CO48/127
National Archives, Kew,
Transcribed by volunteers from the ZA-IB
and ZA-EC Rootsweb mailing lists from digital
photographs taken by Sue Mackay at the National Archives. The original
correspondence is filed in order of receipt. Here it has been placed in
alphabetical order according to the surname of the writer, with letters by the
same writer in chronological order, for ease of reading. Original spelling has
been maintained.
Letters, unless otherwise indicated, were either
addressed to the Rt Hon William HUSKISSON
(prior to 30th May) or the
Rt. Hon. Sir George MURRAY, Secretary of State for the Colonies, or to his
deputy R.W. HAY. Reference numbers, where given,
refer to printed page numbers stamped on the letters and will enable visitors
to the National Archives to locate the letter more easily.
CAMPBELL, Mary
(see correspondence in 1829 and also of Charles
CAMPBELL in 1827)
209
27th December 1828
Sir
I appeal to you as Secretary of
State for the Colonies and who as a military Officer of [rank?] to redress the
grievances of an unfortunate family, the children of a deceased Officer who are
reduced by the circumstances I am about to relate to poverty and great
distress.
The late Major General CAMPBELL their Father received a
considerable grant of Land 10,000 acres from the then Secretary of State for
the Colonies at the new Settlement at the Cape of Good Hope and from the
flattering description given of that place at the time as well as from the extent
of the grant he was induced to embark a considerable sum of money in
transporting himself and a part of his family with work people of different descriptions,
agricultural implements, materials for buildings, vines from Portugal plants
and seeds of different kinds with sundry &c hoping in a few years by
activity and attention to secure a comfortable independence for his numerous
family of 13 Children. An accident however produced by over exertion put a
period to his life and deprived his Children of their Protector. This
lamentable event was the fore runner and the cause of other misfortunes.
The Land after a location of 3 years was taken from them and
they had the grief and mortification to see distributed to others the Land that
had cost their Father the Sacrifice of his Country and friends and eventually
of his life. The Widow indeed had a portion of it given to her but independent
of her own four children, very young, as well as the nine by a former marriage.
Since the Pension has been withdrawn of £18 per year which ceases by the new
regulation at the age of 18 they have been without pecuniary or other resource.
Such is the situation of the Children of an old officer; the
Eldest Son at the Cape now twenty years or nearly so was noted by the Command
of His Royal Highness the late Duke of York for a Commission but has not yet
been appointed, nor are there any hopes held out that he will be so for a considerable
time. The small sum of money that he is entitled to from the sale of his
Father’s personal property is in the hands of the Orphan Chamber who are
entitled to hold it ‘till the age of 26 years. He is a lad of good talents,
writes well, and has considerable local knowledge of the Country he is in and
speaks the language, which would make him eligible as well as useful either in
the Military line / a Cape Regiment / or in a civil capacity - Something I
trust will be done for him – and if possible for his Brother also – and a
portion of the Land restored to the family generally. ___ In making a
representation of this case I do not address myself only to the Secretary of
State for the Colonies but to a Gentleman of the same Profession as their
deceased Father – whose humanity as well as feeling for the Orphan Children of
a Brother Officer will lead him to give them his assistance either in the way
pointed out or in any other he may think better suited to this case.
I have the
Honor to be Sir
With high respect
Your most
Obedient Servant
Mary CAMPBELL
CARLISLE,
193
Brentwood,
27th Feb 1828
Sir
I had the honor to receive from you
a communication dated in December last, stating in reference to my application
on behalf of the Albany Settlers, that there were no funds which could be
applied to their relief. Being anxious to acquaint the Settlers with the
result of my expedition to this Country, may I beg to be forward with a reply
of a more particular nature, that is, one adverting to the original
application submitted by me on the part of the Albany Settlers and the kind
of relief therein prayed for.
As I am now writing (with your
concurrence) merely on a matter of form and not with any view to induce the reconsideration
of a question unfortunately decided against me, I will briefly state the points
to which I wish allusion to be made –
A memorial dated 20th
April 1825 from the principle Agriculturist Settlers in
I have the honor to be Sir, your
very obedt. & humbl.
Servant
Fred
195
March 14th
1828
Sir,
Having been
honoured with the appointment of Chaplain of Grahams Town at the Cape of Good
Hope for which place I intend to embark at the end of the present month I am
induced most respectfully to solicit the indulgence of a free passage and
humbly hope that out of consideration of the many expences incident to a
preparation for a residence in a distant country, my request my not be deemed
unreasonable by the Rt. Honble. The Sect. Of State.
