William Terence Fitgerald : Short Biography

He was a joiner in a cotton mill before joining the military.

Arrived in SA in 1840 according to Malherbe. On 1 Oct 1841 at age of 17 joined the 81st Regiment of Foot at the Kilkenny Depot, Ireland no. 1608, as a private. On 1 Apr 1842 in Naas, county town of Kildare he transferred to the 91st Argyllshire Highlander Reserve Battalion. Boarded ship on 27 May 1842 and left Ireland from Dún Laoghaire on 2 Jun 1842. Some records state he left home at early age and served with 91st Foot Regiment (Munster). In "Assegai over the hills" by FC Metrowich the 91st Regiment regiment was aboard the ship "Abercrombie Robinson" which arrived in SA waters on 25 Aug 1842 and anchored about 20:00h. Shipwrecked in Table Bay on 27 Aug 1842. The troops while waiting for transport to Algoa Bay camped on the Liesbeeck, Cape Town  (present day Rondebosch and Claremont) between 28 Aug 1842 and 22 Feb 1843.

In Government Gazette Mar 1843, 91st Argyllshire Highlanders Reserve Batallion sailed from Table Bay to Algoa Bay aboard SS Java

His name appears in the Munster Books of 1843 - see Albany Museum, Grahamstown. Noted he was at Fort Beaufort, Peddie, Blinkwater areas in 1843/45. His last salary cheque was on 25 Feb 1845 in Fort Beaufort, close to Tarkastad.  He deserted the British army on 26 Feb 1845 at Fort Beaufort  together with his life-long friend Thomas (Tom) Kelly and joined Gert Kruger and Hermanus Steyn under General A H Potgieter with his Voortrekkers at Schoemansdal. May have fought in the Battle of Boomplats against Sir Harry Smith, in 1848. Both friends had married Boer girls. (Tom Kelly married Engela Botes). After they swore allegiance to the British Crown they were pardoned for their desertion (Certificate of Discharge exists dated 8 Sep 1877).

He was a farming pioneer in the Soutpansberg & established Ballymore, (apparently named after hometown in Ireland) which stretched from the Doorn River in the west to Klein Letaba in the Lowveld in the east. The home he built still stands today. He established himself as a trader and storekeeper.

Was Catholic - noted in Doopboek of the Hervormde Gemeente of Zoutpansberg when children were baptised.

See article in Landbou Weekblad 11 June 1952 p. 23, which includes photo of him, his farm house and grave.

He is mentioned in several books "The chair of the Ramabulanas" by Dorothea Moeller-Malan, p. 127, 131-132, 152, 159 (Albisini), 160, 176, 184, 187, 193, 206 and the "Townspeople of the Soutpansberg" by Johann WN Tempelhoff, p. 27-28