What was a native of St Helena

Question

A "news" story has surfaced today that an African-Australian has discovered that some of Australia's early immigrants had African heritage. In particular, she is excited that John Harvey who immigrated to South Australia in 1839 (three years after the colony was established) had African descent. This appears to be derived from a line in his obituary that  "His father was a native of St. Helena, and returned with Lord Duffis."

St Helena is described as "an island off of South Africa" without mentioning that it is 1950 km off the coast and appears to not have had any indigenous population before European discovery in 1502.

The obituary (written in 1899) says John was born in Wick, County Caithness on July 22, 1821. It doesn't name his father, and I can't find a "Lord Duffis", but have found "Lord Duffus" with no indication that any of them had been to St Helena.

I'm seeking clarification of whether "native of St Helena" means "African heritage" or is just as likely that he was a wealthy former slave owner who funded his son's education and colonial exploits.

Comments

This link is relevant, and support from DNA results is mentioned in a comment there dated 2019.

---

As you say it seems that it was unpopulated when 'discovered'. 

It had a large slave population by the early 19th C but also number of freed slaves. (1802:  893 military personnel, 122 families and civil servants, 241 planters, 227 freed slaves and 1,029 slaves; a total population of 2,511. https://sthelenaisland.info/brief-overview/) 

Answer 1

In 1821, Saint Helena was according to the German Wikipedia-entry a British colony. In 1858, Napoleon III. bought the island from the British for the French.

Comments

I don't think that's right. The English took control in the mid  17th century and except for a brief interlude in 1672 has been English/British ever since.  Napoleon was exiled and died there in 1821 .The French later bought the property in which he had been exiled.

It's now a British Overseas territory.

Answer 2

In this context I think a native of St Helena is simply someone who was born there. In the late 18th and early 19th century it was under the control of the East India Company, and the parish and other records can be found among the India Office Records on FindMyPast. One of my ancestors worked for the EIC on St Helena with one of his children born there, and three of his children baptized there.

Comments

That was how I interpreted it too. The tone of the new news story is that the island off the coast was populated by indigenous Africans who have been forgotten by history. 1950km is a long way for a primitive canoe trip, but Pacific Islander seem to have made similar journeys so it's not impossible.

The quotes from late in his life and in his obit where he was called "Jock" clearly show (to me) he was accepted as Scottish, else he'd be called "Darkie" or worse. The comment on the SA History Hub profile about DNA evidence s interesting.

I hoped someone with Scottish record experience might find his parents, presumably in County Caithness around 1821. I also hoped to either confirm or provide an alternative for Lord Duffis being a misspelling of Lord Duffus.

Answer 3

St. Helena seems to have been a very popular saint.  The island isn't the only place named for her.  Because of its isolation, it has facilities inappropriate to an island that size.  Connection with the outside world is something like once a month.  I have a dispute regarding a woman in South Africa.  Another researcher claims that she has slave roots in the island, but doesn't explain how she migrated. From the only photo of her, she could have been of slave ancestry. But there is a "St. Helena" in South Africa as well. Her husband was in South Africa on the date of the marriage.  But I would associate the name with the island.

Answer 4

Quite by chance I came across this Lady whilst researching the Green Family, from my historically challenge remnants Born St Helena Elizabeth Onion(s) I took it to be a Military Post by the British. Some records are on Familysearch.