CO48/41 National Archives, Kew, London  ~  1820 Settler Correspondence A-B

 

Transcribed by volunteers from the ZA-IB and ZA-EC Rootsweb mailing lists from digital photographs taken by Sue Mackay and Tessa King 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 were either addressed to Lord BATHURST, Secretary of State for the Colonies, (starting My Lord), or to his deputy Henry GOULBURN (starting Sir). 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. If a page number is not given then the date of the letter will give a good idea of its whereabouts in the file.

 

Names in red actually became 1820 settlers to South Africa, as listed in ‘The Settler Handbook’ by M.D. Nash, not necessarily with the Party listed here.

 

BACKHOUSE, Rev. J.R.

 

530

The Rectory, Deal

Sept 24th 1819

My Lord,

            I take the liberty of troubling you with this letter at the particular request of Mr. Charles GURNEY, who, I understand your Lordship has been informed, wishes to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope. The party he has formed to proceed with him to that Colony is chiefly composed of young men resident here. They all bear respectable characters, are each of them, I believe, possessed of some small capital, & from every information I can procure are inclined to be industrious. The distress which is so unhappily prevalent in this place & the consequent difficulty of procuring a subsistence, has prompted them to embrace the opportunity which now offers of endeavouring to better their condition, & will, I humbly hope, be an inducement with your Lordship to forward their plan, as far as the same may be deemed consistent with the views of His Majesty’s Government.

I have the honour to be My Lord

Your Lordship’s most obedt hum sevt

Rev. J.R. BACKHOUSE, Rector of Deal

 

BACON, Ebenezer

 

340

130 Chancery Lane

Sir,

            Being desirous of emigrating to the Cape of Good Hope, and wishing to honour the regulations proposed by His Majesty’s Government for that purpose, I have taken the liberty of writing in order to obtain that information, any instructions will be thankfully received by

Your humble servant

Ebenezer BACON

PS I have several friends who propose going with me

 

BAGLEY, Patrick

 

602/603

No.2 Cumberland Court

Tottenham Street

Tottenham Court Road

My Lord,

            His Majesty’s Government having held out an engagement to such persons who are in want of employment & who possessing the means are inclined to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope, I humbly beg leave to offer myself to the authorities. I inform your Lordship that I have found an ?? of 15 able bodied men of the above description for whom I am ready to make necessary deposit & I humbly request that your Lordship will be pleased to allow us the ?? of going out under the protection of H.M. Government & to participate in such grants of lands as shall be there ?fined. My service to my King and Country will I trust recommend me to your Lordship’s favour, having been 8? years in His Majesty’s service during the most active part of the Campaigns in Spain and Portugal in which time I was 3 times wounded, at the battle of Albuera when only 13 years of age, 2ndly at the storming of Badajoz and 3rdly at Salamanca, besides having been in may other engagement & skirmish with my reg’t during the above ??, for which H.M. Government have been pleased to give me an annual pension of ?? which will be paid to me (as His Royal Highness the Duke of York informs me by letter) at the Cape in any way I please. I hope these circumstances will prove strong inducements for your Lordship to favor my application and should I become so fortunate to participate in the Grant I assure your Lordship that it will be my peculiar pleasure to study to conduct myself so as to merit & support the good character I obtained in H.M. service and to forward the priority of those associated with me to the utmost of my power.

Your Lordship’s condescension and kindness will confer a lasting obligation on me

Your Lordship’s humble and obed sevt

Patrick BAGLEY

PS I further beg leave to inform your Lordship that if further security be necessary it shall be forthcoming to the amount of £500. Your Lordship will be pleased to observe I belonged to the 40th Reg’t of Foot.

