Notes |
- OCCUPATION: Sawyer
SHIP: Zoroaster left Downs on 12 Feb 1820, reached Simon's Bay on 30 April. Her charter terminated here and was completed by Albury, which arrived Algoa Bay on 15 May 1820.
LEADER: William Wait, wine merchant from Middlesex.
LOCATION: Source of the Ghio stream, near Bushman's River. First named Raven Hill and later Belton.
THE CHRONICLE OF JEREMIAH GOLDSWAIN:
(Jeremiah is on board the Zoroaster and has resisted attempts by his parents to get him to abandon his resolve to go to the Cape of Good Hope, he gets very ill..)
He writes:
"We were froze in for about three weeks: our vessel was lying some distance from the dockyard, but inside of a large hulk, and the Belle Alliance laid outside of her. The name of our vessel was the Zoroaster and she was not able to get out into the stream so soon as many other ships.
Before we left Deptford, one morning we saw a little coal smack that was going down the river without ballast with a slight tide, but against the wind, and as she was on one of her tacks she went clean over on her side: she was so near the opposite side of the river so that we could just see the least bit of her side. There were only three men on board of her. Two were on deck and one below. The two men that was on deck could swim and they soon swam toward the boat that went to their assistance and the poor fellow that was between decks we saw creeping up on to her side. As soon as the tide was down they got her righted and the first tide took her off.
As soon as it was possible they cut us out and we dropped down to Blackwall. We had no sooner dropped the anchor when a merchant vessel coming down with a strong tide and a stiff breeze she ran right across the stern of the Zoroaster and took away the Captain’s gig but did not do any damage to the vessel more than to the gig, which was soon recovered without much damage.
The following morning I joined a party to go over to see the gibbets. Quite unthinking, I put on a damp shirt: the next day I found that I had caught cold, and while we lay at Gravesend I was making some lobster sauce and was taken so ill that my messmates were forced to put me into the berth. I laid there several days before I would allow anyone to inform the Doctor. When he came he found me in a most dangerous state. He bled me and took from my arm eighteen ounces of blood and then had me removed into the sick bay. At this time I began to feel the want of my poor mother. I had no-one to take care of me but one of my mess-mates, James Barter, who was very kind to me, but it was not my mother: no man can nurse a sick person as a woman can.
When we were at Deptford we all supplied ourselves with a store of crockery and placed it on the shelves over our berth. Just as we got to the downs, about the middle of the night, the wind rose, the vessel rolled, the crockery flew off of the shelves; not one article was left. The captain had ordered all the settlers to fill all their vessels with fresh water: they obeyed and filled all their tubs and at the same time the decks were quite deluged with water and such a lamentation the next morning for all their water was gone and Captain Brown had promised them that they should not have a drop of fresh water for three days.
I could recollect nothing more until we came within two days of the Canary Islands. We anchored at Madeira for two or three days. I was taken on deck to see the place. Some of the men went ashore and brought me a little soft bread, but it was so black and sour that I could not eat it. I was so ill that I was but once on deck until we were within three weeks of Simon’s Bay. Just before this the Doctor came into the sickbay and then went back to Mr Wait’s cabin and informed my master and mistress that they must make up their minds to part with me as he thought that nothing could save me. He returned to the sickbay and took some blood from my right arm. Soon after this, as the Doctor was standing by I opened my eyes and looked around me. This was the first time for several days. After being bled I began to get better.
Up to this time I knew nothing of the voyage and at this time my sides were quite raw and everything clung to me, for my bones appeared to be quite through my skin. At this time I thought more of home than ever I had done before for I had no mother to wipe off of my forehead the cold damp sweat or to make my bed or to soften my pillow.
I was lying in one of the lower berths and someone, after fumigating the ships, had put the fumigating pots in the berth over the one that I was lying in and in the night a breeze sprung up and in the night one or more of them fell over and upset the contents on to me. My bedclothes and my shirt that was on me was burnt and fell all to pieces but it never touched my body...."
Extract from "The Settler named Jeremiah Goldswain" by Pauline Goldswain -
Pages 21 & 22:
Jeremiah by sheer hard work and economy, despite the setbacks, was able to go ahead with his wedding plans and the date was set for 21st October. He did not want to disappoint Eliza. To him the procedure for matrimony under South African law seemed very complicated. The banns had to be published and displayed on the landrosts' office door for two weeks in case anyone disputed the forthcoming marriage. To make application both parties had to present themselves before the landrost in Grahamstown. Eliza not being of age had to have her father's consent, written or verbal. They walked to Grahamstown, thirty miles there and thirty back to comply with the requirements. But only Jeremiah was required to return fourteen days later with the fifteen shillings, the cost of the licence fee. This he did and accounted for one hundred and twenty miles being covered on foot to fulfil these preliminary requirements. Back home he walked five miles to Bathurst to purchase a few necessities for the wedding feast.
