Skip to main content
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.

BUTLER, Thomas, 1820

Written by Sue Mackay on .

Cape Archives CO6138 Volume 2 pp 91-92

Cork, 17th January 1820

Terms of agreement made between Capt Thomas BUTLER and the following ten settlers who are to proceed to the New Settlement about to be made at the Cape of Good Hope under his guidance.
Captain BUTLER has already marched hence from his house in the County of Wicklow to this City a distance of more than 140 miles at a very heavy expence perfectly to their satisfaction.
Capt. BUTLER engages to march them at his own expence from the Place of Landing in Africa to the place of Location. To give each Head of family ten acres of Land to build a House on it to crop it & stock it and to support each Family until the crop comes round, each Individual to do whatever they can to assist said Capt. BUTLER and one another during the time said Capt. BUTLER will have to feed them which will be until the crop comes round. Each head of a Family to give said Capt. BUTLER two hundred days work every year for four years from the time of Location, at the end of four years each Family is at full Liberty to quit the service of said Capt. BUTLER on giving him up what he gave them.
This is signed by all the Heads of Familys in the presence of Mr. John INGRAM, one of the Heads of Party on board this ship, Fanny Transport
2nd May 1820
Thos. BUTLER
Capt. County Dublin Militia

In addition to above I have been obliged to buy clothing for them & must also clothe them for the four years.
T. BUTLER

[The return filed with this in the Cape Archives is the same as the second one listed from the National Archives under BUTLER's Party]

National Archives, Kew, CO48/52, 46

On board the Fanny

Feby 4th 1820

Sir,

I enclose you the embarkation return of my party. I kept as near to the original return as possible, to keep quite to it was impossible as I had no control over the head of the families and a man might promise this week and decline the next. We expect to sail any tide.

I have the honor to be

Most obed'ly yours

Thos. BUTLER

  • Hits: 7559