John Hayton ^2,5,6,13,17

  General Notes:

John was a registered gunsmith in Grahamstown during the years 1850 to1873 and an interesting article appears in the book "Cape Gunsmiths" by Barry Berkovitch and is as follows:

"John Hayton's weapons are amongst the most prized of all collectors' items in South Africa. More weapons by him survived than by any other South African gunsmith and an analysis of the serial numbers of the guns still known to exist indicates that he retailed over 20 000 weapons.

John Hayton was born in Cumberland, in the year 1818, near Silloth, a little port on the Solway, where he was brought up. After a short stay in London he came to the Cape Colony at the age of 18, and spent some six months in Cape Town. He later moved to Port Elizabeth, where he was in business for several years. In 1843 he settled in Grahamstown and is first listed in the Eastern Cape Almanac in 1848 as a "Storeman" of Somerset Street. Here, on 27th January 1845, he married Miss Rhoda Weakley, the daughter of Joseph Weakley, a Grahamstown gunsmith. He purchased erf no. 16 on the old "Plan of Grahamstown" in High Street for 1 000 pounds and the three story building which was erected is at present occupied by the Albany Divisional Council. The ground floor was originally divided into two sections, one for his general dealer shop and later the other for his gun shop. In the general dealer section everything from sewing needles to flour and potatoes was sold while the two top floors served as living quarters for the Hayton family. When he retired in about 1873 he was reputed to be the wealthiest man in Grahamstown. His wife had excellent taste and imported some rather beautiful and very valuable pieces of china, glass and Sheffield plate, all of which was presented to the 1820 Settler's Memorial Museum by the widow of the son of John Hayton.

In his lifetime, John Hayton (and a footnote states that it may be possible that his father in law, Joseph Weakley, who was also a gunsmith actually designed the weapon as Hayton was more a businessman than a gunsmith) became famous as the designer of the Hayton or "Cape" rifle which was the only "sporting" type of weapon adopted by the Colonial Forces as a regulation service rifle. He was also known in international circles for his bravery, but disliked any type of display or showmanship. It is told that once Hayton accompanied Prince Alfred to Quilimane and, on the return voyage, their small boat was overtaken by a storm so severe that the captain despaired of their being able to reach the shore. Mr. Hayton, however, took the helm himself and finally brought the ship safely to anchor at Port Elizabeth. Hayton was also a devoted husband and a model father to his large family.

As no Hayton firearm of an earlier type than 1850/51 have yet been discovered, it can be assumed that Hayton was involved in the firearm business from this date, several years before the death of his father in law, Joseph Weakley, in 1863. It is known that Hayton retired from business in about 1873; he therefore sold firearms for a period of 22 to 23 years. During that period he sold more firearms than any other single gun dealer. It was reported in 1857 that no official weapon was available as military issue and the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police were authorised to purchase Hayton pattern double rifles with one barrel smooth for looper charges and the other rifled to take the Enfield cartridges. The men had to pay 12 pounds 10 shillings for the guns and 7 pounds ten shillings for the revolvers by monthly deductions from their pay. The percussion "Cape" gun must be one of the few sporting type weapons to have been used by the military forces. He did not, however, supply weapons to the Army only, for the civilian population also bought rifles from him. Other gun dealers sometimes copied the pattern of Hayton's "Cape" guns and also supplied the military and civilian population. Hayton had a "partner" in the gun department of his business for a short while, the famous Octavius Bowker, a man who was renowned for his shooting ability and who helped to make the "Cape" gun famous. He was a travelling agent for Hayton and visited all the outlying districts demonstrating and selling "Cape" guns for Hayton. This is one reason why Hayton guns are found all over South Africa and a few even in other parts of the world. Two Hayton double percussion rifles known by the author bear the following inscription: "Hayton & Bowker". Octavius Bowker eventually settled in Queenstown with his own gun business, and one double "Cape" gun of a similar type to the Hayton is inscribed "Octavius Bowker, Queenstown."

Hayton purchased his rifles complete in England as he sold them (or ordered them), he had serial numbers in sequence engraved into each barrel."

It is a known fact that when Joseph Weakley returned to England temporarily in 1845 he set up two of his sons, Samuel and James, in Birmingham in a shipping business sending firearms to Grahamstown. It must be assumed that John Hayton also obtained his firearms from this source as Samuel and James remained in England and never returned to their land of birth.

  Birth Notes:

http://www.1820settlers.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Genealogy&file=getperson&personID=I17508&tree=1

The web page at http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/36298-19thc-tranter-revolver-help/

has his birth date as 1819 not 1825.

