Samson Dyer
Encyclopedia
Samson Gabriel Dyer aka Sampson Dyers (9 September 1773 Newport, Rhode Island
- 1843) was an African-American noted for his association with Dyer Island off the Cape Agulhas
coast of South Africa
.
As a young man Dyer moved to Nantucket where he found work as a harpooner on a whale boat. In 1806 he boarded the vessel “President” bound for Cape Town
. Arrived in Cape Town, he was employed by the firm Cloete, Reitz and Anderson as a harpooner for the whaling industry in False Bay
. Later he was sent to an unnamed island to prepare sealskins for the company. Here he also gathered guano
which he sold as fertiliser to farmers in the Overberg
area.
The greater part of the Cape Fur Seal
colony was to be found on neighbouring Geyser Rock. With the guano-boom of the 19th century, guano was removed from Dyer Island regularly until the 1980s. Jackass penguins had previously made nesting holes in the guano, but following removal of the guano, they took to nesting on open ground, making their nests easily accessible to predators such as the Kelp gull
. The late 19th century craze for penguin eggs as a delicacy led to unsustainable exploitation until the 1960s. Records show that in 1902 alone 16 400 penguin eggs were collected on Dyer Island. Great White Pelicans formerly bred on the island until keepers destroyed the breeding grounds through excessive egg harvesting. Currently Dyer Island is a Nature Reserve for marine birds and penguin numbers are standing at about 7000. Geyser Rock now supports a colony of some 40 000 fur seals, and consequently the channel between the two islands is a rich hunting ground for Great White Shark
s and is known as "Shark Alley".
Dyer applied for British citizenship six years later, and stated to the Governor, Sir John Cradock
, that he was permanently employed culling seals and had prepared skins of some 24,000 seals over four seasons. In 1813 he married Margaretha Engel, who came from Elim
, and was his junior by 18 years. They had 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Dyer was baptized in Caledon
at the age of 70. The date and place of his death are not known.
Dyer showed great business acumen, and was considered a very rich and respected man in the Overberg. Alexander Johnstone Jardine (1790–1845), the Cape Town librarian, interviewed Dyer during 1824 and wrote - "Samson Dyer is a most extraordinary man of uncommon industry, honesty and sobriety." The previously unnamed island has since been known as Dyer Island or Dyers Island, and in the 1830s was noted for its sealskins, seal oil, penguin eggs and guano.
Dyer invested his money in the purchase of a number of farms, such as Platterug and Goedvertrouw, where he kept sheep. He was also the owner of land in Hawston
and had shares in the farm Zandfontein.
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
- 1843) was an African-American noted for his association with Dyer Island off the Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas is a rocky headland in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of Africa and the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
coast of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
As a young man Dyer moved to Nantucket where he found work as a harpooner on a whale boat. In 1806 he boarded the vessel “President” bound for Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. Arrived in Cape Town, he was employed by the firm Cloete, Reitz and Anderson as a harpooner for the whaling industry in False Bay
False Bay
False Bay is a body of water defined by Cape Hangklip and the Cape Peninsula in the extreme South-West of South Africa.- Description and location :...
. Later he was sent to an unnamed island to prepare sealskins for the company. Here he also gathered guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
which he sold as fertiliser to farmers in the Overberg
Overberg
Overberg is a district in South Africa to the east of Cape Town beyond the Hottentots-Holland mountains. It lies along the Cape Province's south coast between the Cape Peninsula and the region known as the Garden Route in the east...
area.
The greater part of the Cape Fur Seal
Cape Fur Seal
The brown fur seal , also known as the Cape fur seal, South African fur seal and the Australian fur seal is a species of fur seal.-Description:...
colony was to be found on neighbouring Geyser Rock. With the guano-boom of the 19th century, guano was removed from Dyer Island regularly until the 1980s. Jackass penguins had previously made nesting holes in the guano, but following removal of the guano, they took to nesting on open ground, making their nests easily accessible to predators such as the Kelp gull
Kelp Gull
The Kelp Gull , also known as the Dominican Gull, breeds on coasts and islands through much of the southern hemisphere. The race L. d. vetula occurs around southern Africa, and nominate L. d...
. The late 19th century craze for penguin eggs as a delicacy led to unsustainable exploitation until the 1960s. Records show that in 1902 alone 16 400 penguin eggs were collected on Dyer Island. Great White Pelicans formerly bred on the island until keepers destroyed the breeding grounds through excessive egg harvesting. Currently Dyer Island is a Nature Reserve for marine birds and penguin numbers are standing at about 7000. Geyser Rock now supports a colony of some 40 000 fur seals, and consequently the channel between the two islands is a rich hunting ground for Great White Shark
Great white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
s and is known as "Shark Alley".
Dyer applied for British citizenship six years later, and stated to the Governor, Sir John Cradock
John Cradock, 1st Baron Howden
General John Francis Cradock, 1st Baron Howden GCB was a British peer, politician and soldier.-Life:He was son of John Cradock, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin....
, that he was permanently employed culling seals and had prepared skins of some 24,000 seals over four seasons. In 1813 he married Margaretha Engel, who came from Elim
Elim, Western Cape
Elim is a village on the Agulhas Plain in the Western Cape of South Africa. It was established in 1824 by German missionaries as a Moravian mission station. When selecting the location, the missionaries placed a high priority on the proximity of water and on terrain that was suitable for planting...
, and was his junior by 18 years. They had 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Dyer was baptized in Caledon
Caledon
Caledon can refer to:* Caledon, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland* Caledon, Ontario in Canada* Caledon River in South Africa* Caledon, Western Cape, a town in South Africa* Caledon Bay in Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia....
at the age of 70. The date and place of his death are not known.
Dyer showed great business acumen, and was considered a very rich and respected man in the Overberg. Alexander Johnstone Jardine (1790–1845), the Cape Town librarian, interviewed Dyer during 1824 and wrote - "Samson Dyer is a most extraordinary man of uncommon industry, honesty and sobriety." The previously unnamed island has since been known as Dyer Island or Dyers Island, and in the 1830s was noted for its sealskins, seal oil, penguin eggs and guano.
Dyer invested his money in the purchase of a number of farms, such as Platterug and Goedvertrouw, where he kept sheep. He was also the owner of land in Hawston
Hawston
Hawston is a village in the Western Cape, South Africa. Located near Cape Town, it is located between Fisherhaven and Onrus and close to Hermanus.-References:...
and had shares in the farm Zandfontein.