Farmer
Surveyor General of the Cape Colony
Missionary with the London Missionary Society
Captain William Walter Harding
William Walter HARDING was born about 1782 in England and during the Napoleonic Wars served in several campaigns including that in Egypt. These notes are from the book The British Residences at the Cape 1795-1819 by Peter Philip.
HARDING, William Walter, Capt. Cape Regiment/Cape Corps. Served South Africa 1812-19.
He served in the Napoleonic Wars with Abercromby in Egypt, with Moore in Spain, and at Walcheren, Sicily & Malta (VRS No. 48).
Capt. & Mrs H, Grahamstown subscribe to Bible & Schools Commission (25).
Mrs Harding & son arrive TB ' for this place' in the "Uitenhage Packet" ex Algoa Bay (104/25).
Took part in Battle of Grahamstown. 1819 sold his commission in the Cape Corps to Lord Charles Somerset's son, Henry (VRS No. 48)
Appointed Dep. Landdrost, Cradock, residing on the farm "Driefontein" (18/25).
1819-20+ ditto, also Vice-President of Matrimonial Court & of School Commission (21).
Sold house and er 'aan de Kowie Rivier', Grahamstown to Charles Trappes (TO 26.11.19) (173).
Appointed Resident Magistrate, Beaufort West (19)Reference codes =
21- African Court Calendar/Kaapsche Courant
VRS No. 48 - Publications of the Van Riebeeck Society, CT, 1st & 2nd series.
25 - Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser
104 - CO6086 (Cape Archives reference No.) /25 as per the above.
18 - Vol. 111 of History of South Africa, 1795-1834 by George McCall Theal/25 as above
173 - Deeds Office, Cape Town, Register of Transfers of Property - Aug. 1818/Dec 1830
19 - Vol 1V (Same as 18 above)
Died by drowning
Ship's captain for Enderby bros
Mainly whaling ships, although did transport convicts to New South Wales in 1791 as Commander of the Britannia
Very experienced commander - one account describes him as experienced in that he had rounded Cape Horn a number of times. He apparently established a whale fishery off the coast of Peru.Britannia. Full rigged ship, whaler, 301 tons. Built Bridport, UK, 1783. Owned by S. Enderby & Sons, she was the first vessel to engage in whaling in the southern Pacific.Wrecked on either Elizabeth or Middleton Reef, Pacific Ocean, 25 August 1806. Three boats left the wreck but one containing eight men was apparently lost in a gale. The remaining two reached Newcastle on 8 September. [LI],[AS1],[LQ],[LAH],[SAN]
I have come up with a very strange theory. Moby-Dick was written by Herman Melville (1819 – 1891) an American. Thomas Melvill Sr. (1751-1832), grandfather of the author, was a merchant, naval officer, and U.S. Collector for the Port of Boston. Thomas Melvill Jr. (1776-1845), his son and an uncle of the author, was a banker and exporter in Europe and a farmer in Pittsfield, Mass.
What caught my eye in Moby-Dick was
“The Pequod meets another ship, the Samuel Enderby <http://www.bookrags.com/notes/mob/OBJ.htm> of London. Ahab asks if they have any news of Moby-Dick, and in response, the captain, Captain Boomer <http://www.bookrags.com/notes/mob/CHR.htm>, shows that one of his arms is an ivory rod with a hammer head on the end. Ahab immediately lowers and boat and goes to other ship; because of his ivory leg <http://www.bookrags.com/notes/mob/OBJ.htm>, a blubber hook must be lowered over the side to lift him up. Once aboard, he shakes Boomer's ivory arm with his ivory leg.”
