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THE SETTLER HANDBOOK by MD Nash
THE SETTLER PARTIES

LIVERSAGE'S PARTY

No. 53 on the Colonial Department list, led by Samuel Liversage, a farmer of Burslem in Staffordshire. This was a joint-stock party whose members were artisans and labourers from the parish of Burslem. The Colonial Department was approached on their behalf by the Member of Parliament for Newcastle, WS Kinnersley, who recommended them as 'very likely to be desirable colonists'. Kinnersley confirmed that they had the requisite amount of money for their deposits and for 'tools and such necessaries as they are likely to want'. (It is not known whether any contribution was made by the parish.)

The party included a high proportion of young children; the only single man, James Bell, was engaged as a servant by Daniel Venables in Liverpool, to replace a man who deserted shortly before the transport sailed. Joseph Scott and Abraham Robinson were both widowers with children. Thomas Manley and his wife were entered in the original party list with seven children under the age of 14, but in the event emigrated with only three. Liversage gave a succinct explanation for this reduction in the number of Manley's family: 'Some are ded and is frends take the other'.

Deposits were paid for 11 men and the party sailed from Liverpool in the John on 13 February 1820. All three of William Ford's children died at sea. The John reached Table Bay on 19 April and Algoa Bay during May. The party ws located east of Grahamstown on the Blaauwkrantz River, and the location was named Wilmot Vale.

LIST OF LIVERSAGE'S PARTY

BELL, James (servant to Daniel Venables).
BREEZKE, Charles 33. Clockmaker. w Elizabeth 38. c Richard.
FORD, William 30. Farmer. w Hannah 27. c George 5, John 3, William 1 (all three children died at sea).
FORRESTER, Richard 31. Wheelwright. w Mary 30. c Sarah 10, John 5, Joseph 3.
LIVERSAGE, Samuel 30. Farmer. w Ann 35. c Elizabeth 8, Ann 6, Catherine 3.
MANLEY, Thomas 35. Farmer. w Margaret 30. c Ralph 12, John 10, William 2.
MOUNTFORT, William 33. Baker. w Ann 31. c Thomas 8, Mary 7, William 2.
PAYNE, Thomas 32. Bricklayer. w Sarah 33. c Thomas 10, William 8, James 6, John 2.
ROBINSON, Abraham 25. Farmer. c Joseph 5, Ann 3.
SCOTT (or SCOOT), Joseph 35. Miller. c Mary 7, Thomas 6.
VENABLES, Daniel 40. Bricklayer. w Jane 37. c John 16, Sarah 13, Elizabeth 10, Thomas 8, Eliza 6.

Main sources for party list
Return of settlers under the direction of Samuel Liversage (Cape Archives CO 6138/2,47); List of heads of families in Liversage's party (Cape Archives CO 158); Special Commissioner William Hayward's notes (Cape Archives CO 8543). No Agent of Transports' Return has been traced for the John, showing the state of the parties as they arrived at the Cape, but the presence in Albany of all 11 men of Liversage's party has been confirmed in colonial records.