contained many disaffected persons, whom, however, he managed to conciliate and reduce to obedience to law and order. In 1852 he acted as Colonial Secretary during the absence on leave of Mr. Montagu, till his return in 1854, when he returned to Swellendam. In 1855 Mr. Southey was appomted Secretary to the Lieutenant-Governor General Jackson, who was also Commander of the Forces on the Frontier, and resided at Graham's Town. In 1859 he was appointed Auditor-General, but had to give up that appointment to Mr. E. M. Cole who had been nominated by the Home Government. But soon after he again acted as Colonial Secretary during the absence on leave of Mr. (now Sir) Rawson W. Rawson. Finally, in July, 1873, Letters Patent were issued appointing him first Lieutenant-Governor, of the Province of Griqualand West, which difficult and responsible position he held till 1875, when the Imperial Government decided to withdraw local Government, and eventually annexed the province to the Cape Colony. In 1891 his long and meritorious services were acknowledged by the distinction of knighthood. Sir Richard Southey is still alive and well, living at Wynberg, near Cape Town.

British South Africa

A History of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope from its Conquest 1795 to the Settlement of Albany by the British Emigration of 1819 [A.D. 1795—A D 1825]

WITH NOTICES OF SOME OF THE BRITISH SETTLERS OF 1820 BY COLIN TURING CAMPBELL [Resilient at Graham's Town, 184S-1871

WITH MAP OF THE ZUURVELD DIVIDED INTO LOCATIONS JOHN HADDON & CO 6 BELL'S BUILDINGS, SALISBURY SQUARE, LONDON, E.C J. C. JUTA & CO., Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg 1897 All Rights Reserved

Tradouw Pass - Southey Pass

In the southern Cape, there is a beautiful pass called the Tradouw Pass, linking Swellendam & the Little Karoo, built by Thomas Baines between 1869 & 1873.
When it was officially opened on 27 October 1873 by Governor Sir Henry Barkly "he renamed the pass "Southey Pass" after the former Colonial Secretary but the locals still called it Tradouw Pass..."

This info I gleaned from a book The Romance of Cape Mountain Passes by Graham Ross (Note by Robert Southey)

Newspaper Obituary: London St James Gazette: London, Middlesex, United Kingdom: Date: July 23 1901

Text: "The death is announced from Capetown of Sir Richard Southey, K.C.M.G., whose name figured frequently in the earlv Kafliir Wars. He fought at the battle of Boomplaats, and acted as president of the War Tribute Commissioners in the Orange River Sovereignty. He was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Griqualand West in 1872, retiring from that post-in 1875.