Life and Death
Economic Migrants, indentured to an Orkney laird, travelling to a land unknown to them in South Africa – for some it would end in hardship and for others a new life was their future.
Part 3 of this series explored how some of the 200 indentured men tried to escape their bondage to Benjamin Moodie, heir to the Melsetter Estate in Orkney, to be imprisoned or to successfully desert.
Every expense imaginable had to be taken from the wages they would earn, future and present. For a few men even death whilst bonded through indenture brought costs to be taken out of their accounts.
Dying in Bondage
Alexander McDonald was a Silversmith. Before signing up with Moodie’s scheme he lived at St Bernard’s Place, MacFarlane’s Land, Stockbridge, Edinburgh. He found employment with Mr Bates in Cape Town. Alexander was a single man and when he died an unsuccessful claim was made on his accrued wages by a Mr Bakeman.
William Scott, a Carpenter, was from Currie’s Close, Leith Walk. In December 1817 he further indebted himself to Benjamin Moodie with a loan of 90Rd (Rix dollars) which he promised to repay in 9 months. William had two episodes where he was incarcerated “for being in a state of Insanity” costing over 15Rds in total. He was also charged over 113Rds for his medical and hospital expenses owing to Dr Bailey. Dr Samuel Bailey in 1818 founded the first civilian hospital (Somerset) in Cape Town. William Scott was sent to Robben Island which was used to imprison political prisoners, but also as a leper colony. Whatever was the case with William Scott, he died, and the cost of his coffin, 30Rds was also taken out of his account.
Kirkpatrick Collie, a Bricklayer, died whilst still indentured. As did William Pennycuik (Pennycock), a Labourer/Ploughman who was from the large farm of Mount Lothian, near the town of Penicuik. William had ventured into the country surrounding Cape Town “in quest of a situation”. He was a single man desperate to find work, but what he died of is not known.
Peter Welsh, a Mason, was charged the fee of 20Rds for medicines and 30 Rds for his coffin. He died in the year 1817, shortly after his arrival in the Cape colony. All of the above are men which it is confirmed died whilst still indentured to Benjamin Moodie.
A Settled Life?
There were men who settled but to do so they often required implements and other goods, including clothes. Many of the married men sought permission to bring their wives and children out in 1818 if the Government was prepared to assist them in that expense.
James Wait, a Ploughman who was married with 4 children, on 14 June 1817 made an agreement with Donald Moodie, who was acting on behalf of Benjamin in England. He agreed to pay, out of his labour, over £96 for passage for both himself and his family. It is known that he worked on the Cape Town Simsontown Road at ‘Three Cups’ for 21 days where he earned 25shillings.
To set up a business, even to the clothes you would wear came out of funds loaned by Benjamin Moodie and which indebted the men even further. Robert Frier was a Mason. As well as his indenture he owed money to Moodie for the purchase of 5 cows at 15 Rds each, total 75 Rds. In 1818 he was appointed permanent repairer for the Swellendam Drastdy with a fixed salary. He found local employment as a Mason and was able to pay off his indenture.
John Laing, a Surgeon, was in the first voyage out to the Cape on the Brilliant. He was from Scott’s Close, Cowgate, Edinburgh. On June 25 1817 he was employed with Dr Hartly. He became a surgeon at Somerset Hospital, a District Surgeon of Cape Town and a leading member of the medical profession in the 1850s.
William, John, and James Cairncross, were Bakers from Edinburgh. They paid off their indenture in full. In the Swellendam Dutch Churchyard lies buried a Thomas Cairncross (b. Edinburgh 1800, died Swellendam 1866). His wife is buried beside him.
The McPhail brothers, Alexander and James, sailed out to the Cape on the Brilliant. In just a few years they had become well established in the Uitenhage Division (officially renamed Kariega),of the Eastern Province as building contractors.
Benjamin’s two brothers, John and Donald had come out to the Cape. Many of the men were employed by the Moodies as part of their Indenture on their properties. Others found work labouring on road construction.
Three men, James Downie (Ploughman), John Hogg (Shoemaker) and John McGrigor (Ploughman), tried farming in partnership at Archiees Land in February 1819. By August Downie had sold his share to Moodie. As a shoemaker John Hogg had to purchase his leather, tacks etc via Benjamin Moodie. To set up the farm he also had to purchase ploughs and seed via Moodie. Hogg and McGrigor dissolved the partnership in 1821,handing the whole property over to Moodie as security for a debt of 840Rds. By 1823 Hogg and McGrigor were employed chopping wood for Moodie on his property at Long Hope – a property the Moodies had purchased in the Eastern Province.
James Scoon a Blacksmith, David Hume a Ploughman, and William McLuckie (McLuskie) a Cooper, set off on a trading expedition. They travelled as far as the Magaliesberge in the Northern Transvaal. They were most likely the first Europeans to penetrate this far inland. By 1821 Hume and McLuckie were chopping wood for Moodie at his Long Hope property.
The 200 Indentured Scots had travelled to the Cape as skilled tradesmen but as economic migrants entering what was a slave economy, they had to find work doing whatever was available. For some they could continue in their trade, but for others it meant a hard life labouring on the construction schemes which were underway as Britain consolidated its grip on the territory.
Fiona Grahame
In Part 5 : Debts