Samuel RUDMAN, 1820

Notes:

1820 Settler in South Africa.
Arrived on the Aurora with Siphons Party. He was 28 and his wife was Ann Springham or Stringham aged 19. He was a farmer.
At the time of his death on June 19, 1841 he was running a farm for Howseand Maskell at the Koonap Post. He died in mysterious circumstances. According to the Grahamstown Journal June 24, 1841. "On Saturday last (19th June, 1841) an express was received in town from Capt. Lonsdale, the officer commanding Fort Brown purporting that a person named Rudman, an Englishman, in the employ of Messrs Howse and Maskell, had been shot through the head by Kaffirs that had beset the house during the night and on his opening the door he was instantly shot by the marauders. This information coming so quickly upon the heels of reports of several other daring outrages ..... a requisition was immediately drawn up and transmitted to the Lt. Governor as follows....

Grahamstown 19th June, 1841. The circumstances of the death of the unfortunate man Rudman has been under investigation during the whole of this week, but the matter seems involved in considerable mystery. The wife of the deceased persists that ... she distinctly heard marauders about the house, that she woke her husband ... that he arose and that on going to the door of the hut in which they were living he was shot through the head. In opposition to this it is stated by the patrol and others who visited the spot the following day, that not the slightest trace of Kaffirs around the premises is to be found. Suspicion has fallen on two persons of color... These persons had quarreled, the day before Rudman was killed and he had interfered to prevent their fighting... It goes on to say it is likely an accident, deceased having shot himself when his gun went off. Ibid 8.7.1841. Nothing has transpired as we have heard, to convince the public that this unfortunate man did not fall by the hand of a Kaffir.... Mrs. Rudman states that she and her husband went to reside on Mr. Howses farm on the Fish River, about the middle of May... states that at the time of his death he had no gun with him.
Ibid 15.7.1841. It is equally well known that Mr. Howse's farm servants, including the man Rudman, since killed, were driven away from a farm near the Koonap Post on which the proprietor was about to farm on establishment. Since the publication of our last the widow of Rudman has been cited to appear before the Resident Magistrate... and has made a depositure of the facts attending the death of her husband. Between this account and that published by us there is some little discrepancy.....
So whether she did away with her husband or whether he was killed by marauders is not known. I could however not find any trace of his estate, where he is buried or any indication at all of an estate for him.
Rudman - Cape of Good Hope . Government Gazette 7.3.1845. In Hezekiah Sephton's party, William Cary Hobson Lot number 27, 3 morgen 395 square roods, with one share in the commonage being the share of Samuel Rudman, who sold to B. Patric, who sold to C.T. Croft, who sold to W.C. Hobson.
Rietfontein party, Thomas F. King 2 morgen 111 square roods, being Lot number 4 surveyed for the said King with one share in the commonage purchased from Thomas Croft. Also 7 morgen and 253 square roods being Lot number 3 surveyed for the said King, with three shares in the commonage purchased from S. Rudman, Thos Slater and William Muir.

Samuel married Ann STRINGHAM, 1820 about 1820. Ann was born in 1801; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]