Emigration from Britain to Natal

Emigrants on the Lady Bruce 1850 (Illustrated London News)

The pamphlet describing Byrne's Natal emigration scheme outlined details for would-be settlers:

'Each adult will be provided with an intermediate passage, including provisions on a liberal dietary scale, for the sum of 19 pounds, or a steerage passage for 10 pounds, and on arrival in Natal have secured to him twenty acres of freehold land.' 

Passage monies had to be paid in advance and a passenger should take with him knife, fork, tablespoon, teaspoon, metal plate, a hook-pot, a mug and bedding. The scale of provisions for each class of passenger was stated.

Among Byrne's 20 ships, 15 sailed from London, three from Liverpool and two from Glasgow. All were sailing vessels, mostly barques or brigs of low tonnage. The smallest were the Wanderer (the first to arrive at Natal, on 12 May 1849) and the Sandwich (carrying only 12 passengers and arriving 27 July 1850; these vessels were 173 and 180 tons respectively. The largest were the Minerva, a former East Indiaman, at 987 tons, and the Unicorn, 946 tons.

They carried on average 150 settlers with their baggage, agricultural implements and other possessions. Some of the ships had schoolmasters and clergymen on board and under the Passenger Acts of 1849 each ship was obliged to carry a doctor. A number of children, elderly people and the sickly died on the long voyages of three or four months' duration, but most passengers arrived in good health and spirits. Despite Atlantic gales and baffling winds all the ships save two arrived safely at Port Natal, anchored outside the harvour in the roadstead, and disembarked their passengers in boats. The two exceptions were the Minerva and the British Tar, both hit by sudden storms and wrecked shortly after arrival - the immigrants survived.

This was the beginning rather than the end of the settlers' vicissitudes. Their story is eloquently told in A F Hattlersley's numerous works on the topic, and passenger lists as well as details of each voyage can be found in J Clark's volume Natal Settler Agent: The Career of John Moreland, Agent for the Byrne emigration scheme of 1849-51.

The mammoth project undertaken by Dr. Shelagh Spencer, British Settlers in Natal: a Biographical Register 1824-1857, needs no introduction. Seven volumes arranged alphabetically by surname have been published, with more in the pipeline. 

W J Irons's Christian Emigration and Colonization Scheme piggy-backed on the Byrne scheme, about 400 Wesleyan Methodists being shipped on some of Byrne's vessels and settling at Verulam on the Natal North Coast. Similarly, Byrne's ship the Lady Bruce carried a group of settlers from the Duke of Buccleuch's estate in Hampshire. 

Original passenger lists for Byrne arrivals are held at Pietermaritzburg Archives Repository.

Other private schemes were a spin-off from Byrne's enterprise: among them were those of John Lidgett and Richard Hackett, bringing Wesleyans in the ships Hebrides, Herald, John Bright, Choice and Nile. The Haidee also brought Wesleyans, from Yorkshire, through the efforts of Henry Boast. Other immigrants arrived on the Ballangeich and Justina, arranged by George Murdoch and Richard Pelly. In 1856 Alexander McCorkindale's group of approximately 80 immigrants came out on the Portia.

These settler parties were all of much smaller size than Byrne's, but together helped to build up Natal's colonial population.

Verulam Settlers to Natal, Mission Station and Sugar Estates

More on the Verulam Wesleyan baptismal register (see two earlier posts on this blog):

The original baptismal register of Verulam’s Wesleyan Methodist Church (covering the years 1859-1872) is a rare survival, a treasure discovered during a family reunion in the area and subsequently added to The Campbell Collections, Durban. This is a fitting repository for the register, including as it does many entries for the inter-related CAMPBELL and BLAMEY families.

The late Dr Killie Campbell, daughter of Marshall Campbell and Ellen, nee Blamey, was born 9 September 1881 and was christened Margaret Roach Campbell (Roach was Ellen’s mother’s maiden name). Killie, however, jettisoned her given names in favour of the nickname by which she was always – and always will be - known. Note mention of the Roach family name in the register entry for the baptism of Edith Gertrude Blamey, 18 Feb 1872, daughter of James Roach Blamey and his wife Ocea Isabel, of Mt. Prospect.

Practically a roll of settlers to the Verulam area (as well as CAMPBELL and BLAMEY, the register has entries for POVALL, POLKINGHORNE, GARLAND, HULETT, GEE, STARR, RATHBONE and many other famous names) the register also mentions well-known sugar estates and place-names.

For more on these plantations and the people who owned/managed them see Valiant Harvest by Robert F Osborn.

A feature of the register is the inclusion of baptisms of  the Verulam Mission Station African children and adults: records of such baptisms are like the proverbial hen’s teeth.

Why were there Wesleyans at Verulam specifically?

William J Irons, founder and organizer of  the Christian Emigration & Colonisation Society under the auspices of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, as well as the patronage (for a short while) of the Earl of Verulam, sent out  the first three parties of Wesleyan emigrants to Natal by the ships King William, Sovereign and Edward, in 1850. This was under arrangement with J C Byrne, who was running his own emigration scheme at the time. The Wesleyans were settled at Verulam, on the previous Natal Cotton Company lands. Many are the stories of the delays and disappointments they encountered as their new lives began.

Verulam was the first township or village to be established outside Durban. The Wesleyan Chapel was for seven years the only church where people of the area could attend services. A Day School was established in 1852 with T J Champion as master.

The Wesleyan Chapel was opened at Verulam in 1851 and managed to survive the floods of April 1856 when the Umhloti River rose 30 feet. The Wesleyan Day School, damaged by the floodwaters, had to be closed for three years.

Further reading:  Natal Settler-Agent by Dr John Clark (Balkema Cape Town 1972)

http://molegenealogy.blogspot.com/search?q=byrne+emigration for more on Byrne's emigration scheme as well as that of W J Irons.

Page from the Verulam Wesleyan baptismal Register, March 1867:
zoom in for a closer look

19th c immigration to South Africa: a chronology

1795-1803 First British Occupation of the Cape

1814 Cape formally ceded to Britain

1817 Benjamin Moodie’s private scheme: 200 Artisans from Scotland to the Cape

1818 Henry Nourse’s private scheme brought his employees from Ireland to the Cape

1820 Government scheme brought 4 000 British Settlers to Albany, Cape; now known as The 1820 Settlers

1823 John Ingram’s scheme: contract labourers from Ireland to the Cape in the Barossa

1830s and 1840s Small parties brought by agents such as JS Christopher from Britain to the Cape.