Your Thomas Melvill worked as a whaling Captain for Samuel Enderby <http://www.bookrags.com/notes/mob/OBJ.htm> so maybe he was somehow related to Herman Melville (1819 – 1891). Why would Herman Melville make such a reference too Samuel Enderby in Moby Dick??? Would that not just be great Captain Boomer <http://www.bookrags.com/notes/mob/CHR.htm> being based on Thomas MelvillI was going through our correspondence of 1999 and had a look at your query about Thomas Mellvill and I think I have found you a good reference
for you , but I have a feeling you might have this as this is a book he wrote
<http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/FULL/ARCHIVESNR/OPHDR/1324/29220,19>
Record Title : Whaling voyages round the world in the Britannia and Speedy transports (Captain Thomas Melvill) 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1796, in which is introduced a few remarks on the Spanish South America and an essay on the whale fisherys
Display Dates : 1791-1796
Reference Number : Micro-MS-0419
Issue Restriction : Unrestricted
Use/Reproduction : Not to be reproduced without the permission of the Trustees of the Public Library of NSW
Collection Status : COLLECTION
Issue Status : Issuable ITEM
Quantity : 1 microfilm reel(s) (ca 350 pages)
Physical Description : Positive microfilm
Names : Melvill, Thomas (as a subject) Britannia (Ship) <http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/NAV/ARCHIVESNR/OPHDR/1324/29218,02801> (as a subject) Speedy (Ship) (as a subject)
Subjects : Whaling <http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/NAV/ARCHIVESNR/OPHDR/1324/1293,02701> Whaling ships <http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/NAV/ARCHIVESNR/OPHDR/1324/3810,02701>
General Notes : Source/Donor - Copied from the originals in the Dixson Library, Sydney, NSW Source of Title - Transcribed
Originals Location : Dixson Library, Sydney, NSW
Institution : Alexander Turnbull Library
Here is another reference but you have to pay for it !!!
<http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/ah.2004.78.3.261>
“Captain Melville’s surgeon, who supervised his crew’s ... copied from a drawing by Thomas Watling. ... 30 The following year when the whaler, Speedy, returned to ...”This is a letter written to his employer, Sam Enderby and Sons. Note that NSW had only very recently been settled for the first time.
Ship Britannia, Sydney, Port Jackson. Nov. 22nd, 1791.
To Messrs. Sam. Enderby & Sons,
GENTLEMEN, I have the pleasure to inform you of our safe arrival in Port Jackson in New South Wales, October 13th after a passage of 55 days from the Cape of Good Hope. We was only six weeks from the Cape to Van Diemens Land, but met with contrary winds after we doubled Van Diemen's Land, which made our passage longer than I expected.
We parted company with our agent the next day after we left the Cape of Good Hope and never saw him again till we arrived at Port Jackson both in one day. The Albemarle and us sailed much alike. The Admiral Barrington arrived three days after us. I am very well myself thank God, and all the crew are in high spirits. We lost in all on our passage from England twenty one convicts and one soldier. We had one birth on our passage from the Cape. I try'd to make and made Island of Amsterdam and made it in the I,longitude of 76.4.14.E from Greenwich by a good lunar observation. My intention was to run close to it to discover whether the Sealing business might not have been carried on there but the weather was so bad and thick weather coming on, I did not think it prudent to attempt it, likewise to lose a night's run and a fair wind blowing. The day before we made it we saw two shoals of Sperm Whales. After we doubled the South West Cape of Van Diemens Land we saw a large Sperm Whale off Maria's Islands but did not see any more being very thick weather and blowing hard till within 15 leagues of the latitude of Port Jackson Within three leagues of the shore we saw Sperm Whales in great plenty. We sailed through different shoals of them from 12 o'clock in the day till sunset, all round the horizon, as far as I could see from the mast head. In fact I saw very great prospects in making our fishery upon this coast and establishing a fishery here. Our people was in the highest spirits at so great a sight and I was determined as soon as I got in and got clear of my live lumber, to make all possible despatch on the Fishery on this Coast.
