Green, John Sr. (Apr 27, 1779 – Sep 1834) by Gordon John

THE HARDSHIPS
ENCOUNTERED BY TH JOHN GREEN FAMILY IN ENGLAND AND SOUTH-AFRICA.

February 8, 1982.  It has been a little over 4 years since my
wife passed away, I have had many days here working on my Genealogy, Histories,
Life sketches, along with the daily house work, gardening and my flowers, lawns
in the summer, and with the snow in the winter, all in all I have had time to
do a lot of thinking, and one thing that seems to keep coming back to me is, I would
like to know more about the reason the wife's gg grandfather, John Green born
abt. 1779 and wife Ann, Rowney left England with their family, and went to South
Africa.

Before the wife's death, we spent most
of our time with my people, gathering kneaded [sic] information on the Ward
line, while we were getting material for the ward family book. which [sic] took
18 months 6 hours pr. day, to get it ready for publication.  Then we spent some time getting the Green family
book ready for publication, so we neglected to do more on the Green line, Back [sic]
beyond where we started the Green family book.

I have been doing as much research
as I can, from a family account of the Green family, written by Ann Rowney in
1865, there seems to be a little deference in the time of Ann's death, but it
was shortly before her [sic] died. I have gone into the Universal World
Reference Encyclopedia, found an uprising in England and through out Europe.

Anns [sic] sketch was brought here
by the wife's distant cousin Joice Williams and her husband and Joice's mother,
if I remember right Joice's mother and Etha's father were about 2nd or 3rd
cousins, they came [here] in the early 1970s,im [sic] not sure of the date, [sic]
It is material I dident [sic] know we had. Joice and her Husb. Sidney Williams
are from S-Africa.

From Ann's writings John was in the
English Army and got his discharge through a hurt or a Sabor wound in
the head, according to her,this [sic] was before they were married, as they
were married in the 17 October 1808. I would like to mention now that Ann had
two brothers that was [sic] killed in the battle of Watterloo [sic] when Napoleon
was defeated June 18, 1815, a loss of 63,000 men. I will tell more of the
activities of Napoleon later.

I can see where they may wanted
[sic] to get away fron [sic] the trouble they were having in Englnd. [sic] but
when they got to Cape-Town in South Africa, leaving Deal Dec 27, 1819 took 120
days for the voyage ariving [sic] at Cape Town Apr 26, 1820. They were there
only a few years until the Kaffir's natives of that country waged war on the
settlers, stole their stock looted their homes, they lost all their papers,
caused them to move to the Kat River country. moveing [sic] from Grahmstown to
the Kat River country the 1st. of September 1834, and John died the 21st. September
1834. [at Balfour.] After John's death Ann married a Mister Bowker, he died,
even being over 70 years of age she married once more a man by the name of
Bowles, she out lived all three of her husbands she died around about 1865. [sic]
at Grahamstown Cape, South Africa. Haveing [sic] one son Thomas who died of a
snake bite, another one I'm not sure the name, but died of whooping-caugh. (I
think her name was Jane)

The natives of that land, the
Kaffir' s and Hottentot's was [sic] always giving the settlers truble, [sic] at
one time they rounded all the settlers from one village, to a open spot and
killed all the men and boys, one lady put a small boy under her skirt, and he
was the only male survirer [sic] in the groupe, [sic] they tell later of his posterity
[sic] there now.

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[page 2]

Ann had five brothers, Thomas was
the oldest born abt 1766.. [sic] Ann born 15 Jan 1788 md. John Green,..William [sic]
a carpenter. [sic] born abt. 1790, he came to America,when [sic] his apprenticeship
was over… [sic] James was born abt. 1792 he was a Blacksmith… [sic] George
was born abt.1794 he was a tailor… [sic] we don't know the names of his other
two brothers. William who came to America, should have a large posterity here
in this country by now.

We have had problems trying to be
sure of John's father, we thought it was Richard,Joice [sic] in her research in
England was'nt [sic] sure, this account of Ann's writings say's it was Richard,
[sic] Our records says it could be Richard,William [sic] or George, I hope we
can some day find out for sure. They also found unrest in South Africa When
they got there, as you see by what I have written… [sic] Now I will try and
tell of some of the unrest they had While in England, and all through out Europe.
   

I hope I can make it short so it
won't [be] boring to you… [sic] Napoleon Bonaparte was born 1 August 15, 1769
in the town of Ajaccio capital of the Island of Corsica, off the west coast of
Italy, [sic] He attended the Royal Military School Brienne, Where he took only
mathematics, [Read] the lives of great men, and military tactics, Appointed [sic]
in 1785 as second Lieutenant in the French Army, Napoleon began an ambitious
career. He was made Lieutenant Colonel of Artillery in 1793. Through his
ability he was made brigadier general of artillery in 1794, he put down a mob
uprising of 30.000 [sic] men with 5,000 men, [sic] He was made comander-in-chief
[sic] of the French Army….He [sic] married Josephine, the widow of General
Beauharnais

March 9, 1796 she had two children….. [sic] He won a
campaign [sic] against the Austrians and Sardinians in 1796/7 with 40,000 men
against 75,000 men,… [sic] Napoleon went into the Netherlands,  Austria, Spain,Egypt, [sic] Syria and
Palistine, [sic] and went from there into South-Africa, Trying [sic] to destroy
the holdings the English had there, But [sic] the British [sic] Royal Navy
[Commanded by Lord NELSON,More given in clipping on next page of Mir] discouraged
him there, and he pulled out… But [sic] on land Napoleon remained supreme,
defeating one Army after another, on up through Spain, and with 500,000 men
Napoleon invaded Russia, driveing [sic] them back to Moscow,. [sic] decided to
spend the winter there, but the Russians set fire to the City, and Napoleon's
men were lightly clothed, and few provisions, so he retreated back to the
Polish border, and back to France.

Napoleon was then made Emperor, and
had no son to take his throne, so he devorced [sic] his unfaithful wife
Josephine who was a very beautiful woman, in 1809. [sic] and on April 2, 1810
he married Marie Louise of Austria who bore him a son March 20, 1811. she [sic]
was 19 years old.

The combined Armies of Russia,
Prussia, Sweden, Austria, Great Britain defeated Napoleon at the battle of
Waterloo with 63,000 men dead, two of Ann Rowney's brothers were killed in that
battle. Napoleon surendered [sic] June 18, 1815, Marie Louise and son was [sic]
taken from Napoleon by her father who regained the throne of Austria, and were
kept there almost as prisoners, [sic] Napoleon's son lived until he was 21
years old and died of Tuberculosis, a common disease of his mother's Habsburg
family. When defeated June 15, 1815, he was sent to the Island of St. Helena,
there he died of Ulcer or Cancer May 5, 1821, he was buried there, and in 1840
at the request of the French government his remains were taken to Paris, France
Where there is a memorial Mass held on May 5 of each year at the great tomb.

CONTINUED