

James' Party
Main reference The Settler Handbook by MD Nash
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Party Details
- 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, Menezes, Osler, Parkin)
M.D. Nash 1987 - Settler Handbook
"No. 35 on the Colonial Department list, led by Samuel James, a carpenter of Westbury, Wiltshire. This was a joint-stock party, recommended and financially aided by the parish authorities and the 'gentlemen of Westbury', and was initially organised under the direction of Samuel Watson. James proposed that he should take over the direction of the party after Watson and several others decided not to emigrate, and the remainder of the group then amalgamated with the remainder of a party from Frome in the neighbouring county of Somersetshire. The Frome contingent - Bartlett, Hayward, Randall and Usher - belonged to a group organised at first under the leadership of Stephen Bourne, who was arrested for debt and replaced as leader by John Colston. Colston, an army pensioner, was recalled to his regiment when England was threatened with civil disturbances after Peterloo, and the party disintegrated. Another late addition who was absorbed by James' group was Philip Pinnock, who had planned to lead a party from Beckingham.
A philanthropic gentleman of Frome, T Bunn (his official standing in the parish, if any, is not clear) conducted most of the correspondence with the Colonial Department on the Frome emigrants' behalf. According to Bunn, many of the town's 10,000 inhabitants were unemployed and eager to emigrate; a local pensioner phrased it more vividly - 'This Town is all a tiptoe to go to the Cape of Good Hope'.
Deposits were paid for 12 men, and James travelled to Portsmouth to see his party aboard HM Store Ship Weymouth before returning to Westbury to fetch his wife, who had recently given birth to twin boys. She and one of the infants died on board the Weymouth before the ship left Portsmouth; the second infant died soon after putting to sea.
The Weymouth left Portsmouth on 7 January 1820, reaching Table Bay on 26 April. Four more children of the party died during the voyage: two children of Philip Hobbs (one an infant born at sea), a son of Philip Pinnock and a daughter of Robert Rogers. A daughter of James Usher, christened Eliza Weymouth, was born at sea on 10 March. The Weymouth reached Algoa Bay on 15 May and the party was located on an arm of the Lynedoch River, naming its location Bethany".
Bold links are to Geni profiles; other links are to other biographical notes
William Banks 23. Basket maker.
Wife - Sarah 22.
Children
William Bartlett 22. Gardener. (Later married Selina Hayward of this Party).
James Hayward 39. Labourer.
Wife - Tabitha Pristow 37.
Children
- Samuel Hayward 17. (Later married Sarah Viney of this Party.)
- John Hayward 13. (Later married Rebecca Hinton of this Party.)
- Elizabeth Hayward11,
- Selina Hayward 9. (Later married William Bartlett of this Party)
- William Hayward 4,
- Eliza Hayward 2. (Later married James Randall of this Party.)
Richard Hinton 39. Blacksmith.
Wife - Sarah Viney 36.
Children
- Rebecca Hinton 10. (Later married (1) John Hayward of this Party, and then (2) Joseph Mildenhall of Thornhill's Party.)
- George Hinton 7,
- Leonard Hinton 4,
- Jane Hinton.
Phillip Hobbs 26. Gardener.
Wife - Francis Charity 25. (Phillip later married Jane Mary Ann Randall of this Party.)
Children
- Daniel Hobbs 3
- Sarah Hobbs 1 (died at sea)
- another child (born and died at sea).
Samuel Taylor James 31. Carpenter.
Wife - Elizabeth James 33 (died at Portsmouth).
Children
- Edward James 8. (Later married Sarah Randall of this Party.)
- Elizabeth James 5. (Later married William Andrew Dold of Willson's Party.)
- Stephen James 2,
- Thomas James (died at Portsmouth),
- Samuel William James (died at sea).
Thomas Lanham 30. Tiler and plasterer.
Wife - Elizabeth Whitmarsh 27.
Child
- Mary Ann Lanham 1. (Later married Charles Fuller of Dixon's Party.)
Philip Pinnock 32, Farmer.
Wife - Betsey Pinnock 26.
Children :
- Harriet Pinnock 3,
- Joseph Pinnock 1 (died at sea).
James Randall 44. Labourer.
Wife - Rebecca Watts 33.
Children
- Mary Randall 14. (Later married Richard Forrester of Liversage's Party.)
- Jane Mary Randall 9. (Later married Philip Hobbs of this Party.)
- Elizabeth Randall 7. (Later married John Buckley of George Smith's Party.)
- James Randall 3. (Later married Elizabeth Hayward of this Party.)
- Sarah Randall 1. (Later married Edward James of this Party.)
Robert Rogers 25. Carpenter.
Wife - Sarah Newman 26.
Children
- Rebecca Rogers 4,
- Emma Rogers 1 (died at sea).
James Usher 36. Bricklayer and carpenter.
Wife - Sarah Holloway 36.
Children
- Elizabeth Usher 16,
- Joseph Thomas Usher 14,
- Ann Usher 11,
- Sophia Usher 9, Married William Pike from Calton's Party
- John Usher 7, Married Louisa Dugmore of Gardner's Party
- James Usher 5, Married Elizabeth Filmer of Gush's Division - Sephton's Party
- Frances "Fanny" Usher 2. (Later married Joseph Cawood of Hayhurst's Party.)
- Eliza Weymouth Usher (born at sea). (Later married Edward Hunt Dell of Thornhill's Party)
Thomas Warren 44, Cordwainer and gardener, late seaman.
Wife - Mary Warren 42.
Child :
- James Warren 14. (Later married Elizabeth Baker of Bradshaw's Party.)
Return of settlers under the direction of Samuel James (Cape Archives CO 6138/1,101); Muster-roll and Log of HMSS Weymouth (Public Record Office, London).
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