MACNEILL, Neil

Written by Sue Mackay on 30 November 1999.

(see also correspondence of William RAE at CO48/45)

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 764-770

[To Henry MONTEITH, Provost of Glasgow]

Glasgow

19^th October 1819

My Lord,

Agreeable to the conversation I had with your Lordship I beg leave to transmit two copies of a memorial to Earl BATHURST which will I hope meet your approbation. I also enclose an abstract list of the persons proposing to form the colony and I hope your Lordship's sanction will induce the Government to grant the requested aid, a ship from Clyde. Our object my Lord is general and our number may show that it is not so much individual benefit but colonisation at large to be our wish, each hoping in time to assist the others and under this impression we have every firm hope that our petition will be attended to. We have to thank your Lordship for your constant good wishes and we hope that a future period will reward your exertions in our behalf and justify the expectations formed from the proposed colony.

The transmission of the enclosed papers and the further prosecution of this desirable object we entirely leave to your Lordship's direction and in the name of the memorialists I beg leave to subscribe myself, my Lord

Your most ob. Servant

Neil MACNEILL

May I be permitted my Lord to suggest that if Government do not consider the number on the annexed list sufficient for one ship the requisite number may be soon obtained either from here or from the Highlands, and your Lordship will please remark that in the list enclosed I have not included any person from the latter country as the memorial bears to be on account of the people in and around Glasgow

N MacN

List of Families proposing to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope under the direction of Neil MacNEILL

	Name	Present Residence	Occupation	Remarks	Total Number
1	Charles COVERLY	Anderston	Farmer	Self wife and six children	8
2	Robert COVERLY	Ditto	Ditto	Self and wife	2
3	James COVERLY	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and two children	4
4	William YOUNG	Anderston	Plumber	Self and wife	2
5	James WILSON	Anderston	Baker	Self and wife	2
6	David WALKER	Glasgow	Wright	Self wife and one child	3
7	William WALKER	Ditto	Sawyer	Self and wife	2
8	John WALKER	Ditto	Sawyer	Unmarried	1
9	John HENDERSON	Bridgetown	Weaver	Self wife and six children	8
10	John PARKER	Glasgow	Labourer	Unmarried	1
11	William FERGUSON	Ditto	Weaver	Self wife and one child	3
12	Ross FERGUSON	Ditto	Ditto	Self and wife	2
13	James STONE	Ditto	Ditto	Self and wife	2
14	Daniel MUNRO	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and daughter	3
15	Edward WOODS	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and three children	5
16	William ROSS	Ditto	Labourer	Self wife and son	3
17	Hugh FREELAND	Spring Bank	Weaver	Self wife and 8 children	10
18	John TURNBULL	Bridgetown	Ditto	Self wife and one child	3
19	Thomas LESLIE	Ditto	Labourer	Unmarried	1
20	Charles TODD	Ditto	Weaver	Unmarried	1
21	John TODD	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
22	William TODD	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
23	Peter DUFF	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and child	3
24	Wm. McLUCKIE	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and two children	4
25	Robt. COULTER	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and three children	5
26	Thomas IVESON	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
27	William WALLACE	Ditto	Labourer	Self and wife	2
28	Isaac ROBERTSON	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and three children	5
29	Robt. GLASGOW	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and six children	8
30	James GLASGOW	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
31	William GLASGOW	Ditto	Weaver	Unmarried	1
32	John GLASGOW	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
33	Robert GLASGOW	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and one child	3
34	Robert ANDERSON	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
35	Andrew SMITH	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
36	James LAW	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
37	Thomas MUIR	Calton	Ditto	Unmarried	1
38	William BUCHANAN	Bridgetown	Farmer	Self wife and two children	4
39	Arch'd BUCHANAN	Ditto	Weaver	Unmarried	1
40	John BUCHANAN	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and two children	4
41	Thomas BUCHANAN	Kilbarchan	Printer	Self wife and one child	3
42	John WALKER	Bridgetown	Weaver	Self wife and one child	3
43	Robert DOUGAL	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
44	Arch'd McPHERSON	Trongate	Ditto	Unmarried	1
45	Robert HOGG	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
46	Maxwell SMITH	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
47	Wm. ENGLAND?	Barrowfield	Cartwright	Self and wife	2
48	Nicholas FITZIMONS	Bridgetown	Weaver	Self wife and five children	7
49	William NAPIER	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and two children	4
50	Peter KELLY	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
51	Robert JOHNSTON	Ditto	Farmer	Self wife and two children	4
52	John McMILLAN	Ditto	Weaver	Self wife and six children	8
53	John BARRY	Provan Mill	Wright	Self wife and ten children	12
54	John MacALISTER	Bridgetown	Weaver	Self wife and two children	4
55	John DOUGAL	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and five children	7
56	George HUTTON	Glasgow	Ditto	Self wife and six children	8
57	John BARRY	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
58	James SMITH	Calton	Shoemaker	Unmarried	1
59	John ROBERTSON	Germistown	Gardner	Unmarried	1
60	Wm. McPHERSON	Glasgow	Labourer	Unmarried	1
61	James RAE	Ditto	Ditto	Unmarried	1
62	John TAYLOR	Broomielaw	Sawyer	Self wife and one child	3
63	William YULE	Ditto	Ditto	Self wife and four children	6
64	Thomas CHAPMAN	Ditto	Brewer	Self wife and two children	4
65	Andrew PARK	Glasgow	Baker	Self wife and four children	6
66	James PARK	Ditto	Wright	Unmarried	1
67	Peter GRAHAM	Ditto	Surgeon	Unmarried	1
68	William TENNER	Ditto	Wright	Self wife and two children	4
69	John CRAIG	Bridgetown	Weaver	Unmarried	1
				TOTAL	213

