Graham Armstrong

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Graham married Sylvia Emily FitzHenry on 24 Jan 1923 in Fair View, Aberdeen, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Sylvia (daughter of Henry Levett FitzHenry and Mary Ann Kelbrick) was born on 1 Dec 1896 in Fair View, Aberdeen, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was christened on 30 Jan 1897 in Methodist Church, Aberdeen, Eastern Cape, South Africa; died on 3 Jul 1969; was buried in Victoria Park, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. James George Armstrong
2. Malcolm Armstrong
3. Cynthia Armstrong

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: 1870, Cradock, Eastern Cape, South Africa; an Auctioneer and Agent

George married Ellen Allison Thackwray est 1887. Ellen (daughter of Joseph Ebenezer Thackwray, 1820 Settler and Mary Weakley, 1820 Settler) was born on 30 Mar 1855 in Cradock, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was christened on 22 Apr 1855 in Cradock Church (Methodist), Cradock, Eastern Cape, South Africa; died on 25 Jun 1928 in Cradock, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: District Surgeon, Cradock

Robert married Jane Agnes Mary Taylor in 1840. Jane (daughter of John Taylor and Antonia Francina van Geyzel) died in 1850. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 766
• Occupation: a Storekeeper
• Settler: 13 Dec 1819, Gravesend, Kent, England

Notes:

Parish Records for the Union Chapel, Grahamstown Entry 063 Child: Joseph Ebenezer THACKWRAY Parents: Adult baptism aged 22 Born: Not recorded Baptized: 04 Apr 1834 Minister: Rev J Monro

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William Smith's party on the Northampton

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Joseph married Mary Weakley, 1820 Settler on 29 Jul 1834 in Grahamstown Church (St George's - Anglican), Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Mary (daughter of Joseph Weakley, 1820 Settler and Emma Kinton, 1820 Settler) was born on 5 Aug 1815 in Frome, Somerset, England; was christened on 21 Apr 1816 in Presbyterian Church, Bath St, Frome, Somerset, England; died on 21 Dec 1885 in Cradock, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was buried in Cradock, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 831
• Settler: 7 Jan 1820, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
• SCHL: School Attendance: 19 Mar 1828, Bathurst School, Bathurst, Eastern Cape, South Africa

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Settler:
Hyman's party on the Weymouth

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Married:
Description: Rev John Heavyside

Witnesses: Jo Thackwray, Ann Driver, Eliza Rayner

Notes:

"JOHN TAYLOR born 5th June 1778, in Scone in Scotland married ANTONIA FRANCINA VAN GEYZEL born 3rd August 1790, in Point de Galle, Ceylon. She was a governess and he was a missionary. He was ordained in London in 1816 and was a member of the London Missionary Society. He arrived in Cape Town in 1817 with John Moffat, James Kitchingman John Evans and other LMS missionaries. He had been sent by Lord Somerset to minister to Beaufort West where he established the first DR church. He was later sent to Cradock, where he ministered for over 40 years.

They had one(?) child JANE AGNES MARY TAYLOR who was born in Beaufort West.
The Cradock museum has a note that he had two sons aswell.

She married ROBERT McLACHLAN ARMSTRONG who was born 1815 in Paisley in Scotland .

(It is thought that he was the son of George Armstrong and Janet MacLachlan but cant confirm as I have no factual details of this at all - Judy Armstrong).

However it is known that Robert McLachlan Armstrong was a Naval surgeon and a doctor.

ROBERT visited Grahamstown, Blockdrift, Cradock and Graaf-Reinet in 1838 as a member of Governor Napier’s first visit to the Eastern Cape Colony. He met JANE (who was to be his future wife) at the Pastorie in Cradock, obtained an honourable discharge from the royal Navy and married Jane in Graaf-Reinet in 1840 and became Cradocks first Doctor.