 

BAGOT, Robert Wood

 

506

16th September 1819

My Lord,

            I trust your Lordship will pardon the liberty I take in addressing a letter to you, but since Government determined on sending settlers to the Cape of Good Hope it has been my most anxious wish to go there with my family, for which purpose I have obtained His Royal Highness the Prince Regent’s leave. My next step was to raise sufficient sum of money for the purpose, but all my efforts in that way having failed, I presume to apply to your Lordship, as my last resource. One hundred pounds is all I require to put my intentions into execution, which if your Lordship will be kindly pleased to let me have you will confer a lasting obligation on me, and any mode of payment that you may think fit to point out that comes within my power shall be adopted. The method I propose is by my Half Pay, which shall be lodged by Messrs. GREENWOOD, COX & COX at any place your Lordship may think proper for the liquidation of the loan I require, in addition to which, should it be thought necessary, I would have my life insured to prevent the possibility of any loss in case of my death. I am well aware that I have no claim whatever on your Lordship, but my having been twice at the Cape, and knowing the Colony, joined to the knowledge I have of agriculture, makes me feel sanguine of the prospect of providing for a large family, which I (cannot do?) in this country. I will not trespass further on your Lordship’s time but trusting to your goodness

I have the honour to be

Your Lordship’s most obt humble sevt

Robt.Wood BAGOT

Captain HM 47th Reg’t  

 

BAILIE, John

 

249

44 Parliament Street

27 July 1819

 

Mr. BAILIE presents his compliments to Mr. HUSKISSON and takes the liberty of transmitting to him a memorandum he has drawn up on the late Circular for colonizing the Cape  - Much more might be said on this subject – Mr. BAILIE begs to remind Mr. HUSKISSON of his kind promise to introduce him to Mr. GOULBURN’s notice

 

251-255 (Memorandum)

Government formerly allowed tonnage to persons who would take out at least ten Settlers to the Cape of Good, and one hundred acres of land per head, but this land was granted to the speculator and not each individual settler.  These poor creatures were completely his victims, for he idented them, and on their arrival at the Cape sold them for different periods according to their ability, to the Cape Boors  – so true is this, that at the present day, if any one ask the history of such or such a man, the answer is “he is (or was) one of such “a mans guineamen” and during this period of their servitude they are here nominated “White Negroes”

It would be highly improper, by inferring? the second paragraph of the Circular to openly countenance this white slave trade, for it is neither more nor less. No man of property in his senses would think of taking out ten or more people at his own risk unless he indented them before he left England, and could turn them to the best account, for the moment the settlers reached the Colony they would there hear the high price of labour and would not then sign so bad a bargain. To prevent all idea of this disgraceful traffic I beseech Government in the name of humanity to withdraw this condition and to receive individual offers whether from fathers of families or single men. The superintendent and surveyor at the Colony have only to locate the settlers in such situations as will admit of their forming villages, and point out to them to them where they are to build so as to be near enough to assist one another or work together in joint stock if they thought proper. Such superintendant should also take care that each village might contain artisans of different trades. Much advantage would be derived to the Colony and to the Colonists by making Government the Landowner and Director of the whole machine, and giving confidence to the Settlers by ensuring the stability of the enterprize which then be placed out of the dominance or the caprice of any individual, and prevent all fears and heart burnings.  Should Parishes send out Paupers it seems to me to be the duty of Government to furnish them with a list of the necessaries with which they are to provide these poor people, and to enforce with great rigour the payment of the deposit and a small sum besides for stock, I should think equal to the deposit and allow the Parish superintendant to accompany the Paupers only till they were embarked, when having placed them in the hands of Government his task would be completed.  I cannot conceive of a greater scene of  confusion and uproar than would ensue on board a Vessel which might by any chance carry four or five draughts from different Parishes each headed by a different superintendant, and all of them going to sea for the first time in their lives.

The last Paragraph seems to have been drawn up by some person who was perfectly aware of the abominable system of indenture, or else why not survey and apportion out the land to each settler as soon as he arrives?  Why wait three years unless unless with a view to give time for the period of indented servitude to expire?  They hold out in terrorem the forfeiture of the land unless brought into cultivation within a given number of years?  This can only have been written with a view to drive the speculator into the utmost rigour in his power to enforce, for the purpose of grinding all the labour possible from his white slaves, in order to complete a certain cultivation within a given time. –

            As this emigration is to be purely voluntary, and indeed a favor, I may say to many a blessing, I would entreat Government to enforce forfeiture only for gross misconduct, on abandonment of the land.  Government will find every one anxious bring to their land into cultivation in as short a time as possible.