1844 Government sponsored immigration: children and single Irish women from Britain to the Cape

1848 Jonas Bergtheil’s private scheme to bring German settlers to Natal: known as the Bergtheil Settlers or the Cotton Germans

1849 Emigration Philanthropic Society of England sponsored 20 women from British workhouses to the Cape.

1849 William Garrod and Dr Charles Johnston brought out British emigrants on the John Gibson to settle on Natal north coast at Tongaat

1849-1851 Natal Emigration and Colonization Company i.e. the Byrne scheme, brought 2 200 British Settlers; now known as the Byrne Settlers

1849-1851 W J Iron’s Christian Emigration & Colonization Society brought out 400 Wesleyan Methodists from Britain to settle at Verulam, Natal. Irons’s scheme piggy-backed on Byrne’s scheme, the Wesleyans making the voyage in Byrne’s ships.

1849-51 Immigrants from the Duke of Buccleuch’s estate in Hampshire travelled to Natal on Byrne’s ship the Lady Bruce; another piggy-back scheme.

1856 Alexander McCorkindale brought 80 British immigrants to Natal

1856 German settlers to Kaffraria, Cape

1857 Irish women immigrants and some artisan families on the Lady Kennaway to Kaffraria

1857-62 Assisted immigration provided by Natal Government: 1 342 British immigrants in 5 years

1858 New Gelderland settlers brought from Holland to Natal by T C Colenbrander

1857-67 Government aided immigration: the largest Cape scheme, 12 000 Settlers from Britain (including 74 immigrants from Germany)

1880 Willowfountain (Wilgefontein) settlers from Britain to Natal

1882 Norwegian immigrants to Natal: now known as the Marburg settlers

Note: use the search facility on this blog to find further detail and useful links relating to the above phases of immigration to South Africa in the 19th c.

The Last of England

by Ford Madox Brown

Ford Madox Brown's famous painting The Last of England encapsulates in a romantic, personal and unparalleled way, the story of emigration from Britain. The artist shows the moment of departure, with the white cliffs of Dover receding ever further in the background, and in the foreground a young couple huddled close together in the prow of the boat taking them away from everything they knew as home, towards the sailing ship which will transport them across the ocean into an uncertain future in a strange land. Beneath the woman's cloak, a small child is almost hidden from view and the parents' faces show their sadness and courage while they resolutely face their destiny, never looking back.  It's said that Brown intended to depict two friends who were leaving for Australia, but his picture transcends such details and gives us the archetypal 19th century British emigrant family.

Settler Chronology at a Glance

1795 -1803  First British Occupation of the Cape

1814  Cape formally ceded to Britain

Note that settlers from Britain included England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

The list below does not include all settlers who arrived in South Africa.
Some emigrants arrived in smaller groups, which may not have been as well documented as the larger groups. Individual ancestors who emigrated without government aid are less easy to trace. Military Arrivals - some soldiers elected to remain in South Africa.

*An emigrant exits a country and becomes an immigrant on arrival at destination.  

DATE	DETAILS	COUNTRY OF ORIGIN	PROV-INCE
1817	Private Scheme  200 Artisans of various trades  brought out by Benjamin Moodie	Scotland	Cape
1818	Private Scheme  Employees of Henry Nourse	Ireland	Cape
1820	Government scheme  Approx. 4,000 Settlers to Albany (Zuurveld)  Known as the 1820 Settlers	Britain	Cape
1823	Contract labourers  brought out by John Ingram  travelled in the 'Barossa'	Ireland	Cape
1830s 1840s	Small parties brought out by  agents such as JS Christopher	Britain	Cape
1844	Government sponsored immigration Groups of Children Single Irish women	Britain	Cape
1848	Private scheme  Arranged by Jonas Bergtheil  Known as the Bergtheil Settlers	Germany	Natal
1849	Emigration Philanthropic Society of England Sponsored 20 Women from the Workhouse	Britain	Cape
1849	William Garrod and Dr Charles Johnston brought out small party of emigrants on the 'John Gibson' to Tongaat, North coast of Natal	Britain	Natal
1849-51	Natal Emigration and Colonization Company Sponsored 2,200 Settlers Known as the Byrne Settlers	Britain	Natal
1849-51	400 Wesleyan Methodists brought out by WJ Iron's Christian Emigration & Colonization Society to settle at Verulam [Piggy-backed on Byrne's scheme]	Britain	Natal
1849-51	Immigrants from the Duke of Buccleuch's estate in Hampshire  travelled on Byrne's ship the 'Lady Bruce' [Piggy-backed on Byrne's scheme]	Britain	Natal
1850s	Wesleyans brought out by  John Lidgett,  Richard Hackett,  Henry Boast ('Haidee'),  George Murdoch, Richard Pelly	Britain	Natal
1851	Association of Female Emigration  Sponsored 46 Women	Ireland	Cape
1856	80 immigrants brought out by  Alexander McCorkindale	Britain	Natal
1856	Settlers to Kaffraria	Germany	Cape
1857	Association of Female Emigration  Sponsored 157 Women  travelled on the 'Lady Kennaway'  Settlers to Kaffraria	Ireland	Cape
1858	TC Colenbrander's  Settlers to New Gelderland	Netherlands	Natal
1857-62	Government subsidies offered  1,342 Settlers in 5 years	Britain	Natal
1857-67	Government aided immigration  largest scheme  12,000 Settlers (74 from Germany)	Britain  Germany	Cape
1860	First Indentured Indian immigrants  brought as sugar plantation labour	India	Natal
1880	40 families for agricultural settlement  Selected by JE Methley  Known as the Willowfountain Settlers	Britain	Natal
1882	Assisted immigration  initially offered to 50 families  Known as the Marburg Settlers	Norway	Natal

Under sail to Natal

Sailing directions written circa 1838 for wary mariners visiting Natal included the following:

"...with a NE wind you will soon run down to it (the Bay of Natal). It is easily known from the northward and you can see the entrance better than from the southward. Should the wind be from the southwest you should only run to 30° Lat. if the breeze is very strong ...but do not keep too close on shore, as the wind dies away suddenly and the strong current which inclines towards the shore may endanger the ship and lives. If intending to enter the harbour, go in with your boat first and sound for the deepest water on the bar... The course once in mid-channel is SSW and you will see a huge remarkable tree upon a hill ahead (the Bluff) going in, and keep this well on the starboard side ... A ship will not take any hurt ... for it is as smooth as London docks (but a vessel) ought to be coppered as the water fouls the wood very soon with barnacles and the worms are very bad also."

Some eight years after these warnings were issued, the brig Sarah Bell sailed into the record books by carrying the first direct mail from England to Natal, departing on 9 November 1845 and arriving off Port Natal on 18 February 1846, not putting in at the Cape to replenish her water supply.

The American missionary Josiah TYLER writing in 1849, describes the journey from the Cape to Natal in the schooner Gem:

"A more untidy and uncomfortable craft I never saw. The voyage up the coast was long and stormy, the captain a drunkard and incapable half of the time ... The Gem thumped several times on the bar, and was for a short time in danger of stranding, but no harm befell us, and in an hour we cast anchor in the most beautifully sheltered, landlocked harbour on the south-eastern coast of Africa."