This memorial is respectfully submitted agreeable to the instructions of Government relative to the encouragement of emigration to the Cape of Good Hope. A considerable number of families in and about Glasgow have selected from their number Mr. Neil NACNEILL to make application to the Government for the proposed aid.

That the different persons composing this list herewith enclosed viewing with confidence the very favorable terms held out by Government, and having every hope in the success of the proposed colony, have determined to accompany Mr. MACNEILL thither and they trust that this memorial will be considered and their prayer granted.

The deposit required by Government is ready to be paid to any authorised agent. Your memorialists beg leave to call your Lordship's attention to the distance at which they live from the general place of shipment and trust that the same will be taken into consideration and that Government will be pleased to order their embarkation from the Clyde, as the expences which they would necessarily incur in going to England will be a considerable drawback on their means, and they further beg leave to state that their number is as many as can be well accommodated on one ship.

Your memorialists have every certainty if the prayer of this petition is granted that their example will be followed by many of their countrymen and that their seems in time every prospect of forming a colony not only beneficial to the settlers but ultimately tending to the real interests of the United Kingdom. In order to prove the sincerity of the memorialists intentions, and in compliance with the orders of Government, the memorialists have waited on the Lord Provost of this City and they trust that under his sanction Government will listen to their petition and grant the aid required.

And your memorialists shall pray

Neil MACNEILL

Glasgow, 26^th October 1819

My Lord,

By desire of a number of people resident in this City and neighbourhood who are desirous of emigrating to the Cape of Good Hope I transmit to your Lordship their memorial and petition together with a list and particular statement of their families, which I earnestly recommend to your Lordship's earliest attention. As your Lordship will observe by the memorial and a letter addressed to me, which is also enclosed, that the object of these people is to be permitted to embark at some of the harbours on the Clyde, which would be a great saving of their time, trouble and expense to such poor individuals.

With highest consideration I have the honor to be, my Lord

Your Lordship's most faithful servant

Henry MONTEITH

Provost

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pre 1820 Settler Correspondence before emigration

MACNEILL, Neil