            If I might be allowed to advise, I should recommend Government to make known immediately what are the articles that will not be allowed to be cultivated or to be traded in, and tables of all the duty imposed or likely to be so and leave the rest to evaluation and spirit of enterprise. It would be well also to make known to the public to what extent the emigration to the Cape will be allowed. The nation is at this moment bent on emigrating and the more respectable people that are allowed to go to the Cape in the outset, the better in the first place to be enabled to commence operations with people easy to be governed, and whose example will lead the lower orders, and in the second place because the paupers will always easily be found in any quantity Government may think proper to send out.  Another reason why it would be well to begin with respectable people is, that more or less they all posses some capital, and that being once prepared for quitting the Country or as is commonly said, “having make their minds up to it” rather than not leave it, they will emigrate to the United States of America and ridiculous as the attempt may at present appear, many will go with their family to the Venezuelan provinces, particularly from Ireland, and many certainly will go to the river of Plate. There never was a period in our history when the mania for emigration was at so great a height.  I can assure Government that I have many proofs before me that it is not from a mere “truant disposition” and that the lower orders are not perhaps the most unfortunate not the most to be pitied.

 

361/362

Committee Room

Globe Tavern

Fleet Street

11th August 1819

 

Sir,

We have the honour to acquaint you that at a meeting which took place at the Crown and Anchor on the 9th inst we were selected to form a committee for the purpose of collecting and distributing such information on the subject of the projected colonization to the Cape of Good Hope as might tend generally to satisfy the minds of those persons who are eager to avail themselves of the benevolent intentions of the Government.

To be enabled to fulfil the trust reposed in us we shall be under the necessity of troubling you with queries. It will be our duty to intrude as little as possible on your valuable time.

In order to facilitate our labours we request you will do us the favor to transmit to us a series of those circulars which have been issued from the Colonial Department relative to this Colonization.

We take the liberty of submitting to you that, from the confidence that has been placed in us by a very numerous and respectable meeting, which no one of us was instrumental in calling together, we may be the means of relieving your Department from a very laborious and irksome duty by acting as a medium between you and the persons in this metropolis desirous of information.

It is unnecessary at present to obtrude farther on your attention. We shall therefore conclude by bespeaking your future kind consideration of any enquiries which we may feel it necessary to make and which may not be satisfactorily answered by the documents for which we have applied.

We have the honour to be with great respect

Sir, your most obedient humble servants

John BAILIE

Dan’l BARUK MD

Jn. Fdk. ELLIOTT

John MANDY

John BEACALL

 

349/350

11 August 1819

7 Manchester Buildings

Westminster

My Lord,

I have the honour to beg your Lordship’s attention to a numerous class of individuals who generally do not possess the means of complying with the circular issued by your Lordship, by taking upon themselves the charge and maintenance of ten or more people, but whose capital, though in many instances small, is quite adequate to insure to His Majesty’s Government the certainty of their not becoming a burthen to the Colony at the Cape of Good Hope.

From a mass of about six hundred persons of the above description who have applied to me I have been careful in selecting such only whose general character was good, whose habits were likely to render them useful in an infant Colony and whose capital was such as to guard against the possibilities of their families, in the event of the head’s dying, becoming a charge upon the Colonists.

The compact we have made, binding us to a certain period of mutual assistance, the mass of mechanical skill and industry, as well as knowledge of agriculture, centred in our body, hold out to us, individually, hopes of speedy comfort and, collectively, an early prospect of promoting the prosperity of our native country, which will ever be the object dearest to an Englishman.

We are 115 men, our collective number in family is 390 and the aggregate amount of our capital is near as can be ascertained £18,610.

I hope your Lordship will favourably consider the proposal. I have the honour to submit to be allowed to colonize at the Cape of Good Hope in whatever district His Majesty’s Government may have selected, under the advantages held out in the different official circulars.

Should this proposal have the good fortune to be approved by your Lordship I would beg to be favoured with as early an answer as may be convenient, that we may be enabled to commence our preparations with as little delay as possible.