The 1840s saw a wave of emigration from Europe to other parts of the world, and Natal offered a hopeful prospect. Inspired by publications advertising this "salubrious and fertile" colony, settlers flocked join the emigration schemes of Joseph Byrne and others, and soon the ships carrying them were arriving at the port. Byrne's scheme was outlined in promising terms in his pamphlet:

"Each adult will be provided with an intermediate passage, including provisions on a liberal dietary scale, for the sum of £19, or a steerage passage for £10; and on arrival in Natal have secured to him twenty acres of freehold land." Passage monies had to be paid in advance, and a passenger had to take with him knife, fork, table-spoon, teaspoon, metal plate, a hook-pot, a mug and bedding. The scale of provisions for each class of passenger was stated.

Byrne sent out 20 ships, 15 sailing from London, three from Liverpool and two from Glasgow. All were sailing ships, mostly small barques or brigs and of small tonnage. The smallest were the Wanderer (the first to arrive at Natal, on 12 May 1849) and the Sandwich (carrying only 12 passengers and arriving 27 July 1850); these vessels were 173 and 180 tons respectively. The largest were the former East Indiaman, the Minerva, 987 tons, and the Unicorn, 946 tons. They carried on average about 150 settlers with their baggage and agricultural implements. Some of the ships had schoolmasters and clergymen on board and under the Passenger Acts of 1849 each ship was obliged to carry a doctor. A number of children, elderly people and the sickly died on the long voyages of three or four months, but most passengers arrived in good health and spirits. Despite Atlantic gales and baffling winds all the ships save two arrived safely at Port Natal, anchored in the roadstead and disembarked their passengers in small boats which had to cross the dangerous sandbar at the entrance. The two exceptions were the Minerva and the British Tar, both hit by sudden storms and wrecked.

Sir John Robinson, who arrived as a settler in 1850, wrote:

"So in dozens, in scores and in hundreds, they took their passages and packed up their traps, and set sail in one or the other of Byrne's ships, to begin from the moment of their setting foot on board a piteous and inexorable process of disenchantment."

These voyages were far from luxury cruises. The ships were undermanned, passengers swept the decks and worked the pumps (and cooked their own meals in the galley). When the Henry Tanner, a leaky barque of 388 tons which had originally been a whaler, left Gravesend for Natal on 24 June 1849, the crew numbered only 11 men - there were about 160 passengers. She reached Natal on 10 October. Not all the vessels took as long. The voyage of the Lady Bruce (538 tons) in 1850 took 70 days, that of the Conquering Hero in the same year about 90 days, and the Minerva only 67 days. The fate of the Minerva is well-known: wrecked at the foot of the Bluff, her cargo and the passengers' belongings were lost. Among the survivors were George Russell (author of "History of Old Durban") and his family: young George, perhaps enthralled by the idea of travelling on a frigate with gun ports and quarter galleries, had persuaded his parents to postpone their earlier sailing on another vessel. Wreckage from the Minerva was still strewn on the beach when the Unicorn (946 tons) anchored at Natal on 19 September 1850 after a comparatively pleasant voyage, successfully landing 257 passengers by surf-boats. The Sarah Bell, mentioned above, brought off the Unicorn's cargo. In the following year, Unicorn herself was lost while carrying Irish settlers to Canada.

The captain of a settler ship was responsible for delivering his passengers safe and sound, and some immigrant parties thought captains unworthy of the post, lacking ability to command and of dubious moral character. Others thought their captains admirable. Captain ROBBINS of the Wilhelmina, not one of Byrne's ships, was greatly respected, especially by the young men on board. William LISTER, writing of this voyage, said: "He was only some seven or eight years senior to the fellows in the cabin... Near the latitude of the Cape we had for two or three days a north-west gale ... Robbins decided to scud before it under close topsails and jib. The little brig rode well over the mountainous waves and she was very carefully steered for had a wave come over the poop it would have swept the decks clean. But the finest specimen of our captain's seamanship was off the South African coast. A white squall from a cloudless sky, providentially off the land, came suddenly down upon us with studding sails set. Of course, all hands were on deck immediately. Robbins himself took the wheel and gave his orders sharp and clear, had studding sails and booms hauled on board and in due rotation royal top gallant, topsail, foresail, ditto on the mainmast spanker, jib, and flying jib were all stored and handled without the loss of a spar or a bit of canvas." The Wilhelmina crossed the bar at Port Natal under full sail on 7 January 1851.

Crossing the Line was celebrated on every voyage in the Atlantic, and Thomas MACKILLICAN, travelling to Port Natal on the Cataraqui in 1861, wrote:

"We had a very good jollification last night on the occasion. There were two of the sailors never crossed the Line before and also four to five apprentices... The excitement among passengers and crew (was) considerable... About six o'clock they turned out and got King Neptune aboard ... He was joined by so many constables, and the barber with his shearing box - they then paraded the decks. The police got hold of the two sailors that were to be shaved ... seated the first of them on a stool and I am bound to say I shouldn't like to get the shave he got ... then threw two or three buckets of water over him ... Some of them went to excess with the water by throwing buckets of it among the passengers as well as the sailors ... We had then a fine lot of comic songs given in full character by passengers and crew."

William WATSON's version of a similar event in the 1850s, interspersed by less gleeful accounts of his seasickness, reads:

"...we had such a spree all the sailors that had not crossed the line was shaved with cold tar and grease for the lather and for razor three pieces of iron hoop about a foot long with teeth like a saw and then after shaving a great sheet of water on deck and over head they go and gives them a good ducking and then after that they have plenty of drink and singing and dancing and playing every night..." Perhaps it was as well that William couldn't foresee the future: he was on the Minerva.

Leaving England was the start of the great adventure, but there were inherent irritations, as Thomas Mackillican records: "We were at the ship at 7 a.m. but she did not leave her berth in the dock yet, and judging from the way she is jammed up by other ships, it will take three or four hours to get her out... Passengers still coming on board ... We have carpenters, smiths, painters, etc. working hard to get quit of them and get to sea. Everything is in great confusion."

The Cataraqui, 522 tons, was not a Byrne vessel, but carried a group of farm-labourers and skilled artisans, as a result of an arrangement through Byrne's agent, Moreland.

By the time the Cataraqui reached Natal in November 1861 the numbers of settlers arriving each year had dwindled considerably. Joseph Byrne's scheme had ended in financial ruin. Though other companies were formed, none compared with Byrne's in the size of the immigrant groups which came out on his ships.

The arrival in August 1852 of the Sir Robert Peel, a steamship of about 250 tons (bringing with her reports of the discovery of gold in Australia), had heralded a new era but paintings and later photographs show that sail and steam co-existed for many years at the Bay of Natal.

