SETTLEMENT HISTORY

INTRODUCTION: The following paragraphs are based upon a much more detailed account to be found in "Aided immigration from Britain to South Africa 1857-1867" by Esme Bull (published by Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria 1991, ISBN 0 7969 1014 6). They identify only the main immigration schemes sponsored or encouraged by the authorities - throughout the nineteenth century, much smaller numbers continued to arrive by paying their own passage, and from other sources, as detailed in the book.

EARLIEST SETTLERS: European settlement at the Cape was initiated by the Dutch East India Company but it was not until after the first British occupation in 1795 that Britons settled in numbers. It had a purely agricultural econony but most of its arable lands were already in private ownership and this fact, coupled with its continuous border unrest and administrative problems, made it much less attractive than North America and Australia.

1820-1839: The first large group sponsored by the British government that arrived in 1820 experienced many difficulties and assisted immigration was suspended for nearly 20 years, other than a group from Ireland in 1823, and immigration of children from 1833 to 1839. The first RIGGS identified as settling in the Cape Colony arrived in 1834 as part of this latter group, under the auspices of the Children's Friend Society.

CHILDREN'S FRIEND SOCIETY: This was founded in England in 1830 for the suppression of juvenile vagrancy. Destitute children were collected in asylums in various areas of England and apprenticed as domestic servants or to tradesmen in England and the colonies. A commission of enquiry was appointed in 1839 to inspect the living conditions of all juvenile immigrants at the Cape, following allegations of ill-treatment in some cases. Although their Report partially allayed any fears of ill-treatment, the Society's reputation suffered and juvenile immigration was suspended. A local newspaper report early in 1839 stated that 704 juveniles had arrived and 633 of these were still in the colony (a further 45 arrived after that report, including the final 23 who landed in May 1841).

1845-1851: By 1844 there was an acute shortage of labour for the new roads that were planned, and over 4,000 settlers, including a significant number of females, were persuaded to be shipped between 1845 and 1851, when the 8th Frontier War brought an end to official immigration.

1857-1862: By 1857, the Cape Colony had become prosperous and wanted to embark on a programme of further new roads, bridges and public buildings, and there were insufficient skilled workers or general labourers available. Some 12,000 immigrants were recruited, from the Continent as well as Britain in the 5 years up to 1862 when the Immigration Boards were dissolved. The 1860's saw drought and depression, and a loss of sea-trade at the end of the decade following the opening of the Suez Canal, and immigration virtually ceased.

1874-1878: But diamonds had been discovered in 1867, and 1871 was the year of the Diamond Rush when people from across the world went to the North Western Cape in search of their fortune. There was a need to further improve the transport systems and it was agreed in 1873 to extend rail services throughout the country. As a consequence, a further 3,300 settlers had arrived from Britain by the end of 1875. The outbreak of the Ninth (and last) Frontier War in 1877 and a worldwide recession led to all immigration being suspended once more early in 1878.

1880-1885: However, it resumed in 1880 and reached a peak in 1882 when over 4,600 settlers arrived. In 1882, stricter conditions were imposed on immigrants causing numbers to fall sharply until they ceased altogether in 1885.

1889-1897: The next upturn followed the discovery of rich gold deposits in Witwatersrand in 1886, with the resultant gold rush creating a demand for further increases in rail and other services. So immigration was encouraged again in 1889 up until 1897. The outbreak of the Anglo-Boer war, caused partly because differences had worsened following the discovery of the gold, brought an end to immigration on any large scale. But by then, more than 30,000 settlers had arrived from Britain and Europe since 1874.


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