Biggar family
The Biggar family, Alexander Harvey Biggar (29 October 1781 – 27 December 1838) and his two sons Robert (12 September 1813 – 17 April 1838) and George (20 February 1820 – 17 February 1838), were pioneer traders at Port Natal, in what was to become the Colony of Natal. Subsequent to the massacre of Retief's delegation, they became involved in the exchange of attacks between Zulus and settlers. Although contributing to the overthrow of Dingane, all three lost their lives in the conflicts of 1838. Alexander's grandson John Dunn became a well-known Natal pioneer in his own right.
Alexander was born in Kinsale, Ireland in 1781, to parents (Major) Harold Robert Biggar and Ann, née Harvey. On 3 March 1799, he married Mary Straton (1781–1855) in Brechin, Scotland. Alexander first worked as Paymaster for the 85th regiment, before fighting in the Napoleonic Wars of 1803-1815, and the War of 1812 in North America. His highest rank was Captain, but he was found guilty of embezzling £1,300 from War Office Funds and was discharged from service after repaying the money.
He emigrated to the Cape Colony along with other 1820 Settlers. Alexander paid deposits for 13 other settler families who were indentured to him for three years and would receive 20 acres (81,000 m2) of land which they could cultivate on weekends, and receive title after three years. Despite their signed Article of Agreement, by July 1820 all except George Pollard had deserted him or applied for release from their contracts.
His family, which now included nine daughters and a son, Robert, departed from Portsmouth on HMS Weymouth on 20 January 1820, arriving in Algoa Bay on 15 May 1820. His younger son George was born during the voyage. The family was allotted the Woodlands farm, near Bathurst on 6 September 1826. Ten years later, in May 1836, Alexander moved to the frontier trading centre of Port Natal, in the later Colony of Natal, initially with his younger son George. Once there, he founded the Port Natal Volunteers in 1837, the first white military group of the region, though they almost immediately disbanded. Alexander had 13 children in total. This included a son by a Zulu woman, as was the practice among Englishmen in the fledgling settler community.
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