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GSSA
The 1820 Settler Correspondence
 as preserved in the National Archives, Kew
 and edited by Sue Mackay

Correspondence 1821 to 1837.

Here only letters by known settlers or their families, or letters of great relevance to the 1820 settlers, have been transcribed, whereas ALL the 1819 correspondence was transcribed (see CO48/41 through CO48/46) whether or not the writers emigrated to the Cape.

Unless otherwise stated letters were written to either the Secretary of State for the Colonies or his deputy.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. 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.

FISHER, P re Abeona, 1821

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew, CO48/56, 105

HM Ship Queen Charlotte

Portsmouth Harbour

Sept 25 1821

My Lord,

I beg leave to inform you in a succinct manner an account of the unavoidable expense that I was subjected to in the Abeona Transport and the loss of all my property, the temporary nature of the employment, the expenses incurred in travelling to join her and going home again on half pay along with my expenses at Lisbon.

In the first place the unavoidable expense that I was subjected to was paying about £24 sterling of Mess Money before leaving Greenock, which was for my passage out, living at that rate would have cost me upwards of £90 sterling a year and my pay was only 6sh 6d per day. Were I in a man of war my mess would not have cost more than one fifth of what it cost in the Abeona; to make it appear more explicit, in the a'said vessel I was under the necessity of messing with the master which made it so much more expensive than in a man of war.

In the second place the loss of property I value at about £120 sterling. In the third place the travelling expenses to join her and living at Greenock for about twenty days and five or six days at Lisbon where we were taken to by the Portuguese ship that saved us.

In the fourth place I was only five or six weeks employed alltogether when the vessel was destroyed by fire. I humbly hope that you will take the hardship of my case into your consideration and indemnify me for my losses.

I beg leave to refer you to the Hon'ble Commissioners of the Victualling Office by whom I was appointed for particulars. I received £19 sterling indemnification for the loss of my instruments and £5 16sh in compensation for victualling.

My Lord I have the honor to be your Lordship's most obedient servant

P. FISHER

Asst Surgeon RN

[Note from GOULBURN: Refer to Navy Office]

 

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National Archives, Kew, CO48/56, 112

HM Ship Iphigenia

Spithead

Nov'r 6 1821

My Lord,

Having not rec'd an answer to my letter of the beginning of last month I suspect that it has not reached your Lordship, it was respecting indemnification for my losses in the Abeona when destroyed by fire on her way to the Cape of Good Hope with settlers whilst I was in medical charge.

I am now appointed to the Iphigenia and am fitting out for the coast of Africa which must be attended with considerable expense. If your Lordship would consider the hardship of my case and compensate me for my losses I would forever feel obliged

My Lord I have the honor to be your Lordship's most ob't servant

P. FISHER

Assistant Surgeon

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