I have the honour to be with great respect

Your Lordship’s most obedient humble servant

John BAILIE

 

397

 

7 Manchester Buildings

Westminster

17th August 1819

My Lord

            I have the honour to transmit for your Lordship’s information a list of the persons comprised in the proposals I submitted to you on the 11th instant. My letter mentioned only 115 men, the accompanying list contains 126. I take the liberty of leaving it to your Lordship to remove from the list such persons as you may deem objectionable on any grounds. I have the honour to be with great respect

My Lord

Your Lordship’s most obed’t humble servant

John BAILIE

 

435

 

7 Manchester Buildings

Westminster

25th August 1819

 

My Lord,

            I have the honour to transmit to your Lordship an amended list of my party made out in conformity to the directions conveyed to me by Mr. GOULBURN’s letter of the 18th inst.

            I beg to assure your Lordship that we are ready to conform ourselves to all the conditions upon which His Majesty’s Government have offered to grant lands in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope.    

            It may be proper that I should state to your Lordship that seventeen of the persons in the list (no.79 to 95 inclusive) are labourers who are intended and are willing to be taken out at the joint expense of the others. 

I have the honour to be with great respect My Lord

            Your Lordship’s most obedient humble servant

            John BAILIE

 

350

Name

Age

Total in Family

Trade

CLEMENT, Charles

30

6

Farmer

MASKRILL, W.E.

21

1

Whitesmith

SALMON, Robert Jones

19

1

Carpenter

EDMONDS, Peter Rich’d

19

1

Seaman

KIMBLE, Jos’h

40

4

Farmer

BUSH

30

4

Grazier

FORBES, William

28

6

Shoemaker

ROWLES, John

29

4

Farmer

YOUNG, Stephen

52

5

Tanner Currier

IZARD

40

5

Farmer

BAILIE, John

31

10

 

 

353-358

No.

Names

Ages

Total No. in Family

1

BISHOP, John

50

 

 

Maria, his wife

32

 

 

John

17

 

 

James

16

 

 

Caroline

2

 

 

Jane THOMAS, servant

19

6

2

THOMAS, James

28

 

 

Elizabeth, his wife

31

 

 

Mary

1

3

3

THOMAS, John

21

 

 

Mary, his wife

20

 

 

Mary

1

3

4

BAKER, John Martin

26

 

 

Ann, his wife

21

 

 

Charles

1

3

5

ADAMS, Thos. Price

39

 

 

Mary, his wife

30

 

 

Mary Price

4

 

 

Fanny

1

4

6

HUMPHREYS, David

29

 

 

Sarah, his wife

32

 

 

James

3

 

 

Henry

1

4

7

STONE, Robert

27

 

 

Elizabeth, his wife

24

 

 

James

3

 

 

Charles

1

4

8

ROWLES, John

29

 

 

Sarah, his wife

27

 

 

Amelia

3

 

 

John

1

4

9

HOCKLY, Daniel

32

 

 

Elizabeth, his wife

29

 

 

Daniel

6

 

 

Elizabeth

4

 

 

Harriet

3

5

10

KILBY, Thomas

28

 

 

Emma, his wife

29

 

 

Samuel

7

 

 

Sarah

5

 

 

Christophine

4

 

 

Emma

2

6

11

CHACE, John Centlivre

24

 

 

Arabella, his wife

20

 

 

Louisa

1

3

12

CLIFFORD, William

24

 

 

Martha, his wife

22

2

13

JUBBER, James Adams

33

 

 

Eliza, his wife

24

 

 

James

2

3

14

GOODWIN, John

46

 

 

Mary Ann, his wife

40

 

 

Mary Ann

14

 

 

John Francis

12

 

 

Henry Samuel

10

5

15

FORD, James Edward

50

 

 

Frances, his wife

40

 

 

Frances Jane

14

 

 

James Samuel

13

 

 

George Henry

11

 

 

Edward

9

 

 

Adelaide Elizabeth

7

 

 

Jean Murray

5

 

 

John Henry

3

 

 

Sarah STLLWELL

23

10

16

Henry CRAUSE

29

 

 

Helen, his wife

28

 

 

Charles

5

3

17

SIMS, John

23

 

 

Sarah, his wife

23

 

 

Charles

5

 

 

John

3

4

18

IZARD, Joseph

38

 

 

Catherine, his wife

40

 

 

Jane

17

 

 

Henry

12

4

19

BURGIE, Andrew

25

 

 

Elizabeth, his wife

23

2

20

FORBES, William

28

 

