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THE SETTLER HANDBOOK by MD Nash
THE SETTLER PARTIES

GREATHEAD'S PARTY

No. 22 on the Colonial Department list, led by James Henry Greathead, a land surveyor of Dudley, Worcestershire. This was initially a proprietary party consisting of Greathead and his indentured servants, all recruited in Worcestershire, but it was joined at a late stage by John Hartell, an independent settler who paid his own deposit. Hartell was from Priestfield, near Bilston in Staffordshire, which lies within a 10-mile radius of both Dudley and Birmingham. His name had been included in the first list of the Birmingham Workhouse party under Edward Gardner, but he was subsequently nominated by the Birmingham parish overseers to lead a party of his own; they described him as a 'substantial yeoman' who was entitled to 'the full benefit and advantages offered by the emigration': a grant of land in his own name. Hartell was recommended to the Colonial Department by the Hon. Edward Monckton, son of Viscount Galway (and brother-in-law of another party leader, Major George Pigot). Hartell's arrangements to emigrate as leader of his own party fell through at the last minute, and he joined Greathead's party in the place of a man who had dropped out.

Deposits were paid for 10 men, and the party sailed in the Kennersley Castle which left Bristol on 10 January 1820 and reached Table Bay on 29 March and Algoa Bay on 29 April. A daughter, Sarah, was born at sea to the wife of Josiah Davies. Greathead and Hartell's heavy baggage was shipped in the Sir George Osborn, but through an oversight it was not off-loaded at Algoa Bay and had to be re-freighted from England to the Cape in another vessel.

Greathead's party was located on an arm of the Bush River and its location was named Tivia Dale.

LIST OF GREATHEAD'S PARTY

BATE, William 20, Navigator.
BROWN, William 22. Gardener.
COLLINS, William 25. Farmer.
DAVIES, Josiah 33. Sawyer. w Sophia 24. c Daniel 3, Sarah (born at sea).
GREATHEAD, James Henry 24. Land surveyor. w Martha 20. c James Henry.
GREATHEAD, William 20. Farmer.
HARTELL, John 54. Farmer and varnish maker. w Mary 40. c John 13, Emma 8.
LAW, John 24. Farmer.
SIMMONS, William 37. Weaver and army pensioner.
WILKS, Samuel 25. Farmer.

*PICKMAN, Charles James. Brewer.

Main source for party list
Agent of Transports' Return of settlers under the direction of James Greathead (Cape Archives CO 6138/2,65).

According to Special Commissioner Hayward's notes (Cape Archives CO 8541) William Simmons, who is listed in the Agent's Return as a member of Greathead's party, was an unofficial emigrant who was found on board the Kennersley Castle after she sailed, and attached himself to Bradshaw's party.

*Charles James Pickman, a brewer, who appears in colonial records as a member of Greathead's party, was not included in the Agent's Return, and may have taken another man's place in the Kennersley Castle or have been employed by Greathead after the party was located.

Further reading
Philipps, 1820 Settler, ed A Keppel-Jones (Pietermaritzburg, Shuter and Shooter, 1960) contains a description of the Kennersley Castle's voyage.