Wreck of the Minerva at Port Natal 1850 by J F Ingram

Final word on female emigrants

The time and stamina taken up by childbearing, pregnancy and childbirth wasn’t much discussed by colonial women in their letters – even to their nearest and dearest ‘back home’. Victorian attitudes to such subjects precluded frankness. Ellen McLeod writing from the Byrne Valley in 1851 to her sister in England writes: ‘I am vexed to say I have but a poor account to give of myself. I am going to benefit the Colony, though not myself, by increasing the number of inhabitants …’

The risks involved in childbearing could be intensified for women living far from medical assistance. During the 1880s, Charlotte Dixon Smith ran a hotel at Umzinto in Alexandra County, Natal, combining inn-keeping with her midwifery skills. While still able to travel on the rough roads, expectant mothers would be brought in by wagon from outlying farms to stay at the hotel. Their babies would be delivered at Umzinto and they would make the return journey home when recovered.

Emigrant women in South Africa operated mostly within the confines of the home, but they made a large contribution to the colony. The settler wife was the rock upon which each family was founded. Under trying circumstances, she maintained civilized standards as far as possible. Her vital role, to bear and nurture the children of the Empire, as well as sustaining and comforting her husband, allowed him the freedom to achieve in areas of life from which, by unwritten social laws, she was excluded. Behind every successful colonial male – farmer, merchant, politician or entrepreneur – was a woman.

Though there was an influx of female emigrants to South Africa in the years following the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, it would take a World War to shake the rigid social structure which was the legacy of the Victorians, and to change women’s expectations forever.


Further Reading:

Dear Louisa: History of a Pioneer Family in Natal 1850-1888 by Dr R E Gordon (T W Griggs & Co, 1970)

A Merchant Family in early Natal: diaries and letters of Joseph and Marianne Churchill 1850-1880, edited by Daphne Child (A A Balkema, 1979)

Colenso Letters from Natal ed by Wyn Rees (Shuter and Shooter, 1958) The letters of Frances Colenso, wife of Bishop John Colenso, written 1865-1893.

Life in Natal a Hundred Years Ago By a Lady (Struik, 1972) [Possibly written by Sir John Robinson)

Natal Memories by Barbara Buchanan (Shuter and Shooter, 1941)

British Settlers in Natal 1824-1857 by S Spencer (UNP) Currently in 7 volumes.

Natal Settler Agent: The Career of John Moreland, Agent for the Byrne emigration scheme of 1849-1851 by J Clark (A A Balkema, 1972)

The British Settlement of Natal: a study in imperial migration by A F Hattersley (Cambridge University Press 1965) [Also many other works by this author.]

A history of education for European girls in Natal 1837 – 1902 by Sylvia Vietzen (UNP 1973)


Aided immigration from Britain to South Africa 1857-1867 by Esme Bull (HSRC Pretoria, 1991)



www.londonmet.ac.uk/thewomenslibrary  Extensive resource for women’s history, its catalogue contains records of female emigration societies including records of the South African Colonisation Society (1901-1922)

Did your ancestor emigrate to Natal?

In Natal, organized immigration from overseas began at the end of the 1840s. While the 1820 Settlers were coping with the change in their circumstances on the Cape frontier, Natal, on the south-eastern coast of South Africa, was in its infancy as a settler destination. A small settlement of hunters and traders had been founded there in 1824, mainly to establish trade with the Zulu.

It wasn’t until 1828 that an overland route was opened up to Natal,and another twenty years would pass before Natal acquired colonial status. Meanwhile, dissatisfaction with the Cape’s British government – especially regarding the abolition of slavery – led to an exodus of the Dutch community from that Colony: we know it now as the Great Trek of the mid-1830s. Some trekkers crossed the Drakensberg and established themselves in Natal, declaring their own Republic of Natalia in 1838. Conflict with the British at Port Natal followed in 1842, the Dutch moved on and Natal was annexed by Britain.

The white population of Natal had diminished after the trekkers’ departure, and immigration was the obvious solution. This coincided with a dramatic economic downturn in Britain – the ‘hungry forties’. Going to a new colony offered at least the hope of survival and perhaps even an opportunity to prosper.

As a result of the marketing efforts of Irish entrepreneur, Joseph Byrne, approximately 2200 British settlers headed for Natal between 1849 and 1851. Though Byrne’s Natal Emigration and Colonization Company ended in his own financial ruin, the concept provided an impetus for further private schemes to bring settlers to Natal.

Fortunately for family historians with Natal settler ancestry, this era is well-documented: more about sources in future posts.

See: Emigration from Britain to Natal updated at molegenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/03/emigration-from-britain-to-natal.html

Passenger list Natal: Conquering Hero 1850 a Byrne Settler ship

Natal Witness 5 July 1850

The Conquering Hero, 320 tons, Captain Cockburn, sailed from Glasgow and carried mostly Scottish settlers, arriving at Natal after a 90 day voyage, on 28 June 1850. Her passengers, like those of the Henrietta, were eye-witnesses of the Minerva disaster which could have done nothing for their confidence, especially as the Conquering Hero temporarily lost her moorings during a north-easterly. This bad start was compounded by the failure of Moreland, Byrne's Emigration Agent, to show them personally their allotments at Richmond, as planned.

William CAMPBELL was a passenger by this ship, also the JOYNER family, the SPEIRS family, John and William PEDDIE, William MCKENZIE, later the first schoolmaster at Richmond.

PASSENGERS AND EMIGRANTS 
Per ship Conquering Hero, from Glasgow the 25th March; arrived at Port Natal 28th June, after a favourable passage:

