A Timeline of Important Happenings at Clumber over the Years

An Easy Short Reference Highlighting Subjects Covered in this Website in Yearly Order

The Tumultuous Years Experienced by the Nottingham Party

The Years of Hardships and the Years of Progress and Achievements

From the outset, mention must be made of the hardships the Settlers were due to face of which they were unaware.The British Goverment was guilty of not informing the Settlers that their placement on the Eastern Border of the Cape Colony was for them to be used as a buffer zone during incursions from the Xhosa tribes outside the Colony. Prior to the 1820 Settlers’ arrival, 5 Wars had allready taken place. This was a known fact by the British Government yet they still proceeded to execute their plan of populating the countryside with civilians . So , in effect , these civilians were the first line of defense for the Colony. It is beyond the scope of understanding that the British Goverment would place civilians in such a precarious position. As will be seen , some of the wars they had to endure would exceed 2 years duration and most times the entire countryside had to be evacuated and all possessions, homes, livestock , crops would be at the mercy of the invaders.

Known as the Border Wars , this is a list of the wars prior to the Settlers arrival , as well as the subsequent wars they would have to endure.

1779 - 1781 First Border War

1789 - 1793 Second Border War

1799 - 1803 Third Border War

1811 - 1812 Fourth Border War

1818 - 1819 Fifth Border War

1834 - 1836 Sixth Border War 

1846 - 1847 Seventh Border War

1850 - 1853 Eighth Border War

1877 - 1879 Ninth Border War

As can be seen the Wars erupted with monotonous reqularity putting immense strain on people knowing that they either had to put down roots in their new land , or perish.

10 January 1820 the men were the first to leave Nottingham

26 January all were aboard the Albury ready to sail

13 February set sail for Cape of Good Hope

15 May anchored in Algoa Bay

28 May disembarked

15 July departed Algol Bay by ox wagons

25 July Arrived at Clumber

1822 Drought 

1823 The Great Flood

1825 First Church built seating 100

1834 Sixth Border war. Entire area evacuated. Relocated to Bathurst then Grahamstown and finally on to a farm Prospect. Dwellings were wattle and daub houses and ox wagons

1836 War ended .Returned to their homes. 

1837 Due to damage sustained to the first Church during the war, a second  Church seating 200 was  built. Also used as a school 

1837 Tenders for a schoolmasters house were submitted

1846 Seventh Border War. Instead of evacuating , Church was used as a Command Station and families took refuge in the Church

1847 War ended. Martial War lifted

1850 Eighth Border War. Entire area evacuated. Took refuge  at farm Prospect. Wattle and daub houses erected and wagons used as accommodation

1853 Returned home after cessation of hostilities 

1866 Foundation stone laid for a third Church .2nd Church was in disrepair due to use in Seventh Border war as a command station and a refuge for families

1867 Third Church built ( The current)

1873 Second Church demolished 

1873 School built

1875 Schoolroom enlarged

1888 Perimiter fencing for Churchyard erected ( Poles and wires still in place )

1889 Manse built

1902 Schoolmasters House renovated

1902 One acre ground made available for a government aided school

1903 Organ donated 

1903 Elizabeth Trower undertook to finance the building of the School

1905 New School  opened 

1914 Community Hall built on site of old school

1916 Vestry added to the Church 

1977 School closed

1987 Church and School recognized as National Monuments

2015 Church Renovation 

2016 Church Renovation

2017 Church 150 year celebration

2018 Repairs to the School