  Christening Notes:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=john&gsfn_x=1&gsln=hayton&gsln_x=1&msbdy_x=1&msbdp=2&MSAV=1&msbdy=1818&msbpn__ftp=Cumberland%2c+England&msbpn=5259&msbpn_PInfo=7-%7c0%7c0%7c3257%7c3251%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c5259%7c0%7c0%7c&msbpn_x=1&msbpn__ftp_x=1&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&uidh=iof&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=26909682&db=FS1EnglandBirthsandChristenings&indiv=1&ml_rpos=4

And

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=john&gsfn_x=1&gsln=hayton&gsln_x=1&msbdy_x=1&msbdp=2&MSAV=1&msbdy=1818&msbpn__ftp=Cumberland%2c+England&msbpn=5259&msbpn_PInfo=7-%7c0%7c0%7c3257%7c3251%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c5259%7c0%7c0%7c&msbpn_x=1&msbpn__ftp_x=1&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&uidh=iof&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=130617908&db=FS1EnglandBirthsandChristenings&indiv=1&ml_rpos=7

  Death Notes:

National Archives of South Africa Cape Town Database.

Depot KAB
Source MOOC
Type Leer
Volume_No 6/9/313
System 01
Reference 236
Part 1
Description Hayton, John. Death Notice.
Starting 18930000
Ending 18930000

  Sources of information or noted events in his life were:

• Children. At http://www.1820settlers.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Genealogy&file=getperson&personID=I17508&tree=1 there is a list of 11 children of which Alice Murray Hayton is the 6th.

• Estate. A search at NAAIRS has 17 distribution accounts between 1907 and 1918.

• Web Based Info. http://www.1820settlers.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Genealogy&file=getperson&personID=I17508&tree=1

And

http://www.southafricansettlers.com/?p=22239

And

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GTWM-SSWX?mode=g&i=27&wc=SFV4-7MF%3A44975801%2C44975802%2C44983701%2C44983702%3Fcc%3D1468076&cc=1468076

And

http://www.1820settlers.co.uk/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I17551&tree=master

• Emigration, 1836. ¹⁹ To Cape Town

• Obituary. Tuesday January 24, 1893
The funeral of the late Mr Hayton took place on Sunday morning, at about half past seven o'clock, in accordance with a frequently expressed desire of the deceased; but not with standing that the hour was inconvenient, and that the rain was falling fast, a large number of his former friends assembled at the appointed time, and accompanied the cortège to the burial ground. The pall-bearers were Maj. Nesbitt, Messrs. John E Wood, M.L.A., C.H. Driver, H.O. Bell, J.S.Wilcox, Esq (Mayor) and E.H Coleridge. The Bishop, assisted by the Dean, conducted the service.
Mr Hayton was born in Cumberland, in the year 1818, near Silloth, a little port in the Solway, where he was brought up. After a short stay in London, he came out to this colony at the age of 18 years, and spend something like six months at Cape Town, afterwards removing to Port Elizabeth, where he was several years in business. In 1845, he married a daughter of the late Joseph Weakley who survives him. He finally took up residence in Grahamstown, whence he never departed. His commercial career was one of unusual success, and when he ultimately retired from business, about 20 years ago, he had the reputation of being one of the wealthiest men in Grahamstown.
He accompanied Prince Alfred of Quilimane and returning in a small ship was very nearly wrecked. In a storm which he used to describe as awful, the captain was utterly at his wit's end, and nothing but disaster was anticipated. Mr Hayton, however, took the helm himself at the critical juncture, and the trouble was surmounted, the ship finally arriving safe and sound at Port Elizabeth. An incident like the above shows the character of the man - one side of it at least. He was always opposed to anything in the way of display. He was a devoted husband, and a model father. Of his large family, one daughter is married to a Colonel in the Eleventh, now retired at Home, another is married to the Solicitor-General, a third to Captain van Ryneveld, a fourth to Mr Attorney Van der Riet, while two daughters are dead - the late Mrs S. Dell (only recently deceased) and the late Mrs W.Holland. His sons are well known about these parts, and one of them, Mr. A.E.Hayton is a barrister practising in Grahamstown. Our late fellow-citizen will be remembered in many parts of the Colony as the inventor of the "Hayton Rifle", which was thought a good deal in its day, and was used by multitudes of older folks. He is credited with leaving behind him one of the finest libraries in the country, and one of which he was justly proud. He will be long remembered in Grahamstown, as a man of simple, unassuming worth, one who never harmed a fellow-citizen in any way or was ever hear to say an unkind thing about anybody. His familiar figure in front of the massive three story residence in High Street, will be missed every hour of the day, by scores of people who were accustomed to stay awhile and chat with him as they passed. We again tender our sincerest sympathy with the bereaved family in their sorrow!
Grahamstown Journal, January 24 1893
c 4 p 2 on page 3

• General Comment. ² In the Van Ryneveld Family notes he is recorded as Sir John Hayton.

