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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.

BURGESS, William

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/41, 405

Baltinglass

Ireland

August 19th 1819

My Lord,

Seeing in the public papers that His Majesty's Government have voted fifty thousand pounds for the purpose of bringing out settlers to the Cape of Good Hope and that a grant of land will be given to each settler, I therefore request your Lordship to give me a grant of land. My family consists of 6 sons, two of them above eighteen years old, two daughter, two men servants and two women servants who will accompany me, all protestants and all Loyalists. I have had the honour to command a Corps of Yeoman Infantry as Captain and have been bred to the profession of the law. If it is necessary I will get a certificate from Mr. Aloysius BURGH, aid de camp to His Grace the Duke of Wellington, and also from other distinguished characters of my loyalty and good conduct. I shall bring out with me about £3000 and if your Lordship will allow me I would purchase lands independent of those given to me by the grant. I would be very thankful if your Lordship would order instructions be sent me and also from what port I should embark and at what season of the year.

I beg the honour to remain my Lord

Your Lordship's most humble servant

Will BURGESS

 

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National Archives, Kew CO48/41, 461

Baltinglass

Ireland

September 2 1819

My Lord,

On yesterday I had the honour of your favour through the Hon. Mr. GOULBURN in reply to my letter of the 19th ultimo. I apprehend that I did not make myself sufficiently understood to your Lordship in that letter.

If I and the number of persons I have already mentioned emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope I will go out at my own expence. It is not poverty, but a matter of necessity that compels me to emigrate, as my conduct as a Loyal man in opposing traytors to my King and Country has created for me numerous enemies, so that my life is in danger in my native land, and I prefer on account of the church emigrating to British Africa in preference to British America and I believe that a person going out under the circumstances I mentioned with a Capital would experience an encouragement from His Majesty's Government far more than the emigrant that goes out a burthen & expence to the state. My family is numerous and all the land with which according to Mr. GOULBURN's letter would be three hundred acres, that is one hundred for myself and one hundred for each of my sons that is over eighteen, which would not be sufficient for my means of [obscured]. I therefore would wish to purchase land as far as my means, in the same way as lands are purchased in Canada. I will bring out 14 persons. Myself the eldest, 43 years old, and the youngest five years old. I therefore beg that your Lordship will be so good as to order a further communication to be made to me on this subject.

I beg the honour to remain my Lord

Your Lordship's most humble servant

Will BURGESS

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