William Joyner 
Mundo M Joyner 

Natal Witness 5 July 1850

Amelia Joyner 
James Joyner 
Ann Joyner 
Jessie Joyner 
John Craig 
William Craig 
John Simpson 
John Dallas 
Robert Spiers (or Speirs) 
Jane Spiers 
Agnes Spiers 
Charles Spiers 
Robert Spiers 
Alexander Spiers 
James Mason 
William Robertson 
Mrs Robertson 
James Lindsay 
Catherine Lindsay 
Roderick McLeod 
Henry Newlands 
William Newlands 
Hugh Livingstone 
Mary Ann Campbell 
William Arbuckle 
Margaret Arbuckle 
Janet Arbuckle 
William Arbuckle 
Helen O Arbuckle 
Mary Stewart 
Charles Fraser 
Henry Johnstone 
James Christie 
Neil McWilliam 
Ann McGown Sharp 
John Kilgour 
Grenville Pierce 
JR Gildart 
H Fulton 
James Cormie 
Jean Cormie 
Robert Cormie 
Peter Cormie 
John McPherson 
Robert McPherson 
PH McPherson 
Alexander McPherson 
John F McPherson 
C and William Peddie 
Thomas McWilliam 
Mary McWilliam 
Christian McWilliam 
Hugh Woods 
Archibald Russell 
Robert Aitken 
M Bates or Aitkew 
Andrew Aitkew 
John Aitkew 
James Aitkew 
George Aitkew 
Samuel Strapp 
A Russell or Strapp 
Wm Strapp 
Ann Strapp 
Mary Ann Strapp 
William Campbell 
Jessie Campbell 
Marshall Campbell 
Gavin Pettigrew 
John Killock 
Roderick Campbell 
Alexander McNab 
William Anderson 
William Dow 
Margaret Dow 
Jane Blair, or Dow 
Helen Dow 
Andrew Stevens 
Thomas McWilliams 
J Simpson 
James Mcland 
Margaret McDonald 
Margaret Young 
James Mitchell 
Mary Miller 
Walter Archibald 
Agnes H Archibald 
John Coats 
Thomas McDonald 
Sarah McDonald 
R McDonald 
W McKenzie 
Jane McKenzie 
Elizabeth McKenzie 
Robert McKenzie 
Kid Millory 
P McLachlan 
H Caldwell 
Isabella Caldwell 
Marion Caldwell 
Mary Caldwell 
Jessie Caldwell 
Henry Caldwell 
John Luke Thompson 
Alexander Pattison 
A McArthur 
A and J McLean 
James Willan 
Thomas Beveridge 
RM Gibson 
Agnes Campbell

1850s

Passengers to Natal: 1850s

A reminder of other ships arriving at Natal during the 1850s: the John Line, John Bright and Jane Morice. These vessels were not part of the Byrne emigration scheme.

See passenger lists at

molegenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/03/passengers-to-natal-per-john-line-may.html

molegenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/11/passenger-lists-natal-john-bright-1851.html

molegenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/11/passenger-lists-natal-jane-morice-1851.html

Natal Witness 11 July 1851

Organized emigration schemes and early arrivals

Organized schemes of emigration from the British Isles to South Africa would include the 1820 Settlers to the Cape; the Byrne settlers and other minor groups to Natal and the government-aided immigration which brought approximately 12000 British settlers to the Cape between 1857 -1867. The good news is that all of these schemes are well-chronicled.

Although emigration from Britain reached its peak in the 19th c, there had been some arrivals during the First British Occupation of the Cape (1795-1803) – troops to defend the frontier and government officials to do the paper-work, as well as missionaries endeavouring to save the souls of the indigenous population. The military and the missionaries were not immigrants and many had only a brief sojourn in South Africa.

The temporary military regime of the First British Occupation gave way to the short-lived Batavian Republic in 1803, followed in 1806 by the Second British Occupation. This time the British were there to stay and in 1814 the Cape was formally ceded to Britain. In 1820 about a thousand families were sent out to settle, precariously, on the eastern frontier of the Colony.

For ancestors who were among the British at the Cape from 1806-1844, the ‘Permissions to Remain’ or ‘Permissions to Leave’ provide an alternative to immigration records. Any individual wishing to stay in the Cape Colony had to obtain permission to do so. Usually, two other solid citizens would be named as securities, and the Governor would issue a permit to remain if the applicant undertook to behave in an orderly manner. Similarly, if an individual wished to leave the Colony, application had to be made, and permission would not be granted unless all debts and taxes owing had been paid by the applicant.

The registers of these permits are held at Cape Archives Repository as part of the Colonial Secretary’s records (CO). While not all-inclusive, the names supplied amount to a roll of British inhabitants: indications are given as to place of origin, occupation, and date of arrival in or departure from the Colony.

British Residents at the Cape 1795-1819 by Peter Philip gives details of 4 800 persons referred to in the Permissions as well as other Cape sources such as directories and newspapers. Included is a list of British regiments serving at the Cape from 1795-1819 and British ships of war at the Cape during the same period, with names of their commanders.

Usage of the term ‘English’ could also refer to people of Scottish, Welsh or Irish origin. Many Irishmen served in the British Army in South Africa, some choosing to remain permanently after taking their discharge.

Other data held at the Cape Town Archives Repository for the period of the First British Occupation include Ship Arrivals 1795-1800, Reports on Strangers, and Letters of Permission 1795-1801 (BO).

Rev Aldin Grout and family in Natal mid 19th c.

Charlotte Grout wasn’t the only correspondent in the family: despite his busy schedule, Aldin Grout also managed to write home occasionally – even to the Baileys, his parents’ in-law.

In a letter from Umvoti, July 1850, to Mrs James Bailey, Rev Grout gives a clear picture of the isolation endured by the American missionaries on their rural stations:

Having written thus far, I went to Mr. L. Grant’s station to attend a meeting of the contiguous missionaries to see if we might not form ourselves into a sort of association for mutual improvement but as it happened instead of six or seven members present as we had hoped, we had but three. The distance is such that starting at about nine in the morning, I arrived only at about four in the afternoon riding on horseback, and this perhaps my nearest missionary neighbor, though two others, Mr. Tyler and Abraham will be about the same distance from me.

Agricultural skills or a knowledge of crafts such as building and carpentry were often of more value in the mission field than an academic education. Aldin Grout, like most missionaries, was able to undertake a variety of practical tasks. In 1848 he describes his building operations at Umvoti:

If my house when done is not as well finished as a workman would do it yet I swear that every part of it shall be strong, durable, and comfortable. The walls are of brick made of ant hill dried in the sun. My boys [i.e. Africans living at the mission] have made them all. I have an L to the house, but that was built first by itself. Then a little more than half of the main house was commenced, joining upon the kitchen. The walls of that part are now up, the roof timbers on ... Thus far have I progressed my work. When the totality is done, then comes plastering and laying floors. That done I design to move into that part and put up the other part. I submit to this slow and tedious way of building for two reasons. 1st I cannot hire workmen to build me a comfortable house for the amount allowed me for that purpose and 2nd I am in the mean time going on with my missionary work …

Parental anxieties were compounded by the family’s isolated situation:

Our children have both colds & coughs. Humphrey was so poorly last Sabbath that Charlotte stopped at home with him all day and in the afternoon I stopped with her giving him medicine and witnessing its duration. We were quite alarmed about him, but as no doctor was nearer than forty-five miles it was of no use to think of calling one, and our only alternative was to do our best and commend our case to the great [God?]. We now think them both better and hope in a few days to see them about again.

As the year 1850 approached, Natal became the focus of British emigration schemes, notably that of Joseph Byrne: 20 ships carrying about 2 700 settlers arrived at the port between May 1849 and April 1850. Other smaller private schemes followed in their wake. No doubt missionary families like the Grouts read in the local press about these interesting developments, and pondered over the inevitable changes such an influx of emigrants would bring to Natal.

