British Settlers in Natal 1824-1857

Since 1963 Shelagh O’Byrne Spencer has been engaged in a massive research project to identify the emigrants who came to Natal from Britain before 1858, and to collect biographical material on them and their children. Although the work focuses on emigrants who came to settle in Natal, its interest and usefulness are not confined to this province.

For some of the new Natalians, and many of the next generation, moved on to the inland republics, to the Cape Colony or to Australia. Each of the entries contains biographical information, a list of the settler’s children and a list of sources. The biographies range in length from a few lines to several pages; the list of children includes the dates of their births and deaths and details of their marriages.