The Cawood File
This file contains the known descendants, to the 6th
generation, of Joshua Cawood, born about 1690, nailmaker of Otley, Yorkshire.
Notes for Samuel CAWOOD
MP for Albany.
CAWOOD, SAMUEL (1808-1887) Trader, hunter. See DSAB. He was born in Yorkshire, the fifth son of David and Mary Cawood, 1820 Settlers of Hayhurst’s party, ship John. With their parents came nine children, including sons James, 21; Joshua, 16; Samuel,
12; and David, 1. The Cawoods settled near Kap River at Cawood’s Post, and the brothers became hunter-traders in Kaffirland.
Turvey, with two wagons belonging to A. Cowie (q.v.) and B. Green, and in the company of one of the Cawood brothers, who was buying ivory in Pondoland, was returning to Cape Colony from Turvey’s Bush when on 19 May 1829 they met Biddulph, Bain, the
Fynns, Cane and Shaw near the Umtata River.
James, Joshua and Samuel Cawood, their wives and families, and David Cawood, Hayhurst and Upton, with six wagons loaded with trade goods and supplies, arrived at Buntingville Mission in Pondoland on 1 December 1831. They were trekking to Natal to
found a trading settlement. They reached the Bay in January 1832, set up shop, and began collecting ivory, horns and cattle. H. F. Fynn at first feared that their prayer meetings would be misunderstood by the Zulus and lead to trouble.
During the fright over Dingane’s intentions towards the settlers in July 1832, the Cawoods were not at the Bay, though in any case they would have awaited the arrival of a ship they expected rather than take to the bush. In September 1832 they were
almost the only whites at Port Natal.
By January 1833 the Cawoods were ready to give up because the Zulus asked prices for their produce that were too high. Accordingly, the whole party was trekking for Pondoland and Cape Colony in June or July 1833, with produce worth about £2,000.
After the Sixth Frontier War of 1834-35, the four Cawoods established at Grahamstown the mercantile firm of Cawood Brothers. S. Cawood became a rich and prominent citizen of Grahamstown, of which he was mayor in 1880. He visited England in 1875. In
1859 he was a member for Albany District of the Cape Legislative Assembly; from 1860 to 1878 he was member of the Legislative Council for the Eastern Divisions; and in 1883 he was member of the Legislative Council for the South Eastern Division.
S. Cawood married Rosa Pike; they had five sons and five daughters. He died at Grahamstown on 15 June 1887. (DSAB. Hy1820, 141, 216, 265. Sd, II, 289. Bag, 98. SmN, 10, 31. Fy, 213-4, 216, 219-20, 224. MCD, 167-8.)
(From Tabler, Edward C.: Pioneers of Natal and South-eastern Africa 1552 - 1878)
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