Vivian Rorke Forrester

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Notes:

He worked as a Farmer in 1909 in Manowater Farm, Thaba Nchu District.

Vivian married Daisy Beatrice Armstrong on 11 Aug 1908. Daisy (daughter of William Alexander Armstrong and Claudine Belfourd Breen) was born on 1 Oct 1890; died on 26 Oct 1918. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Leonard Malcolm Forrester was born on 20 Jul 1909 in Dewetsdorp, Free State, South Africa; was christened on 5 Sep 1909 in Ireland farm, Thaba 'Nchu district, Free State, South Africa; died on 14 Apr 1988 in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
2. Eileen Phyllis Forrester was born on 25 Dec 1910 in Thaba 'Nchu, Free State, South Africa; was christened on 12 Feb 1911 in Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Thaba 'Nchu, Free State, South Africa; died on 2 Sep 1987 in Tweespruit, Free State, South Africa.
3. Millicent Grace Forrester was born on 3 Jun 1912 in Basutoland; died on 10 Nov 1974.
4. Leonora Miriam Forrester was born on 29 Nov 1914 in Basutoland; died on 4 Apr 1990.
5. Gladys May Jessie Forrester was born on 7 Mar 1918 in Taung, North West, South Africa; died on 24 Aug 1988 in Tweespruit, Free State, South Africa; was buried in Tweespruit Cemetery, Tweespruit, Free State, South Africa.

Vivian married Violet May Armstrong on 14 Apr 1934 in Bergville, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Violet (daughter of William Alexander Armstrong and Claudine Belfourd Breen) was born on 25 Jan 1893 in Cathcart, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was christened on 6 Mar 1893 in St Alban's Church, Cathcart, Eastern Cape, South Africa; died on 6 Jul 1966. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Notes:

John and Miriam farmed 'Claremont' in the Cathcart District. This farm is one of the farms under the water of the dam, near Whittlesea, which supplies water to Queenstown. They later moved to the Orange Free State and settled in the Ladybrand district. Although John and Miriam had 11 children in total only 4 of them grew to adulthood.

John married Miriam Ann Eva on 15 Jan 1873 in Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Whittlesea, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Miriam (daughter of William Denham Eva and Martha Allwright) was born on 30 May 1851 in Whittlesea, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was christened on 28 Jul 1861 in Queenstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; died on 10 Dec 1934 in Ladybrand, Free State, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 258
• Name: John Forrester 1820
• Settler: 13 Jan 1820, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
• Occupation: 1841, 'Wilmotvale', Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; a Farmer
• Occupation: 1847, Kowie, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa; a Farmer
• Occupation: 1854, Benwell, Peddie District, Eastern Cape, South Africa; a Farmer

Notes:

Death Notes: On John's death notice his mother is listed as Sarah Burke but this could be an error as the official records list his mother as Mary PITT.
Burial Notes: John is buried here along with several other members of the family. This church is now in the Ciskei (1990), but the Border Historical Society have taken over the care.
Noted events in his life were:
Emigration: 1820, Somerset, England 1. John accompanied his parents on the ship the "John" when they came with the Settlers.
Place of Death: 1 April 1894, Glenfields, East London, Cape, South Africa 1. John died at the home of his son R.W. Forrester.
Occupation: 1843, Wolf's Crag Farm, Southwell District, Cape, South Africa 1. John was a farmer on adjacent portions of this farm.
Residence: 1843, Wolf's Crag Farm, Southwell District, Cape, South Africa 1. Researcher: 1847, Port Frances, Lower Albany, Cape, South Africa 1. Residence: 1850, Nurney, Cape, South Africa 1.
John married Elizabeth SANSOM 1, daughter of George SANSOM and Dorothy NK, on 22 December 1837 in St George's Church, Grahamstown, Cape, South Africa 1.
Noted events in their marriage were:
1. Minister: 22 December 1837, St George's Church, Grahamstown, Cape, South Africa 1. John and Elizabeth were married by the Reverend J. Heavyside, Colonial Chaplain.
Noted events in her life were:
Place of Death: 18 May 1897, Kingwilliamstown, Albany, Cape, South Africa 1. Elizabeth died at the home of her son-in-law E.B. Page (Pitt, Ray and Pat - PITT Family Tree.

