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1820 Settler Party : Wait



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Party  Wait 
Leader  William Wait 
Number in the Party  48 
Area Party originated from  London, England 
Area allocated to the party  Bushman's River 
1820 Settler Ship  Zoroaster,    
Surnames in party  August, Badger, Bagshaw, Barker, Barter, Bradford, Brown, Clark, Coffee, Cory, Cowan, Cranmer, Duff, Fenner, Finaughty, Fowler, Goldswain, Grimsdale, Herman, Keen, Kempster, Kirkpatrick, Lofts, Mayor, Moles, Moore, Mustoe, Nibbs, Prosser, Purcell, Rhodes, Sibley, Skinner, Smith, Stevens, Ulyate, Unknown, Wait, Walker, Webb, Wilkinson, Williamson
Other Information  William WAIT organised a party of 75 from London. It was divided before embarkation, portions being put into the charge of Arthur BARKER and Christopher THORNHILL. WAIT's portion sailed in "Zoroaster". In Simon's Bay they were transferred to "Albury". They were located at the source of the Ghio stream the location eventually being named Belton. The party dispersed early and the location was then held by William WAIT.
 
Settler Handbook Content:   No. 42 on the Colonial Department list, led by William Wait, a wine merchant of Walnut Tree House, Windmill Lane, Brentford, Middlesex (now part of Greater London). Wait obtained a letter of recommendation to the Governor of the Cape, Lord Charles Somerset, from the Duke of Beaufort, and the same illustrious patronage may have influenced the Colonial Department's acceptance of his application to emigrate.


This was initially a proprietary party of 50 labourers financed by a partnership of three principals: Wait, Arthur Barker and Christopher Thornhill (see Thornhill's Party). Labourers were recruited in Buckinghamshire, and signed a service agreement with Wait at a meeting at the Greyhound Inn, Marlow, attended by the officers of the parish. In terms of their agreement, the men were to serve Wait for six years for a daily wage equivalent to the value of half a bushel of wheat. Wait undertook to provide 'a suitable habitation' and half an acre of garden ground for each family in his service.


In December 1819 the Buckinghamshire settlers were assembled and marched with the baggage wagons to London under the supervision of Adam Gilfillan, a nephew of Thornhill's. Thirty-eight men were accommodated overnight at an inn at Hounslow, and the next evening boarded the Zoroaster transport, lying at Deptford. Wait made an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Barker's contingent of settlers from going on board with the rest of the party, on the grounds that he had not yet paid his share of the deposit money.


This was not the only financial problem with which Wait had to contend; on Christmas Eve the Colonial Department was informed that he had been arrested for debt on the application of a former business partner, and a writ had been issued to prevent his leaving the country. Thornhill was put in charge of the party in Wait's place, and duly received Barker's payment of deposit Money. Within a month, however, Wait had managed to satisfy his creditor, and prepared to resume the leadership of the party. Thornhill was unwilling to place himself and his share of the party's finances again under Wait's authority, an open quarrel developed and the Colonial Department was called upon to arbitrate. It was agreed that the party should separate into two independent units under Wait and Thornhill, and the settlers on board the Zoroaster were given the choice of which master they would serve. Deposits had been paid for 54 men altogether; Thornhill's party numbered 16 and Wait's 27, plus Barker's contingent of 11 which remained under Wait's leadership. Separate service agreements were drawn up and signed by Wait's and Thornhill's settlers.


The Zoroaster sailed from the Downs on 12 February 1820 with both parties on board, and reached Simon's Bay on 30 April. Here her charter terminated and her settlers were transshipped to the Albany for the voyage to Algoa Bay, where they arrived on 15 May. Arthur Barker at this stage applied to separate his party from Wait's, and with his steward Henry Ulyate (a former managing clerk in an attorney's office) and seven labourers he was located on the Kariega River. He named his location Waterford.


Wait's party was located at the source of the Ghio stream near the Bushman's River. The location was first named Raven Hill and later Belton. The local magistrate released Wait's servants from their engagement on grounds of ill-treatment in October 1820.


LIST OF WAIT'S DIVISION


BADGER, John 26. Sawyer.

BARTER (or BASTOW, 'alias Mundy'), James 22. Farmer.

BROWN, William 25. Farmer. w Mary 28.

CLARK, Charles 36. Carpenter. w Sarah 31. c Josiah 8, Frances 5, David 1.

CLARK, Samuel 22. Tailor. w Elizabeth 19. c John 1.

FENNER, David 24. Husbandman.

FOWLER, Thomas 24, Butcher.

GOLDSWAIN, Jeremiah 18. Sawyer.

GRIMSDALE, John 20. Husbandman. w Mary 20. c Maria.

HERMAN, James 25. Chairmaker and turner.

KEEN, Thomas 25. Husbandman. w Margaret 25. c Mary 6.

KEMPSTER, Thomas 40. Brickmaker.

KIRKPATRICK, William 23. Husbandman. w Martha 22. c Hannah 2.

LOFTS, Joseph 24. Husbandman.

MAYOR, John 25. Husbandman.

MUSTOE, William 20. Husbandman.

NIBBS, Francis 27. Husbandman. w Sarah 27. c Eleanor 6, James 4, Jeremiah 1.

NIBBS, Mary 21 (sister of Francis Nibbs).

PROSSER, Robert 28. Farmer.

RHODES, Robert 25. Chairmaker.

SMITH, James 23. Husbandman.

SMITH, Joseph 18. Farmer.

STEVENS, Joseph 22. Husbandman.

WAIT, William 50. Merchant. w Marianna 36.

WEBB, Robert 17. Husbandman.

WILKINSON, John 20. Husbandman.

WILKINSON, Stephen 28. Husbandman. w Cornelia 27. c Esther 6, Joseph.

WILKINSON, William 17. Shoemaker.


LIST OF BARKER'S DIVISION


BARKER, Arthur 37. Maltster. w Sarah 30. c Sarah 8, Elizabeth 6, Samuel 4, Ann 2, Richard 1.

BRADFORD, John 27. Husbandman.

CORY, William 20. Carpenter.

CRANMER, Robert 26. Bricklayer.

FINAUGHTY, Lucy 15, William 8 and John 7 (stepchildren of Henry Ulyate).

MOORE, Eleanor 19 (daughter of William Moore).

MOORE, William 44. Shoemaker. w Ann 48.

MOORE, William 25. Shoemaker. w Margaret 24.

PURSELL, Isaac 31. Husbandman. w Maria 32. c William 11, Ann 9, Elizabeth 7.

SMITH, William 27. Bricklayer. w Jane 27.

ULYATE, Henry 38. Lawyer's clerk. w Lucy 35. c Mary 6, Henry 4, Sarah 4, Jane 3, George (born at sea).


*BAGSHAW, Ann 34.


Main sources for party list


Agent of Transports' Return of settlers proceeding under the direction of Messrs Wait, Thornhill and Dyason (Cape Archives CO 6138/2,98); Memorandum of agreement made by Wait and members of his party (Cape Archives CO 6138/2,20).


James Barter (or Bastow) is described variously as James Mundy (or Monday) Barter and James Barter, alias Mundy. It seems probable that Mundy, however spelt, was his middle name.


Lucy, John and Henry Finaughty travelled under the name of their guardian Henry Ulyate.


*Ann Bagshaw, aged 34, is listed in the Agent's Return and appears to have been attached either to Wait's or Thornhill's party.


Further reading


The Chronicle of Jeremiah Goldswain, ed Una Long (Cape Town, van Riebeeck Society, 1946).


from THE SETTLER HANDBOOK by MD Nash page 132 


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