I have the honour to be sir
Your most obedt. Humb’l Servt.
William
PHILIPPS,
Thomas
374
Glendour District of
5th March 1828
Sir
In the month of December 1826 a Memorial signed by a
numerous Body of English Settlers & others, resident in this district, was
forwarded to His Honor Major General BOURKE, Lieut. Governor of this Colony,
humbly praying for the reasons therein stated, that he would be pleased to
repeal the Proclamation prohibiting the distillation of Spirits from Grain.
From the reply which was returned to
the Memorialists it appeared that His Honor judged proper to refer it to the Honorable
Council, and it was therein that the Members did not think themselves justified
in recommending the repeal of Proclamation of such long standing as of the year
1798 without the concurrence of His Majesty’s Minister for the Colonies.
The Memorialists having waited
twelve months without any further communication & pressure on the Growers
of Barley & Oats having increased, in consequence of the diminished demand
owing to the disbanding of part of the Cape cavalry, a letter was addressed to
the Honorable Col. BELL, Acting Secretary to Government, with a request to be
informed if any orders had been received from England, but as from the reply it
appears that no communication had been as yet received, it is humbly hoped that
you will not think it an improper interference on my part, considering the
urgency of this, in venturing to address you, direct, on the subject.
Before I proceed I must beg leave
explicitly to declare [that] no unfavorable impression has arisen with regard
to the delay & that it has been attributed to no other cause than to the [changes]
which have taken place in the Department over which you have been so lately appointed
to preside.
As all the papers connected with
this affair will of course be in your office, I shall only intrude with one
observation, namely that a copy of the prohibitory proclamation not having been
obtained until after the Memorial was forwarded The Memorialists were precluded
from offering any comments on it, I will now briefly observe that it is dated
in the year 1798 & that the cause of its being issued is alleged to be
owing to the scarcity of Corn which existed at the period. Since the year 1798
the circumstances of the Colony have materially changed. The four Frontier
Districts & those which are most affected by the prohibition, now so
populous, were not all formed & scarcely inhabited. The proclamation may
therefore fairly be inferred as only embracing the then state of the five Western
[sic]
The inhabitants of the new Territory
have with slight exception employed themselves in grazing & the growth of
Corn, leaving the cultivation of the Vine to the western inhabitants being more
fortunately situated for the exportation of their wines & Spirit enjoyed
advantages which were denied to them.
In proportion as the Colony extended
eastward the distance from Cape Town, the only export Place, became of course increased
& in the same ratio the expenses on such ? articles as wines + spirits
became increased. Graham’s Town, the capital of Albany & in size become the
second Town of the Colony, is 600 miles from Cape Town it is forced to draw all
its supplies of this nature, owing to the prohibition in question, from thence,
by which the price to the consumer is enhanced above cent per cent for ? price
of
Having pointed out the heavy
pressure on the Eastern Inhabitants being thus forced to take all their
supplies from the Western, I will proceed to notice the alleged cause of the prohibition,
namely the scarcity of Corn. It will not be attempted to be denied that the
cause was justifiable, & further that the same cause might have continued
to a later period. The industry of the British Settlers has however put a
period to any further apprehension of any scarcity of Barley & Oats which
are the only grain prayed for to be used in distillation. The contract for the
delivery for the next 9 months [with] Cavalry has just been concluded, still a
surplus remains for which there is no market altho procurable at about 2/- the
Winchester Bushel, from the want of Harbor exportation is rendered impossible,
the agriculturists must rely entirely on internal consumption & except they
are permitted to make every use of their Produce, their fields which they have
tilled with much littler profit for 7 years must be again allowed to resume
their former wilderness.
I hope I shall not be considered as
having trespassed too much on your time, by thus dwelling on a subject of much moment
to those around me, both Growers and Consumers, and will conclude with
expressing my fervent expectation that this question will be met with the same
liberal spirit which now governs our native Country & that the period has passed
away when by monopolies or Influence, the interests of one part of the same
People are allowed to be sacrificed [to] those of another.
