James Arbuthnot (1816 - 1861)

Born 1816 in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Jane (Cordiner) Arbuthnot — married 18 Oct 1842 in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 4 May 1861 at about age 45 in Umzinto Lodge, Umzinto, Natal, South Africa

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This profile is part of the Arbuthnot Name Study.

Biography

James was born in 1816. He was the son of William Arbuthnot and Susan Marshall.

James was educated at Aberdeen College.

Marriage

Name James Arbuthnot

Spouse's Name Jane Cordiner

Event Date 18 Oct 1842

Event Place Peterhead, Aberdeen, Scotland^[1]

They went on to have nine children.

He went on to farm at Buchan, Scotland and then, with his young family at Downie Hills, Peterhead where he founded a company manufacturing clay pipes, tiles and bricks.

James and his family emigrated from England to Natal, South Africa, departing from Liverpool aboard the Unicorn on 13 June 1850, arriving into Port Natal on 19 September 1850. They were known as the Byrne Settlers (the term Byrne Settler refers to any emigrant brought to Natal by the company, J. C. Byrne & Co.)

An account written by a fellow settler J. D. Clark describes some of the passengers of the Unicorn as follows:

James Arbuthnot, his wife and family came by the ship. Their family history states that the Unicorn was well run and well provisioned.^[2]

The 320 acre allotment he ran as a stock farm in Natal, Berryden, was part of the Dunbar Estate approximately four miles west of Richmond. During 1857 he purchased a farm on the North bank of the Umzinto River near Kelso and founded Umzinto Lodge Sugar Plantation there. (The founding of Umzinto Lodge Sugar Estate is described in Valiant Harvest - The founding of the South African Sugar Industry: 1848-1926 Robert F. Osborn, 1964, The South African Sugar Association, Durban, Natal.) He later also purchased the farm Bushy Park on the south bank of the Umzinto River. He ordered a sugar mill from James Abernethy & Co of Aberdeen, Scotland and this was officially opened on 28 November 1859.

James was elected to the colony's first legislative council in 1857, representing Pietermaritzburg, and was returned in 1859, again for Pietermaritzburg though living in Alexandra County - he agreed to stand for election on condition that he did not canvass for votes. He was also a Lay Minister and had built a church at Umzinto Lodge. The earliest church record in the district is of James conducting a burial service there [The development of the Anglican Church in Natal is described in "Anglicans in Natal - A history of the Diocese of Natal" Rev B.B. Burnett, 1953, published by the Churchwardens of St. Paul's, Durban, Natal], the second church record in the district is of James's own burial.

He was the author of the essay "The Colony of Natal", 1859, that appeared in "Emigrants Guide Book to Port Natal" 1862, edited by Dr R. J. Mann and published by George and Robert King, Aberdeen, Scotland and Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, Scotland.

James also raised and commanded during 1859, holding the rank of Captain, the Umzinto Troop of the Natal Carbineers.

Sadly he died in 1861 at the age of 45. Sir John Robinson, first Premier of Natal, had visited James at Umzinto Lodge and among his observations published in the Natal Mercury during 1861 was the following: "Little imagined we six weeks ago, when enjoying the free and generous hospitalities of the proprietor (James Arbuthnot) that we should never again have intercourse with whom we had such warm regard and such sincere respect... There is no sugar estate in the colony more likely to attract the stranger's eye than Umzinto Lodge Sugar Estate".

After his death the financiers for the mill recalled their loan prematurely and James's widow, Jane, was forced to allow the estate to pass into the hands of the liquidators and it was managed for a time by James ("Jim") Bell.

Probate:

Event Date: 1861

Event Place: Natal, South Africa^[3]

Occupation: Sugar Planter

In 1878 his widow had built at Arborville, in memory of James, Holy Trinity Church, consecrated during 1879. This church was demolished during 1919 because of structural problems though the family cemetery remains. Stained glass windows in St. Patrick's Anglican Church, Umzinto are in memory of James and Jane. In recognition of their pioneering role in the Colony of Natal, two of the main streets in Scottburgh, on the South Coast are named Arbuthnot Street and Cordiner Street.

Burial

Humberdale Cemetery, Kelso, Natal, South Africa

Sources

• The source of most of this data is Kittybrewster.com - Table M. — This is not a primary source and you are invited to improve upon it.

• http://shelaghspencer.com/settlers/?highlight=spencer%20

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byrne_Settler

• http://sa-passenger-list.za.net/unicorn.php

1. ↑ "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTJH-BYW : 10 February 2018), James Arbuthnot and Jane Cordiner, 18 Oct 1842; citing Peterhead,Aberdeen,Scotland, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 993,353.
2. ↑ https://www.bordersancestry.com/blog/trotting-about-in-natal-a-unicorn-a-couple-of-christians-a-bishop-a-spot-of-polo
3. ↑ "South Africa, Pietermaritzburg Estate Files 1846-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLR2-N5FR : 17 March 2018), James Arbuthnot, 1861; citing Probate, Pietermaritzburg Archives (Formerly Natal State Archives), South Africa.