John + Antonia Francina van Geyzel. Antonia was born on 3 Aug 1790 in Point de Galle, Ceylon. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 767
• Name: William Thackwray 1820
• Occupation: an Agricultural Implement Maker
• Settler: 13 Dec 1819, Gravesend, Kent, England

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William Smith's party on the Northampton

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William married Dorothy Pownall, 1820 Settler on 3 Jan 1802 in All Saints, Isleworth, Middlesex, England. Dorothy (daughter of James Pownall and Ellen Barnet) was born in 1773; was christened on 20 Dec 1773 in Church Hulme, Cheshire, England; died on 19 Jan 1850 in Cradock, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 211
• Name: Dorothy ?? 1820
• Settler: 13 Dec 1819, Gravesend, Kent, England

Notes:

Grahamstown Journal 1850, CO53/17, National Archives, London
Submitted by Sue Mackay, transcribed by Leanne Starkey

Saturday 16 February 1850

DIED, at the residence of her son in Cradock in the eightieth year of her age, Mrs. THACKWRAY, Sen., Widow of the late William THACKWRAY. Deceased was one of the original Settlers, and after sustaining with Christian fortitude and meekness the dispensations of the Divine Providence, departed this life on the 19th January 1850, in the full hope of a glorious resurrection at the "last great day".

Settler:
William Smith's party on the Northampton

Notes:

Married:
per London Metropolitan Archives:
William THACKWRAY married Dorothy POWNELL by banns on 3 January 1802 in All Saints, Isleworth Both signed Witnesses: Hannah HALL and Thos. HALL

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 830
• Name: Joseph Weakley 1820
• Occupation: a Gardener
• Settler: 7 Jan 1820, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Notes:

Marriages at St John the Baptist, Frome, 1813-1821, transcript by Yvonne Scrivener we have -

Item 160
Date 25 Oct 1814, by banns
Joseph WEAKLEY Batchelor of this parish
Emma KINTON Spinster of this parish
Witnesses John MISON Wm CHUBB
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STORY OF 1820 SETTLER'S FAMILY - TOLD BY LAST SURVIVOR

Mr. James WEAKLEY, uncle to the editor of this paper, died in England in February last, aged eighty years and three months. Before his death, at our request, he wrote a sketch of the early history of the family of which he was the last survivor (that is of that generation) and though it was never intended for publication we publish it hereunder. It contains a good deal that is of little interest to anyone but the clan itself, now pretty numerous in South Africa, but there are also references of general interest.
The "George" mentioned in the narrative was the father of the present editor of the Heidelberg News.