I have the
Honor to remain, Sir
Your
obedient and humble servant
Thomas
PHILIPPS
376
The humble
Petition of Thomas PIKE and John PIKE brothers of William PIKE, Settler at the
Sheweth,
That we your Petitioners, most humbly request you will please if Practicable,
to grant us the indulgence, to have a conveyance from this our Native country,
to the Cape of Good Hope to our Brother, and to our Families, consisting of 17
Persons who are all desirous to go. We
your Petitioners begs further to state for your information we have been since
our youth in the practice of Cultivation in the farming line and our Sons also
have been in that capacity and are all stout and healthy; as also our wives who
are as desirous to go as ourselves.
Providing we can be granted the indulgence We beg to add we
conceive there will be 3 of us capable to work our Passage if there can be any
provision made for the remainder, if not we shall humbly acknowledge, and
attend to your answer – trusting you will be pleased to inform us the [total]
amount of the Passage expences.
Hoping the result of Your Honors answer being favorable, we
shall as in duty bound ever fervently pray.
Which is
Submitted by
Your
Honor’s most humble Petitioners
John &
Thomas PIKE
N.B. Please to address
John PIKE
Post Office
Till called for
P.S. If it would be
more agreeable to convey a larger number here is several other families wishes
to go.
377
Copy
15 May 1828
John PIKE
Mr Secy HUSKISSON desires me to acquaint you in answer to your
Memorial of the 12th instant that H.M’s
Govt. do not grant passages to persons desirous of proceeding to the
Sender: J. LEVESON GOWER
378
Holme Pierepponte
Sir,
I applied
on the 12th Ulto. for information what the
freight would be for myself and family, as well as my Brother and his family;
if not probable to go free and I have received an answer that there is no
provision at present for a passage for Settlers (nr.
Shall you Sir please to favor me
with an answer on the subject as speedily as convenient, it will be greatfully acknowleged and my
Brother, who is there will pay £20-0-0 and £20-0-0 we can advance between [us
and] if that will not be a sufficient sum we [will] endeavour on receiving your
answer to make up the amount being resolved to go.
I am, Sir
Your very Obed’t. Serv’t.
John PIKE
Post Office
Till Called For
PRINGLE, Thomas
383
18 Aldermanbury
July 7 1828
Sir,
In taking the liberty to transmit to
you the little volume which accompanies this I beg to state my object is to
interest your attention in regard to the treatment and pursuant condition of
the aboriginal tribes of Southern Africa – respecting whom you will find some
cursory notices in the prose notes at the end of the volume.
On this subject and also with regard
to some matters connected with the appointment of the clergyman to the Scottish
settlers at Baviaans River who emigrated in 1820
under my direction, I am anxious to converse with you if you can conveniently
indulge me with the privilege of a quarter of an hour on any early
day. You are probably aware that the Mr.Fowell
BUXTON is to bring the situation of the Hottentot population into the notice of
parliament Tuesday next.
I
have the honour to be your most obedient servant
Thomas
PR INGLE
385
July 26 1828
Sir,
The Rev W PEARS, the gentleman recently
appointed minister of the Scotch Church at Baviaans
River, Cape of Good Hope, in a letter which I have just received from him,
requests me to state to you that the sudden death of a sister who was to have
accompanied him to South Africa, and to whom he was extremely attached, has
affected his feelings and disconcerted his arrangements, that it will not be
possible for him, without extreme inconvenience, to embark before the 1st
week of October. He therefore, most respectfully & earnestly requests that
you will, if possible, so order matters in regard to his proposition that he
may not be required to embark before the period I have mentioned. By that
period he will be away without fail.
Permit me to solicit your obliging attention to
his request (which I am well aware is not proffered without urgent cause) &
by the favour of an early reply in order to set Rev PEARS’ mind at rest on the
subject.
I
have the honour to be your most obedient servant
Thomas
PRINGLE
[Colonial
office note across corner for reply: Acq’t the Navy
Board with the time when a Passage for Mr. PEARS will be wanted & let Mr.
PRINGLE be informed that his application will be attended to]
387
18 Aldermanbury
Sept 13 1828
Sir,
I have received a letter from the Rev W PEARS
requesting to be informed as precisely as may be practicable of the time when
it will be necessary for him to be in
I feel reluctant to trouble you with
such small matters but know of no other way of obtaining the information Rev PEARS
desires. Perhaps you will be so obliging as direct one of your clerks to
make the requisite inquiring about the probable period of the vessel sailing in
which passage has been engaged for him – and to write a short note
communicating this information, the name of the vessel and the Master or agent.
I
have the honour to be your most obedient servant
Thomas
PRINGLE