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KEY DATES AND TIMELINE - WOOD FAMILY IN NATAL

1602 - Dutch East India Company Established.
1652 - First Dutch Settlement at the Cape.
1683 - Wreck of the Johanna. Robert Russell. Land and Its Story - Sailers and Natal.
1686 - Wreck of the Stavenisse.  Robert Russell. Land and Its Story - Sailers and Natal.
1686 - First boat built in Natal.  Robert Russell. Land and Its Story - Sailers and Natal.
1688 - Natal visited by Dutch ships.  Between 1688 & 1730.  Robert Russell. Land and Its Story - Sailers and Natal.
1690 - Bay of Natal purchased by the Dutch.  Robert Russell. Land and Its Story - Sailers and Natal.
1778 - Orange River discovered.  Robert Russell. Land and Its Story - Sailers and Natal.
1785 - Shaka Zulu was born
1795 - Dingaan was born in Babanango
1820 - Circa: Richard and William WOOD and other relatives sailed from Worcester, England - WOODY's family files
1824 - The first white settlers, 26 hunter/traders, arrived at Port Natal. Before the end of the year only six remained - Spencer.
1824 - Henry Francis Fynn and Henry Ogle where amongst those who remained and lived to see Natal as a British colony -Spencer.
1826 - William WOOD Baptized October 8th 1826
1826 - October. The Zulus deemed all persons who 'wore clothes' to be Europeans - this included Hottentots (Fynn P129)
1828 - Shaka Zulu. Killed by Dingaan
1828 - Dingaan became paramount chief of the Zulu's
1830 - James Collis started trading in Natal - Cradle Days of Natal' by Graham MacKeurtan P171
1830 - William WOOD says he arrived in Natal per Circe (Cpt. Blinkenstock) - his statement has been record by a number of historians
1831 - No mention of WOODs in Travels and Adventures by Nathaniel Isaac
1831 - Jacob (Jocot) Sembite shot dead by Ogle at Canes request with approval of Dingaan - MacKeurtan P167
1831 - March: COLLIS sells his farm and leaves for Graham's Town with party of 10 Europeans & 3 wagons- Shelagh Spencer Vol. 4 P149
1831 - August: James COLLIS and party of Englishmen were in convoy on the way to Port Natal - Diary of Henry Francis Fynn P207-P209
1831 - Richard WOOD arrived in Natal with James Collis - History of South Africa by G. McCall Theal (ref Mike O'connor)
1832 - James Collis given Port Natal by Dingaan - Shelagh Spencer Vol. 4 P150
1832 - James Collis returns on a further trading expedition - MacKeurtan P167
1832 - Three Cawoods, Samuel, James and Joshua - all 1820 settlers in Natal to trade ivory, left in 1833 - MacKeurtan P167
1832 - CJ Pickman arrives in Natal
1834 - April. James Collis and Richard WOOD left (from Graham's Town) for Natal. "Rule of Fear" P153
1834 - Circe's first voyage (after registration) to Natal took place in 1834
1834 - Richard WOOD, (late arrival - in employ of James Collis), remains in Natal - Diary of Henry Francis Fynn - P236
1834 - Richard WOOD already in Natal - mentioned in a number of books
1835 - At close of 1834 J Bertram visits Dingaan and reports that 16 Boer wagons with 40 shots arrived at PN P169
1835 - January. Allen Francis Gardener - arrives in Port Natal -Warmly received by James Collis - MacKeurtan P171/172
1835 - March. The Circe left Port Elizabeth on her third voyage which was to Port Natal - Records of Natal Vol. 3
1835 - After leaving Natal the Circe was never seen or heard of again - Records of Natal Vol. 3
1835 - FYNNs leave Port Natal - They returned some time later- MacKeurtan P169
1835 - Dr Andrew Smith and Mr Edie Journey through Natal and send favourable report to Cape - MacKeurtan P169
1835 - About 30 male residents in Port Natal - Cradle Days of Natal' by Graham MacKeurtan P171
1835 - Other 1820 settlers in Port Natal in 1835 - see list below
1835 - Dingaan orders that no White Man can trade except under Gardener's permit - MacKeurtan P171
1835 - Allen Francis Gardener presides over meeting that establishes town of D'Urban - MacKeurtan P171
1835 - Richard WOOD, signs support of missionary establishment at Natal request, to Captain Gardiner. RN Annals of Natal, Vol. I P296
1835 - September. James Collis killed in an explosion - MacKeurtan P184