)

Settler:
Liversage's party on the John

John married Elizabeth Sansom, 1820 Settler on 23 Dec 1837 in Grahamstown Church (St George's - Anglican), Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Elizabeth (daughter of George Sansom, 1820 Settler and Dorothy Floyd, 1820 Settler) was born on 11 May 1820 in at Sea on the ALBURY; was christened on 11 Jan 1821 in Salem, Eastern Cape, South Africa; died on 18 May 1897 in King William's Town, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 707
• Name: Elizabeth Sansom 1820
• Settler: 13 Feb 1820, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Notes:

Settler:
Calton's party on the Albury

Notes:

Married:
Description: Rev James Barrow

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Occupation: Baker and farmer

William married Martha Allwright on 4 Feb 1845 in Fort Beaufort, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Martha (daughter of Richard Walker Allwright and Mary May Brooks) was born on 7 Oct 1829 in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa; was christened on 15 Feb 1831; died on 10 Aug 1911 in Allanwater, Whittlesea, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was buried on 13 Aug 1911 in Whittlesea, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

11 children.
Martha was the only daughter of Richard Allwright and Mary May Broocke. The entry in the records of St George's Cathedral, Cape Town reads: 1831 Feb 15th - Martha, daughter of Richard and Mary, his wife, born 7 Octber 1829, privately baptised. The date 7th Octber 1829 could be a mistake as three birthday books belonging to members of the family record her birthdate as 7 September 1830.
D/N MOOC 6/9/674 2362 seems to confirm that her birth year is 1930. (DWA)

Notes:

Married:
Martha married William Denham EVA, son of James Jay EVA (1820 Settler) and Elizabeth DENHAM (1820 Settler), on 4 February 1845 in dwelling house of Mr Henry Windell, Fort Beaufort, South Africa
Witnesses to the marriage was Mr Henry Windell & Catherine Windell. It is also stated that her father was absent at her marriage

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 2094
• Name: Richard William Forrester
• Occupation: a Wheelwright
• Religion: the Protestant Church
• Settler: 13 Jan 1820, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
• Occupation: 1829, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; a Wheelwright

Notes:

1820 Settler, Liversage's party

MOOC 6/9/44 Ref 9280
Name of the Deceased: Richard Forrester
Place of Birth: Cheshire, England
Names of Parents of the Deceased: Father: Richard Forrester
Mother: Elizabeth NICKSON
Age of the Deceased: 62 years
Condition in Life: Farmer
Married
Name of wife not included
Date of Death: 15 September 1849
Place of Death: King William's Town
Names of Children of the Deceased and whether major or minor:
Sarah FORRESTER
John FORRESTER
Lydia FORRESTER
Richard Nickson FORRESTER Minor
Eliza Jane FORRESTER
Mary Ann FOSTER
Has the deceased left any property and of what kind: Immovable Two Farms 'New Essex' and 'Willmot Vale' and two businesses in Grahamstown and Beaufort West also a small farm 'Lemon Valley' near Bathurst
Signed by John Forrester, Son.

Sue Mackay in her reseach discovered that FindmyPast now has original images to parish registers for Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire. She states "However, I have found a possible marriage for Richard and his first wife Mary, but her surname doesn't agree with the surname on 1820settlers.com (PITT) or South African Settlers (SWAN). I am encouraged to think that the marriage I have found (to a Mary BIRKS, who was illiterate) might be the right one, as South African Settlers lists the mother of John FORRESTER, taken from a DN, as Sarah [sic] BURKE."


Grahamstown Journal : July-Sept 1847
Saturday September 18 1847
Died on Wednesday 16th instant at King William's Town, British Kaffraria, Mr. Richard FORRESTER, aged 60 years. Deceased was one of the British Settlers of 1820, since which period he has ever maintained the character of an honest man, a good neighbour and an affectionate husband and parent. As a Frontier farmer he has been a severe sufferer by the inroads of the Kaffirs.
After being twice driven from his home, his cattle carried off, fields trodden down and dwelling fired, he was compelled to seek subsistence by working his wagon, until he sunk far from his family, under the effects of exposure and those privations incident to the rough and harassing employment in which, at his advanced period of life, he found it necessary to engage.

He was a widower with 4 children. His first wife was Mary Pitt.
He came from Chester in Liversage's Party in the ship John. He was settled on
Wilmotvale on the Blaauwkrantz River with his first wife and three children,
John, Joseph and Sarah. Another daughter Lydia was born but Joseph seems to have died young.

See the Book "Richard Forrester, 1820 Settler and his descendants." by Verona Blake.

Settler:
Liversage's party on the John

Richard married Mary Pitt, 1820 Settler on 18 Jul 1809 in St Mary, Mucklestone, Staffordshire, England. Mary was born in 1790; died about 1823 in Albany District, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 639
• Name: Mary Berks
• Name: Mary Birks
• Name: Mary Pitt 1820
• Settler: 13 Jan 1820, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Notes:

Settler:
Liversage's party on the John

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 708
• Occupation: a Labourer
• Settler: 13 Feb 1820, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
• Occupation: 1829, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; a Labourer

Notes:

Settler:
Calton's party on the Albury

George married Dorothy Floyd, 1820 Settler about 1819. Dorothy was born in 1791; died in 1871. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 9
• Settler: 13 Feb 1820, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Notes:

Settler:
Calton's party on the Albury

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 2209
• Name: Richard Eva
• Occupation: Baker
• Settler: 7 Jan 1820, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Notes:

