2. | George Futter, 1820 Settler was born in 1781 in Norfolk, England; died on 25 Dec 1865 in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Other Events and Attributes:
- 1820 Lineage: Yes
- Settler ID: 453
- Name: George Futter
- Name: George Futter 1820
- Occupation: Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; a Shoemaker
- Settler: 3 Dec 1819, Gravesend, Kent, England
- Occupation: Between 1823 and 1826, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; a Shoemaker
Notes:
George FUTTER, 1820 Settler.
Contributed by Vernon Whittal
From the Book - "The Futter Family Tree by H.R. Gane.
George FUTTER was born in Norfolk in 1781 and was a shoemaker by trade. He decided to join the emigration scheme with his family comprising of his wife Sarah n?e EDWARDS, and their four children: George James 9 years, John 7 years, Sarah Jane 5 years, and Elizabeth aged 2 years.
Their names were entered on the Party list of 21 October 1819 under the leadership of John BAILIE.
This was the biggest party of the 1820 Settlers group to leave England and comprised 256 souls. The transport ship, 'The Chapman', the first to leave, eventually departed from Gravesend on the 3rd December, 1819 and after a long and gruelling voyage, arrived in Table Bay on the 17th March, 1820, the Settlers were shocked to learn that they could not disembark and their ship, and their sister ship, 'The Nautilus', were placed in quarantine; due to the presence of whooping cough on board. (This had claimed the lives of six children during the voyage.)
They eventually sailed again on the 26 March, 1820 for Algoa Bay, where they arrived on the 10th April, 1820 - five months almost to the day after their departure from England. The Cape government had established a post at Fort Frederick (Algoa Bay) and as there were no jetties, members of the British Regiments stationed there, waded into the surf and carried the Settlers pick-a-back on to dry land. The Government had set up a large number of tents on the shore to accommodate the Settlers, while they were waiting to be transported to their new homes.
The Boers, with their teams of oxen, wagons and Hottentot servants, were commandeered for this mission and as soon as Bailie's Party, which alone required 96 wagons, had been issued with provisions for the journey overland, one by one the wagons trekked north.
Bailie's Party's allocation of land was at the Great Fish River, the settlement of which became Cuyler Town (after Colonel Jacob CUYLER) later to become known as Cuylerville. There was a lot of dissatisfaction amongst the settlers - a vast majority of whom were quite unsuited to the business of farming the land. As a result, many of them chose to forfeit the right to claims of land in Albany and moved to other established towns to practice their trades.
George FUTTER was one of these and he was actually encouraged by the authorities to move to Grahamstown to follow his trade under the patronage of the military. Captain Henry SOMERSET arranged for him to work as shoemaker to a company of the Cape Corps and in his capacity as Acting Deputy Landrost, he also gave George FUTTER permission to build a house between Grahamstown and the Fort England Barracks.
George FUTTER was subsequently granted a morgen and a half of ground where he had built and cultivated - which he had petitioned for in 1822. This was considered to be an exceptional circumstance, as few grants of free land were made to settlers who had left their locations.
George FUTTER and his wife had five more children after their arrival in South Africa - namely William, b. 1820); Susannah, b. 1822, Benjamin (of whom there is no other record other than his name is noted on George's death certificate); Thomas, b. 1826 and Mary Ann, b. 1831.
Records in the Kowie Museum, Port Alfred, list some interesting snippets of information about George, namely:
26 Jun 1821 - One morgen granted freehold
05 Jan 1823 - Shoemaker at Grahamstown
18 Feb 1824 - An erf at Grahamstown acceded to
06 Jul 1825 - George FUTTER asked for permission for relations to join him
1828 - bought "Clough's" comer building in Grahamstown with 2 adjacent cottages for 75 pounds.
George FUTTER died aged 84 years on Christmas Day, 1865 at his son John's house in Beaufort Street, Grahamstown. His wife Sarah had predeceased him on the 15th May 1849, aged 63 years and was buried on the 16th May 1849 at Grahamstown by the Rev. George THOMPSON. George's death notice lists his assets as consisting of sundry plots of land near Grahamstown valued at 150 pounds.
The FUTTER sons had big families but William had the largest numbering 19.
Today you will find FUTTERs all over South Africa in all walks of life and professions.
Comments by Vernon Whittal
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Settler:
Bailie's party on the Chapman
George married Sarah Edwards, 1820 Settler on 14 Apr 1806 in St Paul's, Hammersmith, London, England. Sarah was born in 1781 in Norfolk England; died on 15 May 1849 in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was buried on 16 May 1849 in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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