1820 Settler: David Polley Francis
Home Page| Settler ID | 2338 | |
| 1820 Settler Ship | East Indian | |
| Party | Parker | |
| Gender | M | |
| Age in 1820 | 37 | |
| Occupation | Gentleman | |
| Date or Year of Birth | 1783 | |
| Spouse's Name | Anna | |
| Age at Marriage | ||
| Age at Death | ||
| Other Information | In April 1828 he was the Harbour Master at Port Elizabeth - Lower Albany Chronicle. per Sue Mackay: (http://www.eggsa.org/1820-settlers/index.php/additional-information/f-surnames/1817-francis-david-polley-extra-data) FRANCIS, David Polley, son of Robert and Mary FRANCIS, was baptised October 26th 1783 in All Saints, Ulting, Essex ~ Robert FRANCIS of the Parish of Ulting and Mary POLLEY were married by licence on 25th February 1772 in St.Mary the Virgin, Great Baddow, Essex Both signed Witnesses: Wm. BEADLE and Wm. POLLEY ~ David FRANCIS of this parish and Anna MOSS of the Parish of All saints, Maldon, were married by licence on 11th October 1804 in St.Mary's, Mundon, Essex Both signed Witnesses: Sarah BULLEY and Edward EDWARDS ~ Died 1854 per NAAIRS https://www.eggsa.org/newspapers/index.php/newspaper-cuttings-from-the-eastern-cape/763-newspaper-cuttings-from-the-eastern-cape-f FRANCIS EP Herald, 30 Jul 1980 Settler nabs smugglers by Roger JAMES A leading figure in the early history of Port Elizabeth who has virtually been forgotten is David Polly FRANCIS, a man who in the 1820s and 1830s was ranked second in importance to the Civil Commissioner, then stationed at Uitenhage. FRANCIS had overseas "connections" and in 1827 was appointed by Downing Street to the dual posts of Collector of Customs and Port Captain. He hailed from Essex, [hence his Port Elizabeth residence named Walden], and was one of the 1820 Settlers originally destined for Clanwilliam. Realising that Clanwilliam had no future because of the poorness of the country, he headed a party in the East Indian to the Zuurveld. In 1823 he was one of the prominent men who returned to England to put the case of the disappointed settlers, but his real chance was his appointment to take charge of the Algoa Bay customs. His staff originally consisted of one man as clerk and tidewaiter and his establishment was a small shed and a rowing boat. With little nautical experience he struggled with the vagaries of the Algoa Bay sea and the mariners who used it. In 1828 he issued the first shipping instructions to visiting sea captains to control smuggling. FRANCIS continued to supervise the growing number of ships calling at Port Elizabeth for a decade and a half and more and died in September 1854 at the age of 68. DEPOT KAB SOURCE MOOC TYPE LEER VOLUME_NO 7/1/220 SYSTEM 01 REFERENCE 132 PART 1 DESCRIPTION FRANCIS, DAVID POLLEY. INVENTORY. STARTING 18540000 ENDING 18540000 REMARKS FILED 1854. see also letters from her back to family in UK From: 'The Manchester Guardian' - Saturday. 5th. May, 1821. The following extract of letters, just received from one of the recently formed settlements in Southern Africa, are addressed by a Lady of the name of Francis, who accompanied her husband as one of the settlers, to her friends in this country and give a melancholy picture of the hardships to which she, in common with so many others who rashly quitted their native shores, have been exposed. The first letter is dated Frogmore, near Assagga Bush, and is addressed to 'Miss Blackburn, Laytonston (?), Essex' "My beloved Sister, - I have the pleasure to tell you, after all my perils and adventures, that I have at last gained shelter. We have been here since the 12th. of October. Till we could get a room built I suffered beyond expression, and the weather was so stormy, that for one whole month it rained in-cessantly, accompanied by the most dreadful tempests of thunder and lightening. You can have no idea of its effect, enclosed as we were on all sides by high mountains. It would give us both pain if I were to relate all that I have felt. God grant that you may never know by experience the miseries of settling; yet, in comparison to hundreds, we are to be envied. We have built an excellent room, which serves us for a 'kitchen, parlour and all' and we are completely sheltered from the weather. The sun here scorches to that degree that it burns the skin and raises blisters, exactly as if one had been in the fire, but the evenings and nights are sometimes so cold, that, after a burning day, we are shivering over a fire. This I think the most miserable country in the world, for it produces nothing without manure, and the gardens, which we have made are all burnt up before they come to any perfection. The whole of the wheat harvest has totally failed here and in every part of the country; indeed the misery of the unhappy settlers are (sic) anything I can express. Flour is not to be purchased at any price, except that served out by Government, and then it is most execrable stuff: there is the bread bran. and the whole grains of wheat with a mixture of peas and Indian corn, but all this I would not consider for myself, as I do not eat more than would satisfy an infant. I have been very ill for some weeks, and my spirits are dreadfully depressed; I hope time will reconcile me to my situation. If I had society, I would endeavour to make myself easy, but there is not an English settler nearer than seven miles, and I know none of them but Mrs. Latham, who returned from Clanwilliam, with many others, chiefly Irish: he has been our frequent visitor, but he is as miserable as myself, and detests this country as much as I do. When I reflect that it was on this day twelvemonth I parted from you, my heart is like to break! Why did I ever leave you, my poor mother, and my dear Patty? Never shall I see you and my dear native country again! Yet the thought of staying in this miserable solitude is dreadful; debarred from all social intercourse - not a female friend to converse with - no doctor within fifty miles - no clergyman or church in the whole country - no post office nearer than Graham's Town, which is a wretched place, the road to it terrible. I am more wretched than I can describe; but what are my