South African Ancestry Research Q and A 2

Q  What’s the difference between a death certificate and a death notice?

A  The SA death certificate is a civil document usually completed by a doctor. The death notice is a legal document usually, though not invariably, completed by the next-of-kin; it forms part of the deceased estate.

More informative than the death certificate, ideally the death notice should supply the full name of the deceased, birthplace, parents’ names, deceased’s age at death, occupation, place of residence, marital status, place of last marriage, names of surviving and pre-deceased spouses, deceased’s date and place of death and names of children. Assets in the estate are indicated and whether they exceed a certain value; it’s also mentioned if the deceased left a will. The document is signed by the informant, stating if they were present at the death. Note that the accuracy of the information given in a death notice is in direct proportion to the knowledge of the informant. Sometimes parents’ names are not given and reference to birthplace may be vague e.g. England, rather than a town or county. In most cases, though, the death notice will be a rewarding source.

The only fact stated in a death certificate which doesn’t appear in a death notice is the cause of death.

Q  What about census records?

A  This resource, a favourite of those researching UK ancestors, is not an option in SA, where census records are destroyed after statistics are taken. The UK census can be useful in conjunction with SA sources: pinpointing the year an ancestor was last recorded as residing in UK could help establish an approximate time-frame for his emigration.

Emigrants on board the Lady Bruce 1850 voyaging to Natal
under the Byrne Scheme

SA passenger lists: the Bottom Line

If you're looking for an ancestor's arrival by ship in South Africa, this is the Bottom Line:

If your ancestor was part of organised emigration schemes such as the Byrne Settlers to Natal, there is a good chance that his arrival is well-documented.

If he was a Lone Ranger, travelling on his own or with wife and family, having paid for the passage out and under no obligation to settle in any particular location, it is more difficult to identify him on passenger lists - the original registers are not complete, press columns may not give initials, neither do they generally give children's names. See the example left.

In many instances, first class or 'cabin' passengers only are named, while hundreds of steerage passengers may be ignored. Rank and file of the military are not individually named.


The British BT passenger lists begin at 1890 which cuts out several decades of arrivals in South Africa. So while the online facility provided by findmypast etc is useful for finding ancestors destined for SA, this only applies after 1890. Earlier records were destroyed by the Board of Trade.

No cohesive effort has been made to index all passenger arrivals in South Africa. It is perhaps an impossible task to contemplate. EGGSA provides a welcome selection of arrivals at www.eggsa.org/arrivals/eGGSA%20Passenger%20Project.html but it is only the tip of the iceberg. Mole's Blog gives some Natal passenger lists. Local newspapers do have shipping columns but these are randomly offered and time-consuming to find.

Conclusion, it may not be the best place to start looking for an ancestor. Instead, try searching NAAIRS for a deceased estate which would contain the Death Notice.

Natal Witness Deaths 1880

NATAL WITNESS - DEATHS 1880
Information given in following order:
Name, Gender, Age, Date of Event, Date of Advert, Details (usefully including some causes of death)

Adam, Brooke W m 32, 11-April-1880, 20-May-1880
at Glanivy, Cardigan, South Wales, BW Adam Esq. of Downside, PMBurg

Adcock, Joseph (senior) m 64, 28-Aug-1880, 11-Sept-1880
at the residence of his son at Wakkerstroom, suddenly by apoplexy

Allerston, Harriet  f  41, 13-Nov-1880, 16-Nov-1880
at Berg Street PMBurg, the beloved wife of  Francis Allerston

Armitage, Sarah Ann  f  36y 11mnth, 3-Jan-1880
at Rose Cottage, Townlands PMBurg the wife of W Armitage of Nunburnholme

Arthur, Maria  f  23, 26-Mar-1880, 1-April-1880
at PMBurg on Good Friday, after a brief illness the beloved wife of Arthur John Arthur

Bales, Charles George m 40, 23-Dec-1879, 27-Jan-1880
at Ipswich, England. Late of Durban, Natal

Barker, Edward Chase m 24, 21-Nov-1880, 21-Dec-1880
Eldest son of  Mr Barker J.P. Kokstad, East Griqualand, was killed by the Basutos
near the Orange River whilst in charge of an advanced guard

Berning, Lucy Johanna  f  30 yrs  9mnths, 19-Sept-1880, 30-Sept-1880
at Dr Dalzells Umsinga, daughter of the late Rev JL Dohne
and beloved wife of John Berning of Newcastle

Birbeck  f  1 day, 4-June-1880, 8-June-1880
at Kokstad, Griqualand East, the infant child of Lieut and Mrs Birbeck

Birch, Edmund Mee m 48yrs 6 mnths, 29-July-1880, 7-Aug-1880
at his residence, 8 Berg Street, PMBurg

Blenkin, John m no age given, 26-Nov-1880, 30-Nov-1880
at "Hamilton" Slangspruit near PMBurg Natal, formerly of Gilling East, Yorkshire England

Boast, David m 52, 24-June-1880, 29-June-1880
at Dalton, Noodsberg

Brooks, Milly f  76, 26-Oct-1880, 28-Oct-1880
at the residence of her daughter Mrs Henry Handley Erichstein, Umvoti County,
relict of the late Benjamin Brooks

Buck, Charles Samuel m 57, 24-April-1880, 6-May-1880
at Harrismith, Orange  Free State (formerly of PMBurg) Natal

Cameron  f  18 days, 8-Oct-1880, 9-Oct-1880
at the Mission House, Verulam the infant daughter of Henry and Ellen Cameron

Cameron  f  no age given, 24-Oct-1880, 4-Nov-1880
at Rosebank, Cape Town the widow of the late James Cameron,
Chairman and superintendent, Wesleyan Missions, Natal

Campbell, AAH m 33, 3-April-1880, 15-April-1880
at Estcourt after a short illness, Superintendent  CC Department, Weenen County

Chadwick, Mrs Ann  f  82, no date given, 29-July-1880
at the residence of her son A S Chadwick Esq. 36 Longmarket Street PMBurg

Clarke, John m 40, 8-Feb-1880, 21-Feb-1880
at his residence, Princess Street, PMBurg (builder)
Leaving a widow and 7 children to lament his loss

Colborne, Joseph Frederick m 29, 20-Oct-1880, 23-Oct-1880
at Congella Road, Durban, eldest son of Mr JS Colborne formerly of PMBurg Natal

Cope, Henry m 74, 19-Aug-1880, 21-Aug-1880
at his residence, Pine Terrace, Durban, Advocate and J.P.

