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THE SETTLER HANDBOOK by MD Nash
THE SETTLER PARTIES

HAYHURST'S PARTY

No. 51 on the Colonial Department list, led by Richard Hayhurst of Liverpool, who described himself as a miner and cabinet maker. Hayhurst and Michael Whitley set themselves up as emigration agents in Liverpool, although with no official support or sanction, charging would-be emigrants a fee of £1 a head to 'register' their names with government. Their advertisements aroused suspicion and even indignation - one angry member of the public complained to the Colonial Department, 'They are no better than Swindlers, their office is a Public House' - but they served as a rallying point for northcountrymen who were unable to make up parties of their own, and they succeeded in organising a party of 34 men and their families. This was far short of their original aim of 100 families, who would have been entitled to their own chaplain in terms of the emigration scheme. The Rev William Boardman (who in the event emigrated as chaplain to Willson's party) was entered as chaplain in Hayhurst's early lists, but withdrew to join Willson's party when it became apparent that Hayhurst would not achieve the required number of settlers.

This was a joint-stock party, each man paying his own deposit with the exception of Hayhurst's servant Thomas Kidd. Many of the men had to sell their furniture and working looms to raise their deposit money, which suggests that a number of the 'farmers' in the party were in fact weavers by trade.

Michael Whitley did not accompany the party, but applied unsuccessfully in July 1820 for permission to take out a further 40 or 50 families who were 'anxiously awaiting an opportunity to follow their relatives and friends'.

The party sailed from Liverpool in the John on 13 January 1820 and reached Table Bay on 19 April and Algoa Bay during May. One of the emigrants, Henry Hudson, died on board th John before sailing; his widow went on to the Cape with the support of her nephew, James Robinson. The party's first location, named Trappes Valley after the Provisional Magistrate of Bathurst, proved inadequate, and further land was assigned to three separate divisions under Cawood and Griffiths, Murray, and Watson.

LIST OF HAYHURST'S PARTY

BISSET, John 40. Nurseryman. w Ann 35.
BOLD, Grace 21 (daughter of John Bold).
BOLD, John 46. Clockmaker. w Hannah 46. c Peter 16, Joshua 16, Martha 11, Caleb 9, Sarah 6, Elizabeth 1.
BOLD, Mary 23 (daughter of John Bold).
BRADLEY, John 21. Farmer.
BRADLEY, John 46. Brickmaker. w Mary 47. c Ann 7.
BRADLEY, Mary 18 (daughter of John Bradley).
BUFFREY, Samuel 38. Farmer. w Lucy 40.
CAWOOD, David 43. Woollen manufacturer. w Mary 33. c Joshua 16, Elizabeth 13, Mary 12, Samuel 10, Sarah 9, Joseph 5, David 1.
CAWOOD, James 21. Farmer.
CAWOOD, John 18. Farmer.
CAWOOD, William 19. Farmer.
CLARK, George 28. Tallow chandler. w Elizabeth M 22. c Elizabeth M 3, George W.
COUNSEL, Andrew 40. Farmer.
DERBYSHIRE, Thomas 24. Gardener.
ECCLES, Robert 43. Musician.
ECCLES, Thomas 37. Farmer and army pensioner.
FOXCROFT, Margaret 20 (daughter of Robert Foxcroft).
FOXCROFT, Robert 38. Plasterer. w Ann 40. c Thomas 13, James 11, Robert 9, William 7, John 3.
GRADWELL, Stephen 20. Smith.
GRADWELL, William 21. Smith.
GRIFFITHS, William 33. Master mariner. w Ellen 33. c Jane 7, Maria 5, Mary 2.
HALSTEAD, Richard 36. Dyer. w Ellen 21. c Thomas 9, James 4, Nancy 2.
HARTLEY, Benjamin 36. Calico printer. w Elizabeth 31.
HAYHURST, Richard 39. Miner and cabinet maker.
HIGHAM, Ellen 13 and Margaret 12 (step-daughters of William Griffiths).
HUDSON, Mary 27. c James 7, Richard (Henry Hudson died on board John before sailing.)
KELBRICK, Robert 21. Farmer.
KENT, James 27. Household servant. w Ellen 28. c Richard John.
KIDD, Thomas 32. Grazier.
MURRAY, James 40. Farmer. w Mary 39. c Ann 12, Mary 7, Margaret 5.
OXLEY, John 25. Farmer.
PEEL, Thomas 24. Labourer. w Mary 21.
ROBINSON, James 21. Farmer.
SHARPLES, Henry 21. Bricklayer. w Mary 19.
STIRZACKER, Henry 40. Farmer.
TUDOR, Charles 19. Cordwainer. w Bridget 28. c Edward 1.
WALKER, John 31. Farmer.
WATSON, George 33. Joiner. w Jane 31. c Deborah 6, William.

Main sources for party list
Return of settlers under the direction of Messrs Hayhurst and Whitley (Cape Archives CO 6138/2,39 : this is the London list and included John Pollard and his family who were replaced shortly before sailing by Richard Halstead and his family); Special Commissioner William Hayward's notes, giving the subdivisions of the party (Cape Archives CO 8542). No Agent of Transports' Return has been traced for the John, showing the state of the parties as they arrived at the Cape.

According to E Morse Jones a son, Ralph, was born at sea to the wife of James Murray.