BURBIDGE, John

National Archives, Kew CO48/41, 512/513

Leicester

Sept 17 1819

My Lord,

I take the liberty of troubling your Lordship at the request of several poor men of this Town, most of whom are distressed framework knitters who are anxious to avail themselves of the offer to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope but, as there are peculiarities in this case, I have advised them to wait until I can learn whether they can be sanctioned by the Government. They state that they can get friends to advance for them the 10£ each and they propose to nominate one of the party (named William JACKSON) as agent to make the deposit for the whole, but the truth is that the money will be subscribed by each in the way that I have stated, JACKSON himself not being a man of substance any more than the others are. Three of the party are also Pensioners. They wish to know whether Pensioners will be allowed to emigrate and to retain their pensions and whether your Lordship can give such directions as will secure to each of the party a proportional share of the land which will be allotted to the agent, as they would not be disposed to go unless they can secure that object by an arrangement here not liable to be defeated by the agent afterwards. Feeling desirous to facilitate the views of these distressed men as much as lies in my power I have undertaken to write to your Lordship on the subject and I request the favour of your Lordship's answer, & directions, which shall be faithfully communicated to the men. I enclose a list of their names and ages and have to add that they are able bodied men and several of them have been at the Cape.

I have the honour to be my Lord

Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant

Thos. BURBRIDGE

Town Clerk

List referred to in the accompanying letter

National Archives, Kew CO48/41, 658

Leicester

October 21 1819

My Lord,

I have been requested by the persons on behalf of whom I addressed your Lordship some time ago upon the subject of emigration to the Cape of Good Hope to transmit to your Lordship the accompanying petition from the individual who has been nominated by them as agent. They state that they can be provided with the means of complying with the regulations and they all seem very anxious to be allowed the sanction of government.

Any answer which your Lordship may think fit to send through me shall be faithfully communicated to the men. I have the honour to be my Lord

Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant

Thos. BURBRIDGE

Town Clerk

661/662 (JACKSON)

The humble petition of William JACKSON of the Borough of Leicester, framework knitter

Sheweth

That your petitioner is desirous of taking out as settlers to the Cape of Good Hope the families of whom a particular account is given in the accompanying list.

Your petitioner (having upon a former application received copies of the circular letters which have been issued from your Lordship's office) is well aware of the nature of the assistance which it is intended to grant to settlers and of the conditions under which that assistance will be given, and he begs leave to assure your Lordship of his readiness to pay the deposit required in respect of the party in question ( should your Lordship accede to this proposal) and to conform in all respects to the offer of His Majesty's Government.

Your petitioner further begs leave to state that the heads of each family are strong able bodied men and have not only given their consent to but are as desirous of emigration as your petitioner, of which particulars and of any [obscured] which your Lordship may request and certificates can be furnished if required.

Your petitioner therefore humbly prays your Lordship to take the [obscured] case into consideration and to allow the party to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope upon the terms held out by His Majesty's Government.

And your petitioner will ever pay

Wm JACKSON