CO48/46 National Archives, Kew, London  ~  1820 Settler Correspondence T-Y

 

Transcribed by volunteers from the ZA-IB and ZA-EC Rootsweb mailing lists from digital photographs taken by Rowena Wattrus 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.

 

VAUGHAN, Rev. H.

 

205

Enniscorthy

Oct 7th 1819

My Lord,

            I had the honor yesterday of transmitting through the Earl of CONISTOWN an enquiry with respect to the encouragement I as a protestant clergyman might expect from emigrating to the Cape & since that find that I would be enabled to take with me twenty protestant settlers from this parish in addition to those going with other proprietors & therefore request that your Lordship will have the goodness as soon as convenient to  send me every necessary information with respect to the encouragement I am to expect, that I may regulate my plans accordingly.

I have the honor to be my Lord

Your most obedient servant

J.H. VAUGHAN

Curate of Enniscorthy

 

PS From my former letter it will appear that those already determined on emigration together with those that I could take with me would amt to nearly one hundred settlers, which number must be considerably exceeded by the many now endeavouring to sell their properties for the same purpose

 

VERGENST, M

 

183

July 15th 1819

Sir,

            Being informed that I should apply to you for instructions relative to my obtaining permission to settle at the Cape of Good Hope, I shall esteem it a particular favour if you will have the goodness to allow me to wait on you when you are most at leisure, and remain Sir

Your most obedient servant

M. VERGENST

 

184

Woods Hotel

Arundel Street

Panton Square, Haymarket

July 17th 1819

Sir,

            The 15th instant I took the liberty to write to you requesting an interview for taking instructions relative to my obtaining permission to settle at the Cape of Good Hope. This day I find in the newspapers the copy of an official circular containing conditions upon which Government intends to encourage emigration to that colony. By writing you the 15th it was not my intention to settle at the Cape in course of the motion made in Parliament by the Lord Chancellor of the Exchequer: this is become a casual incident which I may consider. But before I can do it thoroughly I must request you to have the goodness to inform me if my position of not being a subject of His British Majesty, but a Dutchman will make no difficulty when I for the remainder fulfill the conditions prescribed by Government.

            I hope Sir you will forgive me if I request from you a speedy answer that I may the sooner consider the business and take my measures accordingly.

I remain Sir your most obedient servant

M. VERGENST

 

[note from GOULBURN]

The advantage of receiving assistance from Govt. will necessarily be confined to His Majesty’s subjects

 

187

Woods Hotel

July 20th 1819

Sir,

            I have to thank you for the ready answer you made me by your letter of yesterday but since the result of the Lord Chancellor’s motion cannot concern me I beg leave to recall your attention on my letter of the 15th instant, by which I intended to get the instructions I need for obtaining permission to settle at the Cape of Good Hope, without considering the assistance held out by His Majesty’s Government for such British subjects as should be desirous to emigrate to the said Colony.

I remain Sir your most obedient servant

M. VERGENST

 

VERO, John

 

195

Verona

Enniscorthy

August 5 1819

My Lord,

            I take the liberty to address you in consequence of seeing in the public prints that His Majesty’s Government now allow emigration to the Cape of Good Hope to solicit that your Lordship will have kindness to give directions that a copy of the Regulations on this subject may be sent me.

            Your Lordship will I hope excuse this intrusion and permit me to add that if the public prints speak correctly as to the terms I am fully qualified in every way to avail myself of this permission but as there may be many matters contained in newspaper reports that have no foundation I have thought it adviseable to address your Lordship directly to ascertain the fact. Trusting your Lordship will comply with my request I beg leave to subscribe myself, my Lord

Your Lordship’s most devoted humble servant

John VERO

 

199

Verona

Enniscorthy

August 19 1819

Sir,

            I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th inst relative to emigration to the Cape of Good Hope.

            In reply permit me to state that finding the profession I was bred to (the Law) not affording me sufficient means to support my family I have been these some years past engaged in managing an extensive farm of my own; this is also failing owing to the unaccountable depression of the times and all these circumstances combining induced me to prefer a foreign country. I can get ten persons to go out with me and by your favoring me with a line stating the recommendation necessary and how the money is to be paid or deposited which I will engage to remit speedily after hearing from you, and also in or about what time the vessel will sail in November will much oblige me. I beg to add that my family consists of a wife & 6 children all under the age of 14.

I have the honor to be

Your most obed’t humble serv’t

John VERO

 

201

Verona

Enniscorthy

2 October 1819

The memorial of John VERO of Verona in the County of Wexford Esq

Humbly sheweth

That your Memorialist wishing to avail himself of the advantage likely to result from emigrating to the Cape of Good Hope applied to your Lordship for the necessary instructions, in answer to which he received two letters dated the 12th & 24th August last, and agreeably to the directions contained therein begs leave to enclose a statement of those persons who are ready and willing to embark with Memorialist and who will be found from their vocations in this country a valuable acquisition to the Colony.

Your Memorialist begs leave to state that the necessary deposit as pointed out by the regulation is ready to be made at any place or in any way your Lordship may be pleased to point out.