Day, Maggie  f  25, 10-Nov-1880, 13-Nov-1880
at her residence, Longmarket Street in the City, of fever the beloved wife of Thomas Day

Dickson, Mary Ann  f  77, 23-April-1880, 1-May-1880
at PMBurg , beloved mother of G and M Bredenkamp

Downes, Harold m 2 mnths 5 days, 16-Aug-1880, 21-Aug-1880
at Harding the infant son of of Horace and Jane Downes

Duckham, Alfred m 8mnth 11 days, 24-April-1880, 27-April-1880
at Greytown, of inflammation, son of IW and Elizabeth Duckham

Duncam, Joseph m 70, 20-June-1880, 29-June-1880
at his residence Burger Street
In memorium see NW Thurs July 8th 1880, pge 3 Col. 2

Eicke, m still born, 10-Sept-1880, 16-Sept-1880
at Berg Street PMBurg the wife of A Eicke of a son

Evans  f  1 day, 7-Jan-1880, 13-Jan-1880,
The infant child of D and S Evans

Fannin, Meredyth Llewellyn m infant, 24-Feb-1880, 28-Feb-1880
at "Kilgobbin" Upper Umgeni infant son of Meredyth and Mary Fannin

Filter, H - Rev. m 47, 23-Dec-1879
at Luneberg, Pongola - Pastor of Luneberg,
deeply lamented by his family and whole parish

Finnis, William m 59, 12-Feb-1880, 19-Feb-1880 at PMBurg

Fitzsimons, Charles Hamilton m 41, 26-Nov-1880, 27-Nov-1880
at his residence Longmarket Street suddenly of Bronchitis,
eldest son of John Fitzsimons of PMBurg

Ford, Edward m 74, no date given, 4-May-1880
at the residence of his son, Mr Edward Ford. Formerly of Emsworth, Hampshire

Fraser, Osborn McKenzie m 16mnth 20days, 1-May-1880, 8-May-1880
at PMBurg infant son of HK Fraser

Gade, H m 61, 28-Aril-1880, 18-May-1880
at the residence of his son, Jacobsdal, Transvaal

Gainsford, Harriet Rachel  f  16 mnths  24 dys, 30-Nov-1880, 4-Dec-1880
At PMBurg, youngest daughter of Jane and Edward Gainsford

Grant, Ethel Winifred  f  no age given, 1-Nov-1880,4-Nov-1880
at PMBurg, infant daughter of Ben and Lilia Grant

Gray, William m no age given, 25-Sept-1880, 11-Nov-1880
at Ellerclose, Grasmere, of Grays Court, York, England

Hall, Eliza Annie Georgina  f  1 yr  6 mnths, 16-Sept-1880, 18-Sept-1880
At PMBurg second daughter of A and EA Hall

Handley, Henry m 51, 26-Mar-1880, 1-April-1880
at the residence of his brother "Hallcar" Greytown, of Erichstein, Umvoti

Harper, Herbert Edward m 6yr,1mn 16 days 26-Feb-1880, 2-Mar-1880
At Commercial Road, PMBurg, the beloved son of Robert and Annie Harper
After 13 months of painful suffering

Harvey, Emma  f  36, 7-Mar-1880, 17-April-1880
at Leicester, England wife of Mr Henry Harvey
and youngest daughter of Mr Henry Tarboton, Byrne

Hathorn, Winifred Marianne Howard  f  3yrs  9 mnths, 23-Sept-1880, 5-Oct-1880
at the residence of her grandfather Durban,
beloved child of Fergus and Mary Hathorn

Heeley, Frederic m 40, 12-April-1880, 17-April-1880
at his residence in Pietermaritz Street PMBurg

Hellet, William Peter m 55 yrs  4 mnths, 25-July-1880, 5-Aug-1880
at his residence, Greytown

Hester, Maria  f  no age given, 26-Jan-1880, 29-Jan-1880,
Beloved wife of Mr W Hester

Irvine, John William Ransom m 8 months, 25-Nov-1880, 27-Nov-1880
at 24 Loop Street, beloved son of JR and Emma Irvine

Kewish Lenora  f  26, 24-Nov-1880, 27-Nov-1880
at the residence of Mr VJ Gordon, Chapel Street (late of Ramsay, Isle of Mann)

Keytel, Ruby Catherine  f  11 mnth  4 dys, 19-Sept-1880, 21-Sept-1880,
The beloved infant of JF Keytel

Knox, Frances Theodosia  f  11, 12-Jan-1880, 20-Jan-1880
at Riet Vley, adopted daughter of Mr and Mrs P Otto (junior) of Upper Saxony

Leary,  f  54, 17-Sept-1880, 30-Sept-1880,
The beloved wife of Dennis Leary of Yarl, Newcastle, Natal.
Formerly of East London, Cape Province

Mac Arthur, Donald m no age given, 19-Feb-1880, 24-Feb-1880
at Colenso, Natal from Dropsy, of Glenara, Argyleshire, Scotland

Mare, Frederick m 14mnth 22dys, 24-Jan-1880, 31-Jan-1880
at Utrecht, Transvaal, son of PG and EP Mare

Marshall, Ernest Edward m 14 yrs  11 mnth, 17-Feb-1880, 2-Mar-1880
at  Kilvin Grove, Dundee eldest son of John and Elizabeth Marshall

Marshall, Katherine Bonner  f  13 yrs  8 mnths, 16-Feb-1880, 2-Mar-1880
At Kilvin Grove, Dundee eldest daughter of John and Elizabeth Marshall

Marshall, William Arthur m 10 yrs  6 mnths, 13-Feb-1880, 2-Mar-1880
at Kilvin Grove, Dundee, younger son of John and Elizabeth Marshall

May, Florence  f  22, 5-July-1880, 10-July-1880
at Knollebank, the residence of her father, wife of JP May of Howick

McAlister  f  29, 25-Dec-1880, 30-Dec-1880
at Chapel Sreet, PMBurg the wife of Mr JS McAlister

McLaurin, John m 81, 20-May-1880, 25-May-1880
at Glenaray, Verulam, late County court Judge, of Argyllshire, Scotland
Friends at a distance will please accept this intimation

Menter, Henrietta Elizabeth  f  no age given, 21-Oct-1880, 18-Nov-1880
at Boscobello, Division Newcastle, beloved wife of TW Menter,
leaving a sorowful husband and 7 children to mourn her loss

Mitchell, Mary  f  no age given, 1-Oct-1880, 7-Oct-1880
at her resience Park View, PMBurg, Mary Mitchell,
widow of the late Robert Anderson (Special Government Surveyor)

Moore, Rose Ellen  f  20yrs 7 mnths, 27-April-1880, 1-May-1880
at Rose Bank, near Richmond the beloved wife of William Hamilton Moore

Naude, Petrus Johannes m 63yrs10 mnths, 9-Aug-1880, 26-Aug-1880
on his farm Hattings Kraal near Winberg, elder of the Dutch Reformed Church