MR. JAMES WEAKLEY'S NARRATIVE

Father was born at Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, on June 27th 1790 and Mother at Farleigh, Wiltshire on November 5th 1791. I am told that variations of our family name, such as WAKELY, WHEATLY etc abound in the neighbourhood of Bradford-on-Avon - our correct name, however, is WEAKELY - as the birth certificate proves - but Father ran away from home during the French War and joined the Navy, and was prisoner in France for two years, and his name was entered as WEAKLEY. This spelling has been retained ever since, partly I expect as prize money was expected after the termination of the war.
Father and Mother (Joseph WEAKLEY and Emma KINTON) were married on November 3rd 1814 and lived subsequently at Frome, Somersetshire, where Father earned a livelihood as a weaver of West of England cloth. They afterwards, in 1820, went out to the Cape with the British Settlers, several children having previously been born. On landing at Algoa Bay the only shelter provided was tents, permanent buildings not having been erected there. From Algoa Bay they trekked to Bathurst, each settler in their party being allocated a certain extent of land in that neighbourhood. Father, however, soon commenced trading up country, using bullock wagons, and received cattle in exchange for the commodities he supplied. On his periodical returns to Bathurst, where Mother and the children remained, his drove of cattle were killed, the hides and tallow realizing far more than the live animals cost him. From Bathurst a move was made to Grahams Town, the farm house on West Hill being bought and converted into stores, so that they might almost be said to have been the first inhabitants of that flourishing city. A successful trade was carried on there, principally with the Dutch farmers (who came periodically to the Nachtmaal etc).
When Father and Mother first lived there, droves of elephants used to feed in what is now the centre of the town and lions etc had also their homes close at hand. Their family increased to a total of eleven, seven sons and four daughters, George being born when mother was about 49 years old - but two sons Benjamin and Joshua died in their teens. In 1845, the five elder children being married, Father and Mother and the four youngest bairns (Samuel, James, Emma and George) sailed for England in the "Owen Glendowe", a large sailing East India liner, and after a pleasant seven weeks voyage landed in London. The Great Metropolis looked so dirty to us youngsters, although it was then at its best being the month of May, that some of us cried to be taken back to the Cape. Those also were Joe's (Chamberlain) good old protection days and the poverty and misery of the working classes was heartrending. We resided first at Barking and afterwards at Woodford, both near London, till about 1848, when leaving Samuel to manage the shipping agency, the rest of us removed to the island of Jersey in search of a warmer climate, and from thence, in 1851, to Bordeaux in Southern France. George and I were sent as pupils to the Lycee of that city to pick up the French language, but unfortunately after a fifteen months stay, the climate not suiting Mother and Emma, we returned to London and from thence removed to Birmingham in 1853 to superintend the shipping of guns from that town.
Whilst residing there Father built a small chapel and school room underneath in Hope Street, entirely at his own expence, for the poor of the neighbourhood, which was afterwards vested in trustees of the Baptist denomination, the principal condition being that all seats should be free and the Ministers have no salary. I may add that this little chapel, of about 300 seatings, has flourished ever since and hundreds of similar ones should be erected all over the large towns of England, as our working classes will not attend the Grand Churches and chapels now existing. Father and Mother too had sweet voices and were fond of leading the singing at chapel. Father also played the violoncello and flute and he often sang favourite hymns and accompanied himself on his bass-viol as a hobby at home. In 1854 Father and Mother and the two youngest children returned to Grahams Town, leaving James in Birmingham and Samuel in London. After george and Emma were settled in the Colony the seniors made several voyages to and from the Old Country till on May 27th 1863 Father died at Grahams Town of apoplexy seized while having his morning's cold bath. Mother died there also after a long and useful life, beloved by all, on February 17th 1876, leaving very numerous descendants even reaching the third (or fourth) generation and counting over one hundred and twenty souls.
Father had an only sister and Mother an only brother in England, the latter died young and unmarried and if the former, who left one son and one daughter, has any grandchildren living they have quite vanished from our knowledge and probably emigrated to Canada or the United States as they were brought up on farms.
Although I have been away from South Africa nearly sixty years I still have a vivid recollection of its grand scenery and especially Grahams Town and neighbourhood. I can also remember being christened by the Rev. William SHAW in the Old Wesleyan Chapel Grahams Town when only six years old. Father and Mother took George for the same ceremony, being then a babe in arms, and occupied a front pew. Emma, aged three years, and I however sat at the back of the chapel, along with an elder sister, until Mr. SHAW
announced the christening as follows: "Those parents who have any children to be baptised will now bring them forward." Whereupon I took Emma's hand, no doubt having been thoroughly drilled previously, and led her up the aisle; and I can remember to this day how the people leant over the gallery grinning at us both, or rather I expect at such a young father having such a fine baby.
To show how cheap livestock was in the colony in 1845, let me tell you that 50 woolled sheep were offered on the Grahams Town market on the day of our departure by a farmer at 1s 9d each. Father offered eighteen pence which he accepted, and as my brother Joseph was standing by he said "Here Joe is a present for you", and we heard afterwards that the little flock did wonderfully well on Joseph's farm in the Somerset district.

The above is thought to have been written about 1905

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Hyman's party on the Weymouth

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Joseph married Emma Kinton, 1820 Settler on 25 Oct 1814 in Frome Church (St John the Baptist), Frome, Somerset, England. Emma was born on 5 Nov 1791 in Farleigh, Wiltshire, England; died on 17 Feb 1879 in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was buried in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• 1820 Lineage: Yes
• Settler ID: 395
• Name: Emma Kinton 1820
• Settler: 7 Jan 1820, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Notes:

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Hyman's party on the Weymouth

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