Your Memorialist from the very great depression in trade in this country and being in consequence unable to support a family in the rank of life he has been accustomed to or in any way by which an independance could be acquired humbly entreats your Lordship will be pleased to order him a grant of land at the Colony at the Cape of Good Hope at the rate of one hundred acres for each persons contained in the enclosed list or such further quantity your Lordship may direct.

Your Memorialist will pray

John VERO

 

Name ad Description of the Person taking out the Settlers:

John VERO of Verona in the County of Wexford, gentleman, aged 35 years. Attorney at Law and Solicitor of His Majesty’s High Court of Chancery in Ireland. For these some years residing and farming a small demesne of 50 acres. His wife aged 32 years and 7 children all under the age of fourteen years.

 

Names of the Settlers

Profession or Trade

Age

Names of the Women

Age

Male Children

Age

Female Children

Age

James SIMPSON

Labourer

21

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archibald DUNCAN

Land Steward

27

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alex’r RAMSEY

Carpenter & Wheelwright

29

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garret FOX

Blacksmith

27

 

 

 

 

 

 

John WARD

Labourer

19

 

 

 

 

 

 

John COSGRAVE

Mason & Labourer

25

Mary

20

 

 

 

 

James COSGRAVE

Do.

22

Anne

20

 

 

 

 

Patrick COSGRAVE

Do.

24

Bridget

19

 

 

 

 

Robert CONNOR *

Labourer

35

Bridget

32

Two

7/4

Four

12/10/7/2

Thomas WALSH

    Do.

28

Mary

36

One

1

Two

7/3

James WARD

    Do.

45

Mary

34

One

17

One

6

Daniel JORDAN

Tailor

36

Anne

32

Three under

14

2 under

1 under

18

14

Patrick MURPHY

Fisherman & Labourer

40

Margaret

40

One

13

Three

12/10/5

 

*This man is a pensioner as a private from the 4th Veteran Battalion having lost a finger

 

I do hereby bind myself to abide and conform to all the conditions upon which His Majesty’s Government have offered to grant land in the Colony at the Cape of Good Hope.

Dated the 4th October 1819

John VERO

 

VICKERS, John

 

197

King’s Bench Prison

Aug 12th 1819

My Lord,

            I am one of those unfortunate men that the pressure of the times & the prosecution of a mercenary landlord have driven in here, from whence however I expect to be discharged about the latter end of this month, The purport of the present is to offer my services to Government to go out as settlers to the Cape of Good Hope. I am a married man having a wife and five children, two boys and three girls, myself and my wife forty years of age, all of us both strong an healthy. I some time ago occupied a large farm in Warwickshire near Stratford on Avon. I afterwards was induced to take a large farm in South Wales, of twelve hundred pounds per annum, and very unfortunately for me the next year after I entered upon it both stock and the produce of land fell nearly one half in price, and as the landlord would neither take up the lease nor lower the rent my utter ruin was inevitable, and after selling everything I had (at a very low rate) to the amount of one thousand five hundred pounds, all which was not adequate to satisfy his demand upon me for rent &c, and after harassing me in every way he possibly could he has at length succeeded in shutting me up in prison. In consequence of such unmerited prosecution I have resolved (when I have my discharge from this place) to leave this country. I am thoroughly acquainted with agriculture in all its branches and have been accustomed from my youth up not only to habits of industry & to superintend but to labour hard myself. I know all the improved methods of cultivating both light & strong soils & I have a thorough knowledge of breeding & of improving the breed of all kinds of live stock. I likewise understand planting, horticulture &c and my wife understands dairying &c. Under these circumstances should your Lordship think me a proper person to send out to the Cape I shall thankfully embrace the opportunity and will give your Lordship the most satisfactory reference. I beg further to state to your Lordship that an acquaintance of mine, an expert carpenter and builder, will join me in the undertaking. I expect that my friends will do something for me in a pecuniary way when I regain my liberty but I cannot at the present moment say to what amount. I should be extremely oblidged if your Lordship would condescend to give me what information you can upon the subject and to inform me whether my services are likely to be accepted or not.

I am my Lord

Your Lordship’s obedient servant

John VICKERS

 

 

VINE, H.L.

 

191

Stockwell, July 29th 1819

My Lord,

            I have to beg your Lordships pardon for the liberty I have taken in writing to you and which I have presumed to do in consequence of its appearing to be the intention of His Majesty’s Government to increase the population at the Cape of Good Hope by grants of land to individuals who may wish to go there. I am a Lieutenant of Royal Marines and was placed on half pay by the late Peace Establishment & have a wife and four children to maintain, but not having any other means of support than my half pay (four shillings and six pence per diem) I find it quite inadequate to that purpose. I shall therefore feel myself under the highest obligation to your Lordship if you will condescend to inform me if I may obtain a grant of land in that colony. I have had the honor of serving His Majesty for the last fifteen years during the most of which time I have been on active service in different parts of the world, which I hope may be a recommendation to me in favor of my request. Should your Lordship condescend to give me any information on the subject I shall feel myself highly honored. In the mean time I beg permission to subscribe myself with the greatest respect

Your Lordship’s most obed’t humble servant

H.L. VINE

Lieut.Rl. Marines