Military pensioner
settlements

The core of Sir George Grey's project was to settle thousands of military pensioner families in British Kaffraria. The men whom he envisaged were to be middle-aged and married, preferably with children.

This would bring stability to the region. As soldiers, the pensioners would increase the military strength in the territory while, as settlers, they would stimulate trade and agriculture — and create employment for the amaXhosa. The increase in the White population would in turn foster cultural assimilation.

As a corollary to this plan, the Governor would also introduce Church of England missionaries to work their magic on the amaXhosa. These men of God would labour hand-in-glove with the authorities to proselytise the people, create schools where English would be taught, and would inculcate the Christian value of manual labour into a people who, he said, were "given to laziness".

Sir George wanted an initial settlement of about a thousand families, a total which would be increased ultimately to five thousand. Indeed, he had already given instructions for land to be made ready for them at King William's Town and Alice, the towns which currently had large army garrisons.

The idea was to give each family one acre of land "immediately contiguous to the posts" upon which the pensioner could build his house. In this way "a considerable village" or town would be formed.

Once the initial settlements had been established, further such villages would be created at the other military posts in British Kaffraria. The result, Sir George speculated, would be a massive increase in their military capacity which would "altogether prevent hostilities from ever again breaking out in Kaffraria".

The Colonial Office was convinced by his argument. Sir George's reputation which he had acquired in New Zealand was certainly a deciding factor — but so was his accompanying threat of massive insurrection in British Kaffraria should his plan be rejected.

Adverts were immediately placed for the thousands of pensioners to reveal themselves — but there were almost no takers. This was not surprising given the conditions under which the pensioners were expected to enrol.

Indeed, the specifications were hopelessly naive and reveal a curious shortsightedness on the part of the Governor — as well as a deliberate attempt to cut costs wherever possible.

In the first place, the plots were to measure a mere acre in extent, which was certainly not big enough to enable them to make a living either from agriculture or from animal husbandry.

Indeed, it was taken for granted that the pensioners would have to support themselves as labourers, but a restriction then limited their seeking employment to no more than five miles from their home.

Although the pensioners would be given a two-room cottage upon arrival, the purchase of all equipment and livestock would be at their own expense. Cottage and land would be rent free, yet the men were expected to perform military exercises free of charge for twelve days each year, and had to muster in uniform for church service every Sunday.

Probably the most telling obstacle towards enrollment, however, lay in the conditions of ownership of the pensioner cottages. If the pensioner remained for seven years, the cottage and property would become his — but if he should die before that period, then the cottage would be handed over to another pensioner.

His family would be allowed to remain only until such time as the new occupant arrived. In other words, the family would be summarily evicted in the unfortunate circumstance of the pensioner's untimely death.

It is not surprising therefore that less than a hundred volunteers responded. This was nowhere near the thousand that the Governor had speculated would be needed even for the initial stage. It was certainly far short of the five thousand needed for the total plan.

Indeed, it could not longer even be called a settler scheme. It is understandable therefore that Sir William Molesworth unilaterally cancelled the plan and sent none of the recruits. Instead, he turned to another idea — to settle thousands of soldiers of the British German Legion, soon to be disbanded at the conclusion of the Crimean War.

Sir George had said that he desperately wanted soldiers — then let him have the Legion. Except, of course, that few of the legionnaires would be married and the Governor had expressly explained that he wanted middle-aged wedded couples, not young bachelor soldiers.

But why quibble over finer details? Especially when the War Office itself had a major problem that needed solving, i.e. what to do with the thousands of legionnaires who couldn't be sent back to Germany?

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