Settler:
Osler's Party on the Weymouth

James + Elizabeth Denham, 1820 Settler. Elizabeth was born in Cornwall, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 2208
• Settler: 7 Jan 1820, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Notes:

Settler:
Osler's Party on the Weymouth

Notes:

"Richard Walker was the sixth child and third son of Thomas Allwright and Martha Hobson.
It is generally claimed in the Allwright Family that the original immigrant, Richard Allwright arrived in Cape Town in the S S Nautilus in 1817. This is not true as the Nautilus first left Gravesend on 3rd December 1819 and the earliest mention of him in Official Records in South Africa is a letter, dated 9 Jan 1815, stating that he is fifteen years of age and asking for permission to do an apprenticeship with a Mr. Townsend as Gold and Silversmith in Cape Town. This letter also states that he was born in Westminster, London and his current address at the time was Plein Street No 16, Cape Town (Cape Town Archives CO 3901, no 48). How he came to South Africa is not known.

The next document states that he arrived in 1814 asking permission to stay in the Cape Colony as he has completed his apprenticeship with Mr. Townsend. This letter was signed by a 'W' Allwright though and dated 17 September 1822. We gather that he did receive his Colonial Passport which was granted by His Excellency Lord Charles Somerset. (Cape Town Archives CO 3923, NO 301) On the 30 September 1822 Richard wrote another letter to Lord Charles Henry Somerset asking permission to marry Mary May Broocke (spelling in document- could be correct or incorrect. We established that it is Brookes as their daughter, Martha was christened Angelina Brooks Eva). (Cape Town Archives CO 3923, no 355)

The next document shows that on 11 November 1822, he married Mary May Brooks, who arrived in Cape Town from England. The marriage was performed by the Rev. George Hough, the Colonial Chaplain in Cape Town (A 1939, 1/1/1/2) and witnessed by John and Sarah Windell. They even named their son, Richard Allwright Windell born 1816 and died 11 April 1842.
Richard was a small man +/- 5 feet 4 inches tall, of fair complexion with brown hair and light blue eyes. Strangely no description could be found of Mary May Brooks. She was said to be a Medical Doctor's daughter.
Richard was a Silversmith and Jeweller by trade as we know, but found this unprofitable in the Cape Town of those days with a total population of 15 000 people. He therefore turned to masonry and building to make a living.
Richard and Mary continued living in Cape Town until at least December 1837, when a son, James, was baptized. Sometime after that date, he and his family, except the eldest son, Thomas, gravitated towards Somerset East where they apparently settled down to building and farming. On the way to Somerset East Richard and his family apparently spent some time at George where he became acquainted with the writer, C. J. Langenhoven. This acquaintance appears to have inspired C. J. Langenhoven to write an amusing one-act play entitled "Die Kys about the Forro."
It is included in C. J. Langenhoven's "Ons We Deut Die Eire" and is written in phonetically -spelt Afrikaans- English. In English the title would have been "The Case about the Furrow". It concerns a complaint brought before a Meeting of a Town Council about "Aalryt" diverting water from the river by a furrow situated at a point in the river above that from which the Town Council's canal supplying the town with water, was drawn.
Richard died in the house of his son -in- law, William Denham Eva, atWhittlesea on the 20 December 1847 at the age of 49. (Cape Town Archives MOOC 6/9/48, no 325). His wife had died from a stroke in their home in Somerset East in about 1842. His body is said to have been buried with hers in the same grave. Her Death Notice has not been found.

Somerset East: The first settler in this area was a man called Willem Prinsloo. He settled under the Bosberg, very close to where the Museum is today. Prinsloo was the unofficial veld cornet of the district where at least 20 other families had settled in 1774. They send a famous petition to Cape Town asking for the establishment of a Drostdy and a church in the area. This is however Graaff- Reinett was established. At some stage Prinsloo gave up parts of his farm and a farmer called Otto moved into the corner now known as Bestershoek. The Trichardt family followed, as well as the Besters. Lord Charles Somerset, taking up the ideas promulgated by Cradock and Caledon that there should be a settlement on the Eastern Frontier, initiated a plan for an experimental farm in the area. American botanist, Dr. Mackrill, was given orders to find a suitable farm, and was told to look at three places, the Gamtoos Valley, the Swartkops Valley and Bosberg, which he naturally chose. The farm was established in 1815, for the purpose of improving stock breeding in the Cape Colony and providing produce for the soldiers at the Frontier. It was called "Somerset Farm". Ten years later, in 1825, the project was cancelled, a new Drostdy was declared, and the town of Somerset was established. The "East" was only added on 30 years later."
Descendants of Richard Walker ALLWRIGHT
Produced by: Darryl W. Allwright

Richard married Mary May Brooks on 11 Nov 1822 in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. Mary was born in 1800 in Yorkshire, England; died in 1842 in Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]