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

pre 1820 Settler Correspondence before emigration

ALL the 1819 correspondence from CO48/41 through CO48/46 has been transcribed whether or not the writers emigrated to the Cape. Those written by people who did become settlers, as listed in "The Settler Handbook" by M.D. Nash (Chameleon Press 1987), are labelled 1820 Settler and the names of actual settlers in the text appear in red.

KINGDON, Richard

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 182

The Vicarage

Bodmin

Cornwall

July 26th 1819

My Lord,

Allow me to state to your Lordship that a number of persons in this part of the country have emigrated to America, many more had determined to go but feeling repugnance at alienating themselves from the Government of this country operated to retard them in the purpose. Now a brighter prospect presents itself to these necessitous people, the offer held out in the public prints by His Majesty's Ministers, prompts me in behalf of those families to enquire of your Lordship if shipping be allowed free of expense for the transport of agricultural implements and for ?? [obscured]

and ewes sheep &c for the purpose of improving the breed of those animals in the Cape of Good Hope.

How far distant the port to be colonised is from Cape Town and whether the colony will be liable to be annoyed by the Hottentots or natives of the Cape and as a salary has been proposed for a minister for every 100 families whether any would be granted to medical men who might be selected by a given number of families, for there cannot exist a doubt but that men of that profession would be most essential to the prosperity & well being of any colony or state and I cannot see how they will be adequately remunerated but by salaries from His Majesty's Ministers.

An answer to the above questions will be considered a mark of great condescension from your Lordship and esteemed a favour. I have the honour to subscribe myself

Your Lordship's very humb sev't

Rich'd KINGDON

  • Hits: 6462