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.

GODFREY, Edward Smith, 1820

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew, CO48/52, 364

Newark

19 January 1820

Sir,

In my letter to you of the 6th Ult. I had the honor to inform you that it was very probable that several of the persons who had originally proposed to go out as Settlers to the Cape of Good Hope from this County under the Superintendance of Mr Thos. CALTON would from a variety of circumstances change their minds & I therefore inquired whether it would be permitted to substitute others in their stead, & in answer to said letter you did me the honor to reply by yours of the 8th Ult. ‘that Earl BATHURST would have no difficulty in admitting substitutions of other persons so that there was no excess of the original numbers'. In consequence of this permission I have given directions from time to time to supply the vacancies of such persons as declined to proceed to the Cape & many changes have taken place accordingly – the party commenced their march to Liverpool in the

beginning of last [week?] & many of them have already arrived but by a letter I have received from Mr. CALTON dated the 16th inst. he informs me that he had that morning taken about 30 persons on board the vessel destined to receive them when some of them were returned in consequence of their names not [being] included in the original List. It has been quite impossible as yet to transmit to your office a complete List of all the present proposed Settlers, inasmuch as I find every hour has produced some variation. I hope in the course of a few days to be able to inform you that all the party have set out from Nottingham & then I can furnish you with a complete List. In the mean time I hope I am not asking any thing unreasonable in requesting that directions may be given to the Captain of the vessel or the Government Agent at Liverpool to receive all such persons on board from Nottingham as Mr CALTON may produce, untill the List can be made out; because I fear the expense of maintaining these people on shore will be considered a very great hardship by the subscribers who have already expended an enormous sum of money in the outfit of this party and their conveyance from Nottingham to Liverpool.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant

Edwd. Smith GODFREY

  • Hits: 6252