• General Comment. Copy of his son - Walter Thackwray Bowker Hayton's Death Notice # 5442 dd 25 July 1924 in RAB's possesion.

• Occupation, 1846-1848. Merchant in Grahamstown.
See eGGSA BDM project.

Also Gunsmith / Gun Dealer See http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/36298-19thc-tranter-revolver-help/

Gardner and weaver of West of England cloth.
Gunsmith / Gun Dealer see http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2069

From the book:-

Johann, Peter
Thixo befreie uns
Tiyo Sani Soga und Janet (Burnside) Soga im viktorianischen Schottland und in Kolonial-Südafrika
Der afrikanisch-christliche Beitrag zur Befreiung der Xhosa-Nation im 19. Jahrhundert

Page 64

1.6.6 Zu Mitteln und Folgen der Kolonialkriege.

Die Waffen die Brittishe Militärs und europäische Siedler in den Kolonialkriegen einsetzen, stammten zunächst vorwiegen von Waffenshmieden aus London. Um 1800 wurden Gewehre von der Firma Westley Richard & Co zum Einsatz gebracht, um 1845 von R. Redman, um 1855 von R. Johnstone und um 1860 von Hollis & Son. Bald entwickelten englische Waffenschmiede in Südafrika eine leistungsstarke Waffenproduktion in Grahamstown. Joseph Weakley, einer Siedler von 1820, eröffnete 1840 in der Bathurst Street ein Waffengeshaft. Das Zwillingsgewehr, das dort verkauft wurde, wird im Settlers Museum in Grahamstown ausgestellt. (Original Cape Gun) 1836 wanderte John Hayton aus Cumberland, England, in Südafrika ein und gelangte 1843 nach Grahamstown. Als er 1873 in den Ruhestand trat, war er der reichste Mann der Stadt. Von 1850 bis 1873 stellte er Tausende von Schusswaffen her.


German to English translation©

1.6.6 to means and results of the colonial wars.

The weapons the British Military and European colonists used in the colonial wars, at first, came predominately from Gunsmiths from London. From 1800 guns were brought in by the company Westley Richard und Co. Then from about 1845 from R. Redman. From about 1855 (guns were supplied) from R. Johnstone and finally from about 1860 (guns were supplied) from Hollis and Son. English Gunsmiths soon developed a highly competitive weapon production in Grahamstown in South Africa. Joseph Weakley, a colonist of 1820, a Gunsmith Shop in the Bathurst Street, Grahamstown, in 1840. An example of the twin-barrelled gun which was sold there is displayed in the Settlers Museum in Grahamstown. (This is the renowned "Original cape Gun".) In 1836, John Hayton immigrated from Cumberland, England, to South Africa. He arrived in Grahamstown in 1843. When he retired in 1873, he was the richest man in the town. From 1850 to 1873 he produced thousands of firearms.

Also see http://victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2069

Apart from the "Cape Gun" which is a legendary collectors item, he also made or sold the Tranter revolver. The revolvers are engraved John Hayton Graham's Town. The original Tranter was designed by William Tranter an English Gunsmith see:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tranter_(revolver)
Tranter revolvers were used by US Pinkerton agents and can be found in Sherlock Holmes' armoury see:- http://people.morrisville.edu/~coppolja/mhs%20site/press_documents/Firearms%202e%202002.html

And

Merchant.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GTWM-SSWX?mode=g&i=27&wc=SFV4-7MF%3A44975801%2C44975802%2C44983701%2C44983702%3Fcc%3D1468076&cc=1468076

John married Rhoda Weakley, daughter of Joseph Weakley and Emma Kinton, on 27 Jan 1845 in St. Georges Anglican Church, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa.¹⁶ (Rhoda Weakley was born on 8 Dec 1825 in Bathurst, Eastern Cape, South Africa, christened on 18 Feb 1830 in Bathurst, Eastern Cape, South Africa, died on 27 Mar 1905 in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa and was buried in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa.)

  Sources of information or n events in their marriage were:

• Web Based Info. https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-23580-55723-34?cc=1468076&wc=SFV4-W3R:44975801,44975802,49802601,49820401
Married by John Heavyside Colonial Chaplain
Witnesses:-
J.Weakley
Sarah Stringfellow