From Miriam Erasmus, our Lewes Lass in South Africa
People have been relocating across the globe since the dawn of humanity. We hear of migrations by land and sea from one area to another over millennia and are fascinated by the links between the original country and the new country. I myself migrated from England to South Africa in 1977.
For me it was an easy passage. My wonderful husband organised everything from the South African Embassy in London. After several trips we had my Permanent Residence form sorted and my air ticket and, for 30 pounds I was on my way. That was October 1977.
I say, easy passage. The paperwork and flight were easy enough, but the emotional wrench, as many of you may know, is indescribable.
I had already ‘left home’ at 18 to go from Abbotts Langley to Teacher Training college in Bradford, ( which I can tell you was almost like moving to another country !! ) so I had some experience of separation and being independent.
However nothing could protect me from the realisation that I was now thousands of miles away from home and may never see family and friends again.
I count myself lucky that my new family and friends were most welcoming and, because I adored John and had literally moved across the earth to be with him, I soon settled into my new home.
Being a folk singer I am interested to see how songs travel across miles and time.
We know that British Folk Music travelled across to the Americas and down to Australia, and many songs have been preserved there over the centuries, sometimes better than the originals.
Sadly, I could not find any in any South African archives, so, naturally, I wrote some and presented a show “The Singing Settler” with songs and tales of the Settlers who arrived here in 1820, at The Grahamstown Festival in 1984.
This is a fascinating story, In the early 1800s Britain was engaged in wars not only in Europe but also in faraway South Africa as the colony became more prosperous. The government realised that they were short of militia, so came up with the brilliant idea of offering 100 areas of land to any one who was prepared to sail to the bottom of Africa and become a human ‘buffer’ as other immigrants from Africa were also moving in.
I did a lot of research around this and wrote this song.
Click here for the YouTube link
Eighteen Twenty.
In early 1819 on Britain’s gallant shores
The people all were suffering after many bloody wars
There wasn’t much employment and life was hard and grim
But down in the cape they were short of men so they sent civilians in
There’s trouble in the colony, our soldiers cannot cope
We’ll send a band of settlers in, that is our only hope
We’ll offer them a future and a hundred acres of ground
In all of Britain in these hard times, I’m sure the men can be found.
You gentlemen of Britain, I’ll have you gather near
The grandest Proclamation you quickly shall hear
The government are asking for men both brave and true
If you sail away to the cape in the South, there’s 100 acres for you
Now ninety thousand people soon answered to the call
“Alas,” cried the government, “We cannot send you all.
There’s room for but five thousand, men women and children, too
The lofty ships lie waiting in dock for they are to transport you.”
There’s carpenters and blacksmiths and silversmiths as well
There’s officers and soldiers just freshly out of hell
From Ireland,Wales and Scotland and England they came
Tailors, clockmakers, journeymen, farmers, professional men were game.
We’ll leave behind our homelands our families and friends
We’re bound to settle in that land where Africa does end
We’re brave and gallant heroes, we’ll do the best that we can
We’ll raise the flag of the red white and blue and we’ll prosper in that land.
Copyright Miriam Erasmus 1984
It occurred to me that many of these settlers may have come from Kent and Sussex, so I am busy compiling a list from the wonderful website created and maintained by Paul Tanner – Tremaine.
I shall write another article when I have gathered the names and birthplaces of 1820 Settlers from Kent and Sussex to see if any of you may have descendants here.
Robert Hart, my ancestor was known as the Father of the 1820 Settlers. I have an interesting book. He was from STRATHAVEN.
He married Hannah May Tamplin who was born in Chorlwood Sussex