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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.

LAW, Thompson

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 265

Stockton on Tees

July 24th 1819

My Lord,

Learning that the Government have it in contemplation to assist British subjects to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope, I having been many years in the Indian Seas & at the Cape in His Majesty's ship Iphigenia as Ship's Butcher I now feel a wish to go to that settlement either as a settler or on His Majesty's service, should any possibility be offered for that purpose. I should feel myself highly honoured by your Lordship's attention to this and if honoured by your Lordship's answer will confer a lasting obligation on my Lord

Your Lordship's most obed't humble serv't

Thompson LAW

 

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National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 301

Stockton on Tees

August 3rd 1819

My Lord,

I am honoured by your Lordship's kind communication in answer to my wish to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope. I beg leave to state to your Lordship that my former note has probably not been clearly understood. I beg leave to give a more detailed explanation of my wishes to go there. On my discharge from His Majesty's ship Iphigenia and consequent return home from many years service as Ship's Butcher, I found my friends mostly deceased or otherwise left the place of my former residence, and consequently found myself in a different population. Having been accustomed to the climate of the Cape so long is my wish to return there, the only thing I beg leave to ask is free passage there, not doubting but a person of my description would be much wanted there. I should be highly honoured by an answer to this and am your Lordship's most obedient servant

Thompson LAW

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