On Monday, the day of the wedding the family set out on foot for the Anglican Minister's home which was ten miles away. They missed Rev Boardman by half and hour as he had left for Grahamstown on horseback. They had no alternative but to return home very disappointed and downcast. They then thought of the Rev Kay the Methodist minister. Jeremiah mounted Eliza's
horse and rode to Mr Hartley on the chance of finding him there. Not finding him there, he left a message and returned home to the wedding group. After lunch he set out again, determined to locate the minister. He eventually did, but was caught in a heavy downpour and drenched to the skin.
The Rev Kay was willing to perform the marriage service but said he wanted a congregation to whom he could preach to at the same time. Jeremiah, confident and determined, promised he would organise this request, and knew he could rely on at least sixteen people. So Rev Kay cancelled an appointment and rode with Jeremiah as far as Mr Trollips where the services were usually held. The time fixed was for 7 p.m. and the wedding party had to be there at 6.30 p.m. that very evening. It was a distance of six miles that they had to traverse to the Trollips, Jeremiah and Rev Kay riding together and calling on farmers on the way, the Ford and Hyman parties being the largest. A lovely flat area of ground was seen and it struck Jeremiah that this place would be very suitable for a racecourse. He voiced his thoughts and the reaction was complete silence. Jeremiah felt so guilty that he involuntarily reigned in his horse and the jerk nearly caused him to be thrown backward.
He left Rev Kay resting at the Trollips and rode back home still calling on settlers and asking them to attend the evening service. He was caught in a second downpour before he reached home. It was so late that although he was offered refreshment he had not time or appetite to partake of same. The party just made it. The bride was beautiful but the bridegroom was still in his drenched clothes and thoroughly uncomfortable. After the marriage service came the full church service closing with a prayer at 8.30 p.m. They had to sit patiently till the end, and then home to the reception.
Jeremiah summed up the time and mileage covered to enable him to be married. That very day, 21st October, he had been on the go from 5.30 a.m. until 8.30 p.m. The distance was forty miles mostly on foot and through two thunderstorms, and an agitated state of mind. This did not include the one hundred and twenty miles necessitated in acquiring the licence. He told all and sundry that he hoped he would never ever have to marry again.
Grahamstown Journal, 4 december 1871:
MR. J. GOLDSWAIN
Mr. Jeremiah GOLDSWAIN’s whose death we recorded on Wednesday, and whose funeral obsequies took place last Friday, was a native of the county of Buckinghamshire, England, and arrived in this country with the British Settlers in 1820. He was located in the neighbourhood of Bathurst, and subsequently became by purchase the proprietor of what is known by the name of “Freestone Farm”, situated in a beautiful country at the eastern base of the Bathurst hills. This property was originally granted to Mr. AUSTEN, father of Mr. AUSTEN lately Magistrate at the Wittenbergen Reserve, and was then known as “Tiger Spring”. Here Mr. GOLDSWAIN settled down with his family, and was well known to the country round for his social disposition and general hospitality to all comers. The free-stone quarry upon the property afforded him an agreeable change of occupation, and was a source of no little profit. While here deceased was conspicuous for his active exertions in the defence of the country against the incursions of the Kafirs. Few have done harder service or have been more unceasing in their endeavours to protect and improve the country of their adoption. It may be averred probably that the years spent on “FreeStone Farm” were not only the most stirring, but the most successful of his career. Circumstances however induced him to part with this property: and from that time to his decease his life was a chequered one, in which disappointment and misfortune were largely mingled. For some years he was an active sheep farmer not very remote from this city, but Kafir wars, and native pillage were overpowering, and he was compelled to succumb to circumstances which were quite beyond his power of control.
The name of Jeremiah GOLDSWAIN will be affectionately treasured up by a large circle of friends, while his memory will be regarded by all who knew him as a Colonist who deserved well of his country.
It may interest many to learn that for a long period Mr. GOLDSWAIN kept a journal of his proceedings and experiences in this country. This journal is rather voluminous, and we doubt not will be found to contain many striking accounts of the struggles and privations incident to the life of a Settler on this exposed Frontier.
https://www.eggsa.org/newspapers/index.php/grahamstown-journal/1329-grahamstown-journal-1871-4-october-to-december?fbclid=IwAR2qxWsTdCXDLGkdrpEOPhiB0MVFFpZZoTDt7uPYELPrWcdrDCbQ_rBc-nk
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