 

Charlotte, his wife

24

 

 

Ann

6

 

 

Charlotte

5

 

 

Mary

2

 

 

Ann NIXON

45

6

21

MEESON, Edward

43

 

 

Eliza, his wife

38

 

 

Edward

13

 

 

Alfred

11

 

 

Richard

9

 

 

John

7

 

 

Henry

5

 

 

Eliza

1

8

22

YOUNG, Stephen

50

 

 

Mary, his wife

47

 

 

Mary

18

 

 

Stephen

14

 

 

Elizabeth

11

5

23

FRANZ, Christopher

29

 

 

Ann, his wife

25

 

 

Ann

7

 

 

Helen

4

4

24

HOWELL, Samuel

33

 

 

Ann, his wife

32

 

 

Ann Lake

7

 

 

Catherine

5

 

 

Owen

3

 

 

Josephine

2

6

25

FLANNEGAN, Timothy

39

 

 

Mary, his wife

41

 

 

Mary Ann

14

 

 

James Frederick

9

 

 

Arthur Stephen

7

 

 

Elizabeth

2

6

26

STRINGFELLOW, Thomas

30

 

 

Ann, his wife

30

 

 

Ann

5

 

 

Mary Ann

3

 

 

Sarah

1

5

27

WORLEDGE, Thomas

23

 

 

Jane, his wife

21

 

 

Sarah

1

 

 

Ann WOOD, his mother

42

4

28

LOVEMORE, Henry

35

 

 

Ann, his wife

29

 

 

Eliza

14

 

 

Robert

6

 

 

Henry

5

 

 

Ann

3

 

 

Maria

2

 

 

Ann REMNANT

45

8

29

O’FLINN, Daniel

27

 

 

Margaret, his wife

28

2

30

HEATH, John

26

 

 

Maria, his wife

23

 

 

John

2

3

31

ANDERSON, George

48

 

 

Isabella, his wife

45

 

 

Benjamin

14

 

 

Isabella

8

4

32

JEFFRIES, Joseph

28

 

 

Elizabeth, his wife

30

 

 

Eliza

7

 

 

James

2

4

33

HARDEN, William

25

 

 

Maria, his wife

24

 

 

Jane

3

 

 

Maria

2

4

34

LEE, Henry

30

 

 

Charlotte, his wife

29

 

 

Alfred

7

 

 

Matilda

5

 

 

George

2

5

35

GOSHAM, Mathew

34

 

 

Harriet, his wife

38

 

 

Thomas

13

 

 

Alfred

5

 

 

Harriet

4

5

36

HUNTER, John

27

 

 

Elizabeth, his wife

23

 

 

Anna

2

3

37

SMITH, James

43

 

 

Jane, his wife

39

 

 

John James

15

 

 

William Sydney

13

 

 

Harriet

11

 

 

Frederic

8

 

 

William Zachary

6

 

 

Charles

5

 

 

Mary Jane

3

 

 

Rosina

2

 

 

Alfred

1

11

38

HARRISON, William

30

 

 

Ann, his wife

30

 

 

Thomas

13

 

 

George

2

4

39

HART, William

46

 

 

Jane, his wife

36

 

 

Elizabeth

17

 

 

William

15

 

 

Henry

12

 

 

Samuel

8

 

 

Charles

7

 

 

Emily

1

8

40

COWPER, William Devereux

21

 

 

Henry

13

 

 

James

10

3

41

REED, William

40

 

 

Eliza, his wife

38

 

 

Eliza

20

 

 

Charles

11

 

 

Louisa

9

 

 

James

7

 

 

George

1

7

42

GODLONTON, Robert

25

 

 

Mary Ann, his wife

27

 

 

William Hey

17

 

 

Mary Ann

3

4

43

MUNRO, Alexander

44

 

 

Margaret, his wife

43

 

 

William

18

 

 

James

16

 

 

Margaret

14

 

 

Hugh

12

 

 

Jane

10

 

 

Charles

6

 

 

John

4

 

 

Mary Ann

2

10

44

REYNOLDS, James

55

 

 

Mary Ann, his wife

31

 

 

William

8

 

 

Joshua

3

4

45

KITE, Joseph