party, noun

Forms:
Also with initial capital.
Origin:
EnglishShow more Special senses of English party group.
historical
1. An officially constituted group of British settlers (especially those of 1820) under the leadership of one person and initially settled together on contiguous farms.
1819 Circular (Colonial Office) in G.M. Theal Rec. of Cape Col. (1902) XII. 229It is absolutely requisite that the details respecting the Individuals of your Party which you are called upon to state in the Returns, should be correctly specified.
1835 C.L. Stretch Journal.In 1820 about 4,000 took possession of the Zuurveldt under certain arrangements between the Heads of the different parties with the Government.
1868 Act 13 in Stat. of Cape of G.H.Following the line of the Deal Party’s grant to the sea.
1877 R.M. Ballantyne Settler & Savage 78There was ‘Baillie’s party,’ which crossed Lower Albany to the mouth of the Great Fish River.
1948 H.E. Hockly Story of Brit. Settlers of 1820 32What came to be known as ‘independent parties’ consisted of a number of persons who, while maintaining complete independence and paying their own deposit money, formally contracted with the head of the party to act as their representative and on their behalf in dealing with the authorities...The ‘sole proprietor party,’ on the other hand, was one in which the director — usually a person of substance — assumed all financial responsibility and paid the deposit on behalf of the members, who on their side indentured themselves to the director as servants for a specified number of years at an agreed remuneration and generally waived their rights to the hundred acres of land in favour of the director.
1956 F.C. Metrowich Valiant but Once 54A well-educated man of good family, Bishop Burnett decided to take part in the 1820 Emigration to the Cape. He therefore joined Mr. Bailie’s party.
1966 F.G. Butler Take Root or Die (1970) 8Like all other parties we have been carried to our locations between the Bushmans and Fish rivers.
1971 Grocott’s Mail 28 May 3Members of the Lower Albany Historical Society visited Reed Fountain, original settlement of part of the Sephton party of 1820 Settlers, and Theopolis on their May expedition.
1975 D.H. Strutt Clothing Fashions 168Parliament voted £50,000 (R100,000) to pay for the passages of 57 parties, each under a leader.
2. location sense 1 a. Also an element in place-names.
1820 G. Barker Journal. 27 Dec.Left Bushmans Rivier at day light and rode to Mr Sephtons party of settlers.
1824 G. Barker Journal. 16 JuneSaw the new chapel that is building in James’s party and also the man who preached in that party.
1832 Graham’s Town Jrnl 89There is also to be Let or Sold, a Location at Clarke’s Party, with a good House on the same.
1843 Cape of G.H. Almanac & Annual Register 406At the distance of four miles, is a village called Eben Ezer and sometimes James’s party.
1971 Grocott’s Mail 27 Apr. 1The Location of the Salem Party (sub-division No. 6) and Portion 23 of Salem Commonage, all situate in the Division of Albany.
An officially constituted group of British settlers (especially those of 1820) under the leadership of one person and initially settled together on contiguous farms.
location sense 1 a. Also an element in place-names.
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partridge, nounn.pasganger, nounn.1
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