On our arrival here I waited upon His Excellency, Governor Phillip and delivered my letters to him. I had the mortification to find he wanted to despatch me with my convicts to Norfolk Island and likewise wanted to purchase our Vessel to stay in the Country, which I refused to do. I immediately told him secret of seeing the whales thinking that would get me off going to Norfolk Island that there was a prospect of establishing a fishery here and might be of service to the Colony and left him. I waited upon him two hours afterwards with a box directed to him. He took me into a Private Room, he told me he had read my letters and that he would render me every service, that lay in his power: that next morning he would dispatch every long boat in the fleet to take our convicts out and take on our stores immediately which he did accordingly and he did everything to dispatch us on the Fishery. Captain King used all his interest in the business. He gave his kind respects to you. The secret of seeing the whales, our sailors could not keep from the rest of the whalers here, the news put them all to the stir, but have the pleasure to say we was the first ship ready for sea. Notwithstanding they had been some of them a month arrived before us. We went out in Company with the Will and Ann, [footnote 3 <http://www.stormpages.com/published/whalemen/>] the 11th day after our arrival. The next day after we went out, we had very bad weather and fell in with a very great number of Sperm Whales. At sun rising in the morning we could see them all round the horizon we run through them in different bodies till two o'clock in the afternoon when the weather abated a little, but a very high sea running. I lowered away two boats, and Bunker followed the example in less than two hours we had seven whales killed but unfortunately a heavy gale came on from the S.W. and took the ship aback with a squall that the ship could only fetch two of them, the rest we was obliged to cut from and make the best of our way on board to save the boats and crew. The William and Ann saved one, and we took the other, and rode by them all night with a heavy gale of wind. Next morning it moderated. We took her in. She made us twelve barrels. We saw large whales next day hut was not able to lower away our boats. We saw whales every day for a week after, hut the weather being so bad we could not attempt to lower a boat down. We cruised fifteen days in all having left our 60 Shake's of Butts on shore with the Gorgon's cooper to sett up in our absence which Capt. Parker was so kind as to let us have, and wanting to purchase more casks of Mr Calvert's ships and having no prospect of getting any good weather I thought it most prudent to come iii and refit the Ship and compleat my casks and fill my water, and by that time the weather would be more moderate. The day after we came in the Mary Anne came in, off a cruise, having met with very had weather shipped a sea and washed her try-works overboard, He informed me he left the Matilda in a Harbour to the Northward, and the Salamander had killed a ten barrel whale and lost her by bad weather. There is nothing against making a voyage on this Coast but the weather which I expect will be better next month. I think to make another months trial of it.
If a voyage can be got upon this coast, it will make it shorter than going to Peru, and the Governor has been very attentive in sending greens for refreshment to our crew at different times. Capt. Parker has been kind and has given me every assistance that lay in his power. He carries our longboat home as we cannot sell her here. He will dispose of her for you, or leave her at Portsmouth. He will wait upon you at his arrival in London. Capt. Ball of the Supply who is the bearer of this letter has likewise been very kind and rendered us every service that lay in his power. He will wait upon you likewise.
The Colony is alive expecting there will be a rendezvous for the fishermen. We shall be ready to sail on Tuesday the 22nd on a cruise. The Matilda has since arrived here, she saw the Salamander 4 days ago. She has seen more whales, but durst not lower their boats down. She has been into harbour twice. We have the pleasure to say we killed the first 4 whales on this coast. I have enclosed you the certificates for the convicts and receipts for the stores. Capt. Nepean has paid every attention to me and has been so kind as to let us have a copper. He dines with me tomorrow. I am collecting you some beautiful birds and land animals and curiosities for you. The ship remains tight and strong, and in good condition. I will write you by the Gorgon, Man of War; she sails about a month or six weeks time.
I am, Sirs, yr humble servant THOS. MELVILLE. Capt. of Ship Britannia Sydney, P.J. Nov.22 1791.
Arrived in 1756 as a soldier. Became a "burger" or citizen in 1763 and was a clothesmaker, later a baker and from 1788 he had a lime kiln business between Roodeblom and Zonneblom
Arrival 1757 from Erfurt, Germany.
Soldier, later clerk, became a citizen in 1780, and finally became a schoolmaster in Cape Town
Furniture Manufacturer
Accountant
Lived at 22 Chester Rd
At 1901 census was a widow; occupation registered as hardware shopkeeper carried on from home. Census includes a servant aged 22 named Constance Andow