Marriage of Thomas Slater and Sophia Hall
Westminster Marriages:
"No.451 Thomas Slater & Sophia Hall, both of this parish, were married
in this church by licence from the Bishop of London this nineteenth day of
December in the year 1793. By me John Waring, Curate.
This marriage was solemnized between us. Thomas Slater - Sophia Hall.
In the presence of Chris Hall - Elizabeth Slater"
In 1820 Settler records, Thomas and Sophia's children were listed as Hannah 17, Elizabeth 13, George 12, Henry 9, Edward 7, and John 5. They travelled to South Africa on the Aurora ship as part of Hezekiah Sephton's party, and settled in Salem (near Grahamstown).
Their descendant, Francis Carey Slater (1876 - 1958), was a well-known poet.
Thomas Slater was described as a delicate scholarly man of independent means. He was an artist; one of his paintings (of Port Elizabeth in 1829) was displayed in the Port Elizabeth library.
Thomas and Sophia emigrated to the Cape in 1820, seeking a warmer climate for
their delicate health. Thomas had visited North America and had already
booked passages for that country when he was persuaded to join Sephton's
Party. They sailedin the Aurora, Captain Pearson, reaching Algoa Bay
on 15 May 1820. They were accompanied by seven of their children:
Charles, Juliana, Elizabeth, George, Henry, Edward, and John. Their
eldest son Matthew is said to have gone to India, while Sarah and a
young brother remained in England. In 1821, Thomas requested a refund of the
deposit he had paid for Sarah's passage in the Aurora, stating that she had
not embarked with the family owing to illness.
Juliana was the first Salem bride, marrying Benjamin Rudman in August 1820.
Thomas was of scholarly nature and artistically inclined, and produced
drawings and paintings of the Eastern Cape, of which has survived his
painting of Port Elizabeth c.1826.
From "The Carnarvon Dale Papers", Volume 4, pp.11-12.
Thomas Slater was allocated allotment No. 30, which consisted of 23 morgen
[about 20 hectares]; his son Charles, a settler in his own right, was
allotted No. 32 of 11 morgen 362 roods, this being directly opposite
his father's on the Assegaai River.
From "The Carnarvon Dale Papers", Volume 4, p.12.
1820 Settler, part of
Hezekiah Sephton's party in the ship Aurora (344 passengers).
Departed from London on 15 February 1820. (Left from Deptford on 6 February 1820, and, after some further delay, from Gravesend on 15 February 1820.) Arrived at Simon's Bay 1 May 1820.
Arrived at final destination of Algoa Bay, Cape Colony on 15 May 1820.