miseries compared to those who went to Clan William, they are absolutely starving and the Government will do nothing for them, because they would not come up here. I do not think anyone will stop a year in this wretched country that can help it, many have already left it, and other are going. What will be the end of it, God only knows, but I dread the worst. There is little short of famine now, great numbers have nothing to eat but mutton; they can get neither bread nor vegetables, and wine and spirits are all out of price. Not an ounce of tea or sugar is to be got at Graham's Town for 'love or money', except now and then, as everything is to be brought from Cape Town and the conveyance is very uncertain. We have indeed been miserably deceived, both as to the soil and the climate. Oh, if anything would but turn up, that I once more might return to England, I would not care if I lived on bread and water, for I envy the poorest there. The wretched thought of ending my days in this savage wilderness, surrounded by wild beasts. And everything that is horrid, quite distracts me. As for poor David [Mr. Francis] he is well in health, but almost mad to think he ever brought me to such a place. He has led the life of a slave, for as there are no enclosures, the cattle are no sooner over the hills than they are out of sight. He has lost a horse, and four bullocks, and also three sheep. Which, I suppose, were picked off by wolves. It is the same for all the settlers; they have all lost cattle. I am afraid you think I am a croaker - but, believe me, I have not told you of half our miseries. Oh, how different from the account I first wrote to you on our arrival in this country! But then the weather was mild, and everything seemed enchanting. I was surrounded by friends, by whom I was beloved. Now I am separated from all I ever knew, and have no hope of ever seeing them again. David seems to have no wish to return, and is only unhappy to see me in this state [here follows some allusions to family affairs] I believe that I have never laughed since I have been here, but at the loss of 'My Jokey's [Majocchi] memory. Tell one about the Queen[?] and what your own opinion is about the trial. [Signed] Anna Francis. [The second letter is dated January 22nd, 1821, near Assagya Bush, Nossai [?] River, near Graham's Town and is directed to 'Mrs. Galabin, 12 Old Jewry, London.'] My dear Fanny, I expected long before this that I should have had the pleasure of receiving a line from you; but that, as well as every other consolation, is denied me. I have received but two letters from England, both from my dear sister, the last dated 9th. of August. I wrote to my sister a short time since and explained to her my uncomfortable situation in this miserable solitude. I thought my position bad enough then, but though I told her I wanted for nothing, being provided by the Government for twelve months or more if required. All the parties which came off with us are in the same terms as some renumeration for the very great expense and loss of time we have incurred. For this we had the Governor's verbal promise, as well as a circular letter. We have now received a communication that all rations are to be stopped, unless paid for, or unless undeniable security be given for payment later. This is a blow, which, if persisted in, must break up the whole enterprise, as it is impossible to procure corn at any price, the whole of the crops having failed in every part of the Colony. As for me, you would hardly think I was the same creature. When I arrived at the Cape, I had grown fat and strong - the sea voyage had entirely restored my long lost health and I fondly looked forward to happiness. But alas! My dear friend, this is the last place in the world where I could expect to find it, for the country, from every part we have seen of it, is the most barren and desolate you can imagine, except some spots near Cape Town, which have been long made, at a vast expense, and are occupied by the Dutch merchants, and a few married people, for almost every estate in the country is heavily mortgaged. As a proof of the poverty of the soil, vegetables are sold in the capital at the most extravagant prices. You must give half-a-crown for a cabbage and 3/6 for a cauliflower, 6/- a pound for fresh butter, and everything else in proportion. And it was the same at Simon's Bay, but I had very good friends there, who were mainly English. "And is this the place in which I am to live out the remainder of my wretched existence? Forbid it, Heaven!" I find I cannot live on such terms. To be buried like a dog in a place surrounded by wild beasts - to me who have been used to every comfort! Think of my sensations when I hear the wolves howling round our dismal dwelling. You can have no idea of the dismal yell they make, as loud as a cow bellowing; add to this, the barking of the jackals , and the blowing of the porcupines. The ground swarms with insects and reptiles. I have had a snake a yard long coiled up by my bed-side, and a mouse, as large as a small rat, in my bed, where I was lying very ill. We cannot set a single article of provisions out of the way, but it is covered with millions of ants, some of them an inch long. The state of my mind is such that I cannot work for half an hour. I do nothing but cry and read over and over again the books and old newspapers I have read a hundred times before. Poor David blames himself continuously for bringing me out and has promised that if I am not more reconciled in a year he will send me to England but I shall never live that time. And if the Government do not assist us it will be impossible that anyone can stay. If I was near you, I could be happy to sit and work from morning to night. David has written a long letter to Colonel Strutt, explaining his situation. I envy this paper because it is going to England, and I declare, rather than stay here, I will leave the country in an open boat. [Signed} Anna Francis The originals of the above letters, and other of the same character, are in the hands of Dr. Bank. |
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