Naude, Susanna Lakock  f  45, 19-Aug-1880, 26-Aug-1880
The Wife of Petrus Johannes, leaving together 16 children
They both died in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ PMBurg.
August 25th 1880 Signed GJ Naude

Nel Maria Johana/nee Roux  f  67, 8-Nov-1880, 18-Nov-1880
at Onrust near Greytown, beloved wife of Theunis Jacobus Nel (senior)

Newmarch, William m 86, 15-July-1880, 2-Sept-1880
at Hurworth, Darlington, England

Newton, Alfred m 32, no date given, 13-July-1880
at the Government  Magazine, Durban

Oakes, Robert H m no age given, 26-Feb-1880, 9-Mar-1880
at Ladysmith, Natal, son of the late Rev Aston Oakes
of the Square, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England

Oates,  f  65, 7-Oct-1880, 23-Oct-1880
at her daughter's residence, Heilbron OFS, widow of the late WE Oates

Otto, JCR  m 71, 15-Aug-1880, 24-Aug-1880
at Balmoral, Rietvlei, late of Bellevue near PMBurg

Paget, Edward Pierce m 33, 3-June-1880, 5-June-1880
at his residence Pietermariz Street, PMBurg,
third son of the late Thomas Paget of Forton, near Lancaster, England

Pate, Clarissa Elsie  f  15 mnth 16 days, 20-Sept-1880, 23-Sept-1880
at her parent's residence, PMBurg
second beloved daughter and youngest child of Frederick and Annie Pate

Payne, Thomas Ashbourn m 14 months, 28-June-1880, 1-July-1880
at Kimberley Diamond Fields, the son of Thomas A Payne (junior)

Pechey, Joseph Middleton m 33, 29-Jan-1880, 31-Jan-1880
Eldest son of the late Rev. Joseph Pechey of Thetford, Norfolk, England

Pratt, Maude Harwood  f  5 months, 7-May-1880, 15-May-1880
at Burger Street PMBurg, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs MH Pratt

Risley, Annie Josephine  f  18yrs 21 days, 8-July-1880, 10-July-1880
at Ivy Cottage PMBurg, the beloved daughter of Mr and Mrs Jno Risley

Ritchie  f  no age given, 20-Oct-1880, 23-Oct-1880
at Burger Street, PMBurg the beloved wife of D Ritchie

Rolls, Jesse Goldsmith m no age given, 2-Dec-1879, 13-Jan-1880
at Clapton Place, Lower Clapton, London.
Late emigration agent for Natal

Ross, George m 58, 29-Sept-1880, 2-Oct-1880
at Riversdale, near Howick

Schweizer, Emil Alfred m 13 months, 9-Dec-1880, 14-Dec-1880
at Chapel Sreet, PMBurg the only beloved son of Auguste and Elise Schweizer

Scoble, Mary Ann  f  56, 15-Aug-1880, 21-Aug-1880
at Newcastle at the residence of her daughter Mrs Bradstreet,
beloved wife of John Scoble Esq,. Middleberg Transvaal

Sibthorp  f  still born, 10-Nov-1880, 13-Nov-1880
at PMBurg, the wife of Mr J Sibthorp of a daughter (stillborn)

Smith, Dupre Alexander m 31, 4-April-1880, 10-April-1880
at Grey's Hospital of acute dysentry

Smith, Henry Joseph m 18yrs 20 days, 20-April-1880, 22-April-1880
at Pietermaritz Street PMBurg,
the beloved son of John and Mary Smith of Foxhill

Stacey, Frederick George m 30, 20-Dec-1880, 23-Dec-1880
at Longmarket Street, PMBurg after a short but painful illness

Stead, Johanna Catharina  f  31yrs  21 days, 4-Aug-1880, 12-Aug-1880
at Harrismith, OFS, the beloved wife of Charles Edward Stead
and eldest daughter of Mr GHL Rosa

Still, Mabel Mary  f  hours, 16-Oct-1880, 21-Oct-1880
at PMBurg daughter of WF Still, Coalfields, Dundee

Taylor, SA  f  no age given, 20-May-1880, 10-June-1880
at Onderbrook Spruit, Klip River District, near Ladysmith, South Africa
the beloved wife of Theo Taylor of Karkloof and the Onderbrook Spruit Hotels

Thompson, Susan  f  80, 3-Jan-1880, 17-Jan-1880
at Harrismith

Tottenham, Alfred Oliver m 35, 31-Oct-1880, 23-Dec-1880
at Tarbet, New Scotland, Transvaal

Trump, Mary Ann  f  60, 21-April-1880, 24-April-1880
at PMBurg

Turvin, Dorothea  f  7 months, 18-Dec-1880, 23-Dec-1880
at Lea Crofts, Curry's Post, daugher of CJ and CF Hankin Turvin

Vermaak, Johana Salmina  f  11yrs 2mnth 5dys, 20-Oct-1880 ,23-Oct-1880
at Noodsberg, caused throught the accident
from a cartwheel passing over her chest,
third daughter of Mr JS Vermaak

Vimbe, William Goven J m 8, 11-Mar-1880, 10-April-1880
at the Kwanguben Mission Station from fever

Vincent, William Cyrus m 27, 24-Sept-1880, 5-Oct-1880
at Camperdown, youngest son of Charles Vincent late of Pinetown

Walker, Bessie  f  24, 16-Mar-1880, 11-Mar-1880
at St. Fort, Conquered Territory OFS, the wife of WJ Walker
and daughter of JP Liddell Esq. of Bethal, Conquered Territory

Warner, Harry A m 24, 6-April-1880, 13-April-1880
at the residence of Mr R Smart, Church St PMBurg,
second son of Mr W Warner of the City

Warrington, Thomas m 69, 1-Mar-1880, 6-Mar-1880
at Church Street, PMBurg

Warwick, Pulleine D  f  19 months, 15-Aug-1880, 28-Aug-1880
at Burger Street PMBurg

Warwick, Walter W m 2mnths 5days, 25-Aug-1880, 28-Aug-1880,
the above address is not stated

Willment, John F m 49, 25-Oct-1880, 6-Nov-1880
at PMBurg

Wilson, Herbert m 17, 2-July-1880, 3-July-1880
Youngest son of Alfred and Eliza Wilson

Wiltshire, Florence Eleanor  f  no age given, 27-Jan-1880, 29-Jan-1880
at Loop Street PMBurg, daughter of Edward and Annie Wiltshire

Winkley, Percy Edmunds m 24 yrs  8 mnths 17-July,1880, 22-July-1880
at PMBurg, youngest son of the late William Winkley of Harrow On The Hill, England

Wroots, Thomas m no age given, 10-Mar-1880, 11-Mar-1880
at Boom Street, only son of RF Wroots, Messenger of the Native High Court