BIOGRAPHIES OF RICHARD WOOD, WILLIAM WOOD (THE ELDER) AND WILLIAM WOOD (THE YOUNGER) 

WOOD, RICHARD: Trader's assistant, carpenter, wagon driver. He, probably came to Natal with Collis in October 1831 for he was employed as a carpenter and assistant by Collis at Port Natal until Collis's death there In September 1835. R. Wood signed the letter requesting that Gardiner found a mission at the Bay, 14 March 1835. He attended the meeting held at Port Natal on 23 June 1835, to plan the town of Durban and build a church; and he signed the petition of the same date to Sir B. D'Urban, asking that Natal be made a British colony. R. Wood's wife and children, including his young son William (q.v.), arrived at the Bay in Circe in September or October 1835; they lived with him there in December 1835. As one member of the town committee of Durban, R. Wood granted Champion's request for land on the Umlazi River, on 12 March 1836, and on 14 April he began helping Champion with the construction of Umlazi Mission. R. Wood served on the commando led by Cane against the Swazis at Dingane's order, June to August 1836. See Cane. With one of their interpreters, R. Wood brought the American missionaries' wagons, goods and supplies to GinanI from Umlazi, by 24 September 1836. He was in Natal during October and November 1836. In May 1837 R. Wood was made a superintendent for the building of a fort at Port Natal. See A. Biggar. He served in both forces collected by the settlers to fight the Zulus after the Retief Massacre. March and April 1838. While on the second commando. R. Wood was killed at the Battle of the Tugela, 15 April 1838. (AN. 1,296, 37~8. 38~5. Fy, 236, 25~6. GdZ, 77, 399-402. CinD, 8.60, 68.137. AMZ, 96. SinDi. 127. Th, II, 34~5.) 

WOOD, WILLIAM: (the elder William) Hunter, trader. settler. He was brother to Richard Wood and uncle to the younger William Wood, served on both the settlers' commandos against the Zulus, March and April 1838, and was killed at the Battle of the Tugela, 15 April 1838. (AN.J. 384. Th, II. 345,356. MCD, 226.) 

WOOD. WILLIAM: (the younger William) Interpreter, trader. hunter. Mrs Richard Wood and her children, Including William, who was about 12 years old, came to Port Natal in Circe in September or October 1835, to join her husband. William was put to school at Champion's mission on the Umlazi River in March 1836, but with his father's consent he left in June to become a trader. He began learning to speak the Zulu language during his first months in Natal. W. Wood first visited Mgungundlovu with the Hottentot Jan Brouwer about August 1836; he went at Dingane's request, for the Zulu monarch wanted to see a white child. W. Wood stayed some time and perfected his spoken Zulu. He made a hunting and trading trip with Russell in 1836 or 1837. In late 1837 W. Wood was serving as Dingane's interpreter at Mgungundlovu, where he became Owen's interpreter in December 1837, during Hulley's absence, and he remained in that capacity until Hulley returned on 9 February 1838. W. Wood witnessed the Retlef Massacre, which he had predicted. He returned to Port Natal with Owen and Hulley, February-March 1838. W. Wood, his mother and her other children took refuge in Comet at the Bay of Natal to escape the Zulus, 17 to 24 April 1838. The family left Port Natal on 11 May 1838, probably in Comet, and reached Port Elizabeth on 22 June. Mrs R. Wood and the children proceeded to Grahamstown. (AN, I 37~87. CmD, 141. Ow, 84,95. MCD, 171-2. NaV, 199, 209.)

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Sunday, 24 November, 2002 
Robert Dean Wood wrote: I just received this information from Anne Lehmkuhl - South African research.
URL: http://www.rupert.net/~lkool/ 
Richard WOOD died on 16 Apr 1838 in the Battle of Tugela buried in Endondakasuka Hill Cemetery, District Lower Tugela 
William WOOD died on 16 Apr 1838 in the Battle of Tugela buried in Endondakasuka Hill Cemetery, District Lower Tugela 

Note: George Biggar was killed on 17th of February 1838 at Blaauwkranz - he was 18 years old. His older brother Robert Biggar died on the 17th of April 1838 at Tugela - he was 25 years old. Their father Alexander Harvey Biggar was killed on the 27th of December 1838 near the White Umfolozi River.

The BIGGARs and the DUNNs

The English at the Bay sent sent two expeditions against the Zulus (March/April 1838) - the second, culminating in the first Battle of Ndondakusuka (Tugela) in which of the 17 Whites that sallied forth, only four survived, and of the 800 Black followers 600 perished. Both of Ann Dunn's brothers (Robert Biggar and George Biggar - sons of A.H. Biggar) where killed in the action packed 3 months .. on the 11th of May the Comet sailed for Delagoa Bay and ultimately Algoa leaving behind only about 9 of the Port Natal residents .. Mrs Ann Dunn and her children were on board ... her husband Mr Robert Newton Dunn may have been among the few who remained at Port Natal ..her father, Alexander Harvey Biggar, remained in Natal and was killed in a Zulu ambush on December 27th 1838 ....."

In October 1838 Mr Robert Newton Dunn bought the farm Sea View (SeaView). The farm was near the property of his father-in-law Mr AH Biggar. By 1842 he had bought a number of the properties of those killed in the Battle of Tugela and had established a magnificent house and premises at Sea View. It is said that the property enjoyed a view of the ocean.     John Dunn (1834-1895) son of Robert Newton Dunn - John was one of the children on board the Comet
In 1820, John's father, Robert Newton Dunn, left his home and family in Inverness, Scotland. Lured by the promise of adventure and prosperity, Robert joined the influx of British settlers on the eastern shores of South Africa. Four years later, at Port Elizabeth, Robert married Anne Harold Biggar, the daughter of British immigrant, Alexander Biggar. Their union was to produce four children; Sarah Mary, Agnes, Louisa and John.

John was born in 1834, the year the family moved northwards to Port Natal (Durban). Ever eager to meet new challenges, Robert soon became a successful hunter and trader. Financial secure, he built his family an impressive homestead overlooking the Indian ocean, which he aptly named "Sea View" where, nestled snugly in the undulating, verdant hills of British controlled Natal, the Dunn family enjoyed a privileged colonial lifestyle.

John did not allow his father's wealth to separate him from the indigenous people of the area. He learnt to speak Zulu fluently; his personality displaying an unique coalescence of European and Zulu cultures.

For information compiled by:
Pat Dunn - Sue Pattot - Rosemary Dixon Smith & Others

John Dunn Foundation - Click Here
John Dunn Documents - Click Here