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- Jonathan Shelver, Wheelwright. b.21 April 1793, England, died at his home in Alice,Victoria (between Fort Thompson and Fort Hare) on 8 May 1863 aged 70 years. As a settler, he had been a member of the group under David Polley Francis that had embarked on the East Indian at the Thames River port of Deptford. For administration purposes, this group came under the overall leadership of William Parker. Following the misadventure of being located at Clanwilliam, those who chose to do so, were moved to the original intended destination of Albany.Of these settlers and as latecomers, only William Scanlan's party was to be settled on the defensive arc of settlement by being placed at the Kap River . The others, Capt. Butler, D.P. Francis and Joseph Latham were to be allocated land in the western rear of the settlement.
Francis maintained that the Boer transporting his party had erred in selecting the particular site where his party were placed. He made many representations about this to the authorities, to no avail. Francis then left his allotment and returned to England where he made representations to his Member of Parliament.
In the meantime, the Commission of Inquiry into the settlement had visted the allotment. Finding that virtually nothing had been done to improve the land, the verbal protest by Jonathan Shelver, as agent for D.P.Francis, was ignored notwithstanding that another settler, George Tilbrook, confirmed Shelver's declaration that Francis had not permanently abandoned the land allotment. The outcome was that Francis was to forfeit his land allotment. Jonathan Shelver, along with the remnants of this party, were obliged to hire themselves to labour on the nearby land allotments at Seven Fountains.
Jonathan Shelver married on 19 August 1833 to Robert Dickason's only daughter, Amelia, born in Newington, then in the county of Surrey, on 8 March 1805. Amelia together with her brothers, Frederick Alfred and Henry had accompanied their father, a widower, when he had embarked on the East Indian in Deptford.
Jonathan and Amelia were to have nine children, five daughters and four sons.
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