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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.

BROWN, Thomas (4)

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/41, 303

No.9 Brook Street

New Road

August 7 1819

Sir,

I understand from the circular which your last letter refered me to that Government declines treating with any number less than ten – there are ten of us able bodied and willing to emigrate as settlers to the Cape of Good Hope. Providing Government will enable us clearly to understand its intentions respecting the grant of land proposed in the circular – if Government intends granting to each man or head of a family his own proper allotment of land as his own right subject to none but Government. Such a plan will no doubt better all our conditions and ultimately be highly serviceable and beneficial to government. We are willing to believe that the above is Government's intention and we humbly pray our case to be taken into consideration.

We humbly solicit an answer as soon as possible

I am Sir your very obedient and humble servant

Thomas BROWN

 

Since his two youngest children were born in New Road in 1817 and 1819, it is possible that this letter was written by Thomas Saunders BROWN, who emigrated with WILLSON's Party

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