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ARRIVAL OF THE BRITISH TAR Natal Witness September 28 1850

Three months after the Minerva disaster, the British Tar, of about 300 tons burthen, under Captain DOWN, arrived at Natal on 27 September 1850 having left Gravesend on 5th July. It was fortunate that the passengers were taken off almost immediately, as on 29 September an E.N.E. gale sprang up during which the ship was driven on to the beach, after previously parting her cable and damaging her rudder. No lives were lost and the settlers, unlike those on the Minerva, retained their possessions; the cargo, too, was saved. The vessel itself became a total wreck and was condemned, as noted in the Port Captain's register.

Many of the passengers were Wesleyans coming out under the auspices of W J Irons's emigration scheme. Among them were John POLKINGHORNE (farmed at Verulam), John RUSSOM, the preacher who became mayor of Pietermaritzburg, Charles AGAR and John AKERMAN, later speaker of the Natal Legislative Council.

SHIPPING AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE

LIST OF PASSENGERS AND EMIGRANTS
Per "British Tar"
[Sailed from Gravesend 5th July, 1850]

John Russom, farmer, and family
Mary Ann Thomas
Thomas Vowles, farm servant
Thomas Lewis, sugar planter
James Williams, farmer, and wife
George Rose, farmer
Samuel Hill, farm servant
George Sidway, plumber, etc.
Thomas Bush, tiler, plasterer, etc., and family
Francis Harvey, tin smelter
Anna Harvey
Mary R Harvey
John H Harvey, engineer
Thomas M Harvey
Francis Harvey, engineer
Ellen Harvey
Ann Hoskins
Joel Lean, farmer and family
Wm Osborn, farmer and family
Matthew Hawkin, farmer and family
John N Polkinghorne, farmer, and family
John W Ackerman, farmer
Jane Ackerman
Row, Alice
John Grant, baker, and family
John A Sturton, candle maker, and family
Ellen Smith
John D Shuter, gardener, and wife
John Mileham, market gardener
Charles Agar, market gardener
William Beake, farm labourer
George Beake, butcher
Charles J Littlewood, agricultural labourer
William Lewis, smith, and family
Ann Bronghall
George Marchant, cooper
Elizabeth Palmer
Cuthbert Marshall, quarryman
William Marshall, mason
Joseph Graham, agricultural labourer
Thomas Webb, farmer
Richard Grafton, and family
Mary Ribett
William Day, brickmaker
John Tapper, carpenter
Mary Tapper
Easton Salter, shoemaker
Elizabeth Lambert
Antoinette Lambert
Edmund Ellis, and family
Total 83.
John Moreland, Agent.

D'Urban - During Sunday it blew very strong from ENE, and about three o'clock, p.m., the British Tar parted her cable, at the same time making signal that she had upset the windlass and damaged the rudder. She was brought up with the second anchor. About half past seven p.m., during a tremendous squall from the same quarter, she parted, and came on shore on the lee bank, a little to the north of the Bar. Had the rudder not been rendered useless, she might, at the time of parting, have proceeded to sea; as it is, she is expected to be a complete wreck. The immigrants were all landed safely in Messrs Byrne and Company's boats previous to the accident. The greater part of their baggage is already landed, and, under the judicious and able superintendence of GC Cato, Esq., there is every probability that the remainder will be saved, as also the cargo, consisting mainly of agricultural implements.

ARRIVED
Sept 25th - Nile, from London.
Sept 26th - Gem, from Cape.
Sept 26th - Douglas, from Algoa Bay.
Sept 28th - British Tar, from London.

SAILED
Sept 24th - Flora, for Algoa Bay and Cape.
Sept 24th - Diadem, for Mauritius with cattle.

INSIDE
Sarah Bell, Hannah, Globe, Henry Warburton, Natal, Nile, Gem and Douglas.
OUTSIDE
Unicorn and British Tar.

VESSELS EXPECTED
From London
Justina and Emily.
From Glasgow
Ontaria
From Hull
Haidee, and a vessel from Liverpool.