1835 - William WOOD: before he was 12 was a full partner of Robert Russell in a hunting expedition (1835-11=1825)
1836 - American Missionaries arrive Port Natal - Cradle Days of Natal' by Graham MacKeurtan P171
1836 - American Missionaries describe home of the WOODs and say only 2 white woman living in Natal - MacKeurtan P302/330
1836 - Gardener makes unfavourable allegations to the 'Select Committee' about the Settler in Port Natal - MacKeurtan P188/189
1836 - First Fruits Saga: JEKE, JEMISE AND KAJU - see Mike O'Connor's notes
1836 - William WOOD: Attends American mission school - Cradle Days of Natal' by Graham MacKeurtan P171
1836 - William Wood: was the only white child of 12 that was enrolled enrolled at Champion's school - "Rule of Fear" P189
1836 - May. Alexander Harvey Biggar moved to Natal with his younger son George
1836 - Robert Newton Dunn and his wife Ann moved to Natal. Ann Dunn was the daughter of Alexander Harvey Biggar
1836 - June. William WOOD: went on a trading mission (the Jeke and Jemuse story) - "Rule of Fear" P191
1836 - William WOOD: at age 12 was member of expedition against the Swazi Chief Soposa (1836-12=1824)
1837 - Wesleyan missionary Edwards and his wife horrified by reports of cannibalism - MacKeurtan P122
1837 - Port Natal Volunteers under Commandant AH Biggar formed and disbanded - MacKeurtan P198
1837 - In May Captain Allen Gardener returns and his claim to authority is 'rejected' by the Settlers - MacKeurtan P198
1837 - William WOOD: mistaken for a boy of about 16 years of age
1838 - William WOOD: before he was 14 saw Retief killed by Dingaan (1838-13=1825
1838 - February 6. Retief Killed by Dingaan. Revd Owen and (young) William WOOD witness the slaying
1838 - Richard WOOD and brother William WOOD are killed at the Battle of Tugela.
1838 - Richard and William WOOD killed by Natives, young William escaped and swam to safety - WOODY's family files
1838 - William WOOD and his mother 'walk'' to Graham's town with Mr and Mrs Wood and family - 4 month Journey by ox wagon - Collard Papers
1839 - Cato (Caton) Brothers, and their families, arrive and establish a trading station at Cato's Creek. They were the representatives of J. Owen Smith.
1840 - Statements Respecting Dingaan by William WOOD - published by Collard & Company, Heerengracht 1840
1842 - Map of Port Natal dated 1842. Shows camps of Wood's, Mr Dunn's, American Church Mission, Berea, Boere Camp etc.
1843 - Circa: William WOOD circa 17 yrs old, transporting supplies into the interior of Africa (1826+17=1843) - WOODY's family files
1843 - The British were at war with the Natives when William WOOD was transporting supplies in Africa - WOODY's family files
1846 - Young William WOOD lived in the wilds of Africa until he was about 20 (1826+20=1846) - WOODY's family files
1849 - January. William WOOD married in January at age 22 (1849-23=1826)
1854 - The first school Richard WOOD (son of WIlliam WOOD) attended was in Clonmel, Tipperary Co. Ireland
1856 - Circa. Richard WOOD next attended school in Boothe, a suburb of Liverpool . William WOOD kept a hotel in Liverpool.
1858 - Liverpool to Antwerp, Belgium from Antwerp on 1 September and arrived in New York on the 23rd of October 1858. ship Mary Glover.
1860 - William WOOD and son Richard, Both in U.S. Civil War, Savage Station. Picture
1868 - Richard WOOD started west to become a telegraph operator at Elko, Nevada
1874 - Feb. 15, Richard WOOD marries Martha Crowley
1904 - April, Maziyana ka Mahlabeni related to James Stuart - see Mike O'Connor's notes
1985 - October. Mr Fynn had 1 European wife and 6 African wives. He is the father of some 40 Natal families - Sunday Times

Last update:  Monday, 28 April, 2003

Names of other 1820 settlers in Port Natal  in 1835
CJ Pickan, John Stubbs, J. Mouncey, AH Biggar with sons Robert and George, J. Pierce, J. Francis, George Cyrus, Richard Hulley, Charles Blankenberg, Thomas Carden, Robert (Richard) Russell and DC Tooley who arrived on the Circe in 1835 and Allen Francis Gardener - MacKeurtan P171/172


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