Stead family
Samuel Stead arrived in Durban in 1861 aboard the sailing ship Cataraque together with his father Benjamin Johnson Stead and his stepmother Eliza, his brothers Thomas, half-brother CT Varley and two sisters, which included his half sister Emily. Sarah Stead, Samuel’ future wife, arrived with her parents, Mathew and Mary Stead, board the Henrietta in 1850 carrying the Byrnes Settlers. This branch of the Stead family settled at Baynesfield but later moved to Pietermaritzburg.
Benjamin Johnson Stead and Mathew were cousins, their father’s being brothers and also, their mothers were sisters. The family came from Methodist stock, which traces its membership back to the times of John Wesley and for many years the Stead ancestral home in Yorkshire was the temporary home of the weekly minister. The family had a succession of class leaders and chapel stewards to its credit.
At the time he left England, Samuel Stead was the leader of the drum and fife band of West Riding Yorkshire and soon after arriving in Durban he joined the Durban Rangers and was sergeant of the Pietermaritzburg Troop. Although sixty years of age at the time of the Boer War, Benjamin did his share for The Queen with the Nottingham Road Farmers Patrol.
On landing at from the Cataraque, and with the few planks used as a wharf, Benjamin engaged a transport rider with a wagon and Oxen to take their goods to Durban. They followed the wagon to a bare spot of sand with a bit of bush but no houses in sight and the man began to roll the cases off the wagon on to the sand. When asked what he was doing the man replied that “this is Durban, about all there is of it”. The spot is where the Town Hall is today.
Benjamin Stead and his sons were architects and builders and had brought out with them, circular saws and other machinery they thought would be useful in their new life. They later started a business in Pietermaritzburg but, like many others, could not survive the bad times of the 1860’s. Later they gave up the business and went farming on what was then a wilderness of thorns, briars and tall Tambuki grass. Here they founded the settlement New Leeds after their former home in Yorkshire. Early on their career the family felt the need for spiritual upliftment and they used to gather at New Leeds for Sunday services, in the home of Thomas Stead, as he had the large dining-room at the time. Services were conducted by local preachers, many of whom walked all the way from Pietermaritzburg to their appointments and Samuel Stead was responsible for starting a Methodist Church for the natives close to Nottingham Road. They were indeed pioneers of New Leeds and put in years of toil and suffered many hardships, but won through in the end.
Samuel moved to his farm in 1875 and began as a sheep farmer. He was a keen follower of political events but did not take an active part although supported people like the Honorable Harry Escombe.
Three of Samuel and Sarah’s sons moved up to Ladysmith, Frederick Arthur, Charles Edgar and Herbert Lieversley, setting up as farmers at Pieters, just outside the town. The original Pieters’ homestead was used by each successive settler and his family until such time as a new house was built on his own farm, the exception being Mr. MH Whysall who stayed with the Bremners. Mr. Whysall bought two adjoining farms in partnership with Mr. Sprink and when the partnership was dissolved in 1919 it was bought by Mr. Frank Stead. The other farm was owned by a succession of farmers, Mr. HL Stead, his son, Percy Stead, Mr. C. W. Bristow, David Fraser, a bachelor and returned soldier, Mr. Pinaar and then Mr. Hattingh. Tragically the wall of the house he was building collapsed and killed his infant son. He left soon afterwards, never having completed the house.
One such time was when the whole congregation was stung by bees at Mr. Frank Stead’s home during Church service. Another was an attempt by the visiting parson’s sons to drown our dogs in the reservoir while he was conducting the service in our lounge.
Bertram Charles Stead married Margaret Carey and Bertram, with Dudley, ran a photographic studio in Ladysmith however the date when this enterprise functioned is unknown.
Frederick Arthur married Henrietta Hollington Warwick in 1898 and it was probably Frederick’s involvement in Bantu Affairs, that decided the town council to name a new district, Steadville. Eric Stead, Frederick’s son, opened a small shop in the front of the yard, where he repaired cycles, sharpened saws and other functions.
Frederick Stead was Principle Clerk to the Chief Native Commissioner and retired in 1931 after 32 years service. A mock trial was held by the resident Magistrate the indictment being that the accused, Fred Stead, had refused to sign the office register that morning and further that he had attempted to escape from the custody of the police. The accused, having been placed in the dock by two policemen, the Public Prosecutor, Mr Cullingworth and Head Constable Van Vuuren in turn gave details of the charges. The Head Constable opined that the charges made provision for a warrant being issued for the indeterminate detention of the prisoner. The accused pleaded ‘unguilty’. On second thoughts he pleaded guilty to the first and asked for a suspended sentence to the second. In mitigation the Assistant Magistrate Mr Bruce Austin said he thought the accused had been aided and abetted by the Government. The sentence was that Mr Stead had a long & happy retirement and that his colleagues would pay his fine out of respect for his loyalty over the years. A number of native Chiefs, Intombela and Walter Kumalo, presented him with gifts and in the afternoon the Chiefs organised a War Dance in the Oval.
Frederick’s son, Reginald Claude Stead, was a young man of great promise, a Guard on the SAR and died young at the age of 28 years. He was a member of British Empire Service League having done his duty for King & country in East Africa & Europe with 2 South Africa Infantry Regiment. His obituary reads “the deceased was a young man of great promise and had been employed on South African railways as a guard for the past ten years.”
Charles Edgar married Annie Crathorne and was the Stationmaster for many years. He and Annie lived in a house on the Newcastle road and when it was demolished, for the road to be widened, Annie was very distraught. Charles and Annie’s offspring appear to have kept the Stead line going, through their son John and their descendants.
Herbert Lieversley, the eldest son, married Robina Ann Davidson and they had three sons and a daughter.
Trooper Clifford Lievesely Stead, living at Pieters just outside Ladysmith and the son Of Herbert Lievesley, signed up with C squadron Natal Carbineers on 1 July 1914. He was 19 years of age, 6 feet 1 inch tall with a 37 inch chest, quite a large man for the time. He served with the Carbineers in German South West Africa 21/8/1914-23/7/1915, Europe 29/4/1918-27/5/1919 2 South Africa Infantry Regiment. He was off strength 30 April 1921.
Trooper Harold Cecil Stead, son of Herbert, was living with family in 1914 when he enlisted with C squadron Natal Carbineers. He was 17 years old, 6 feet tall with a 35 inch chest and another large man. He also served with 2 South African Infantry Regiment and served in German South West Africa 21/8/1914-13/7/1915. Europe 29/4/1918-27/5/1919.
Mosquito Alley was at the end of Crowshaw Street, where Harriette Stead’s family lived and Harriette used to sing operatic songs and her father accompanied her on the piano. He often spent an hour or two in the evenings playing the grand piano in the lounge of the Railway Institute.
479 Trooper Harry Percy Stead, a farmer from Nottingham Road, joined D squadron NC’s 5/2/1888, served during the Boer War including Siege of Ladysmith, 1906 Rebellion and left the regiment in 30/6/1914 as a sergeant. When he joined he was 19 ½ years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall and had a chest measurement of 35 inches.
His brother, 353 Trooper Benjamin Lawrence Stead, also a farmer from Nottingham Road, joined C Squadron Natal Carbineers 30 March 1895. Served in the Siege of Ladysmith with the Natal Carbineers and left the regiment 25 March 1907.
The Natal Carbineers regimental records show there was a Stead serving with the regiment in all three wars, Boer, WW1 and WW2.