Stories of Thomas Bruton - Born 18 December 1792 - 1820 Settler
Research by D.T.Bruton
Born in Devonshire on 18 December 1792: Died 6 June 1875
Married Charlotte Lassam, born in Devonshire on 24 September 1795: Died 24 September 1877
Both died at Kloof Lodge, Kloof Street, Cape Town - The home of their youngest son James Edward Bruton.
Arrived in Simon's Bay on the ship Zoroaster under command of Commander Thompson
with wife and daughter
Charlotte (8mths) on 30 April 1820 as members of Thornhill's Party.
Thomas Bruton was the owner of a store in Market Square Port Elizabeth (1849)
which must have been reasonably
successful for he had Rose Cottage, Havelock Street, (next to Grey Institute)
built "regardless of cost".
Extract from, "Redgrave, J.J., Port Elizabeth in Bygone Days, The Rustica Press Ltd., Wynberg, Cape, 1947";
" The first little temporary hospital (in PE) stood at the top of Rodney Street
and was opened to the ailing in 1856. It was
merely a two-storey private dwelling belonging to Mrs Bruton (Charlotte - wife
of Thomas the settler) whose son, James
Bruton, carried on a photographer's business in Jetty Street. He was one of the
first and best photographers of his day
and to him history is indebted for some of the finest reproductions of the old
town of Port Elizabeth as it then appeared
some thirty years after its foundation. Mrs Bruton, leased her dwelling in
Rodney Street to the Hospital Board, but when
the hospital moved into its own spacious premises on Richmond Hill in 1859, her
place was taken over as an
auctioneer's business by the popular James Somers Kirkwood and is still
flourishing on the same site as A.E.Marks and
Co."
Note by Dr Neal S Bruton;
It is interesting to note that
Derrick Thomas Bruton, the great-great grandson
of Charlotte, opened his clothing store,
known as Genstyle Clothing (Pty) Ltd, together with a partner, Mr Stanhope
P. de Koning, on the first floor of the Lander
Building, on the corner of Rodney Street and Main Street, Port
Elizabeth, in 1967 probably on or close to the site of
Charlotte Bruton's home, and temporary hospital.
Research ex Port Alfred Museum - with kind assistance of staff
BRUTON, THOMAS, 27, SMITH (trade), Thornhill's
Party, "Zoroaster"
Wife: Charlotte 24, Child: Charlotte
18.12.1792: he was born.
24.09.1795: his wife Charlotte was born
1818: he was married to Charlotte Lassam
25.01.1820: sailed on Zoroaster (quote: he was in "Zoroaster")
07.06.1820: he had landed at Fort Frederick
02.07.1821: a daughter Eliza was born
07.09.1821: daughter Eliza baptised at Thornhill by Rev William Shaw
.09.1821: he was a blacksmith at Thornhill
14.03.1824: son Thomas born
19.07.1824: he was at Tarka
07.02.1826: he was paid 21 pounds for work on public bridges at Somerset
23.03.1826: son William born
10.08.1828: son George born
08.09.1830: daughter Frances born
06.11.1832: son Charles born
1833: was living at Somerset
18.07.1833: subscribed to Glasgow Missionary Society
25.08.1835: daughter Sarah born
07.04.1836: he was farming at Somerset, had two oxen taken
25.10.1836: a white smith
06.04.1838: son James born
11.1840: he still lived at Somerset
22.12.1840: his daughter Sarah died at Somerset, aged 5y 4m
06.09.1842: he offered his house at Somerset for sale
09.12.1842: second daughter Eliza married by Rev J. Edwards to Henry Staines of
PE
27.12.1842: there was a sale of his property at Fort Beaufort
09.01.1845: he was living at Port Elizabeth
12.08.1847: he had lost a horse there
22.07.1849: his third daughter Frances married to Mr Bowden. Master of
brigantine "Sans Pareil", by Rev
Francis McClelland
1849: he had a store in Market Street Port Elizabeth
20.08.1853: his son Thomas took over Commando Kraal Inn
16.06.1875: he died at Cape Town
24.09.1877: his wife Charlotte died at Cape Town
Jas B photographer at Cape Town
Jas B first photographer at Port Elizabeth. (Jetty St)
BRUTON, CHARLOTTE, 24.
24.09.1795: she was born Hassam (Lassam ??)
07.06.1820: she had landed at Fort Frederick with her husband, Thomas Bruton
1833: a daughter Frances had been born to her
08.1835: a daughter had been born to her
22.12.1842: her daughter Sarah died at Somerset, aged 5y 4m
09.12.1842: her daughter Eliza was married by Rev J. Edwards to Henry Staines of
PE
30.10.1844: she had a shop at Port Elizabeth
22.07.1849: her third daughter Frances was married to Mr Bowden. Master of
brigantine "Sans Pareil", by
Rev Francis McClelland
24.09.1877: she died at Cape Town