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From: "valerie" <>
Subject: PICSKTOCK - correspondence
Date: Mon, 8 May 2006 17:32:58 +0200


Hi,
I hope I have not missed any info re Richard PICKSTOCK & family. According to A.E. Makin, "THE 1820 SETTLERS OF SALEM Hezekiah Sephton's Party, p. 19 -20
"The intention of the government was to ship the 60 parties, comprising in all about 3,700 souls, in November, 1819, to ensure their arrival at the settlement at the beginning of the planting season. But the weather decided otherwise and the departure of the Sephton settlers was delayed for over two months. Storms and gales that had not been experienced in a lifetime lashed the London area during the last two months of the year. Temperatures dropped to below freezing point and the ice on the Thames was solid and six feet thick. The transports could not sail and instructions to the Sephton party to embark were countermanded and the sailing date postponed indefinitely, much to the inconvenience of many.
"The unexpected delay caused changes in membership of the party. It gave everyone a chance to reflect on the wisdom of exchanging a familiar environment for one distant and untamed. About this time articles began appearing in some London newspapers casting doubts upon the suitability of the area set aside for the settlers and stressing the risks involved in living as neighbours to savage African tribes. As a result, a few families backed out.
"Still, there were others eager to fill vacancies and only two days before the first group of settlers boarded Aurora, the families of Robert Harvey, Philip Dixie, Thomas King, Thomas Norton, Richard Pickstock and George Gravett threw in their lot with Sephton"
According to research by Alan Gravett, Richard PICKSTOCK(age 45) married Frances GRAVETT ( 35yrs) at the Southark church, London in Jan 1820.
Charlotte PICKSTOCK (9) was his granddaughter and a William GRAVETT (under 16) accompanied them Hockly, H.E. "The story of the British Setters of 1820 in South Africa" p.237.
I can find no connection between the GRAVETT brother's George & William and Richard's new bride Frances GRAVETT.

Best wishes,
Valerie Jean de Kock
(012) 361 6246 or 082 831 0698
P.O. Box 32545,
Glenstantia
0010

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