S E T T L E R   C H R O N O L O G Y

1795-1803  First British Occupation of the Cape
1814  Cape formally ceded to Britain

Please note:
SETTLERS FROM BRITAIN included England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
The below list does not include ALL settlers who arrived in South Africa.
Some *emigrants arrived in smaller groups, which may not have been as well documented as the larger groups.
Individual ancestors who emigrated without government aid are less easy to trace.
Due to Military Arrivals, some soldiers elected to remain in South Africa.
*An emigrant exits a country and becomes an immigrant on arrival at destination.


Baines painting 'Landing of the Settlers at Algoa Bay 1820'

 DATE  DETAILS  COUNTRY OF ORIGIN  PROVINCE
 1817  Private Scheme
 200 Artisans of various trades
 brought out by Benjamin Moodie
 Scotland  Cape
 1818  Private Scheme
 Employees of Henry Nourse
 Ireland  Cape
 1820  Government scheme
 Approx. 4,000 Settlers to Albany (Zuurveld)
 Known as the 1820 Settlers
 Britain  Cape
 1823  Contract labourers
 brought out by John Ingram
 travelled in the 'Barossa'
 Ireland  Cape
 1830s
 1840s
 Small parties brought out by
 agents such as JS Christopher
 Britain  Cape
 1844  Government sponsored immigration
 Groups of Children
 Single Irish women
 Britain  Cape
 1848  Private scheme
 Arranged by Jonas Bergtheil
 Known as the Bergtheil Settlers
 Germany  Natal
 1849  Emigration Philanthropic Society of England
 Sponsored 20 Women from the Workhouse
 Britain  Cape
 1849  William Garrod and Dr Charles Johnston
 brought out small party of emigrants
 on the 'John Gibson'
 to settle Natal north coast at Tongaat
 Britain  Natal
 1849-51  Natal Emigration & Colonization Company
 Sponsored 2,200 Settlers
 Known as the Byrne Settlers
 Britain  Natal
 1849-51  400 Wesleyan Methodists
 brought out by WJ Iron's
 Christian Emigration & Colonization Society
 to settle at Verulam
 [Piggy-backed on Byrne's scheme]
 Britain  Natal
 1849-51  Immigrants from the
 Duke of Buccleuch's estate in Hampshire
 travelled on Byrne's ship the 'Lady Bruce'
 [Piggy-backed on Byrne's scheme]
 Britain  Natal
 1850s  Wesleyans brought out by
 John Lidgett,  Richard Hackett,
 Henry Boast ('Haidee'),
 George Murdoch, Richard Pelly
 Britain  Natal
 1851  Association of Female Emigration
 Sponsored 46 Women
 Ireland  Cape
 1856  80 immigrants brought out by
 Alexander McCorkindale
 Britain  Natal
 1856  Settlers to Kaffraria  Germany  Cape
 1857  Association of Female Emigration
 Sponsored 157 Women
 travelled on the 'Lady Kennaway'
 Settlers to Kaffraria
 Ireland  Cape
 1858  TC Colenbrander's
 Settlers to New Gelderland
 Netherlands  Natal
 1857-62  Government subsidies offered
 1,342 Settlers in 5 years
 Britain  Natal
 1857-67  Government aided immigration
 largest scheme
 12,000 Settlers (74 from Germany)
 Britain
 Germany
 Cape
 1860  First Indentured Indian immigrants
 brought as sugar plantation labour
 India  Natal
 1880  40 families for agricultural settlement
 Selected by JE Methley
 Known as the Willowfountain Settlers
 Britain  Natal
 1882  Assisted immigration
 initially offered to 50 families
 Known as the Marburg Settlers
 Norway  Natal

For further information regarding ways in which to research SETTLER GROUPS refer to:
Fresh Fields and Pastures New: British Immigrants in South Africa
- by Rosemary Dixon-Smith
The Family and Local History Handbook 10th Edition: (ISBN 10: 0 9530297 94 and ISBN 13: 978 0 9530297 9 2) - September 2006
To order, go to: www.genealogical.co.uk


Emigrants below decks on the Lady Bruce, one of Byrne's ships. Note the bunks at the sides and the lack of privacy in the cramped conditions; voyages were of about 3 months duration.