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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.

CHURTON, Rev. R

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/42, 415/417

Middleton

Banbury

Oct 12 1819

My Lord,

In this extremely populous parish (Middleton Cheney in the County of Northampton) the silk stocking trade being bad and the shag-weaving worse, and our poor rates more than 20s per acre, there are about ten or a dozen persons, chiefly married and having children, who are inclined to go as settlers to the Cape of Good Hope. In a Vestry yesterday the Parish agreed to allow them according to the terms in the printed circulars, which they have got, namely 10£ to a man and his wife and two children &c and also, besides subsisting them to the ship (at Deptford as they think) a further gratuity of 5£ to one, 6£ to another, 9£ to another, according to the number of their children and other circumstances.

With these proposals the men are not satisfied but require each an additional gratuity, some 5£ some 8£ some 10£ over and above the terms in the circular and the gratuity offered by the Parish. They also conceive that besides implements of husbandry (a spade, axe, saw, stocking-axe, hammer &c) and clothes, sheets, bed, change of shirts &c they should take a plough [har]rows and other such heavy articles or have money to buy them at once in the colony.

I have told them “Of this you may be quite assured, that government does not mean to deceive or to hold out any false lights or allurements and that I have no doubt in the terms proposed (10£ per man &c) Government, who know best what is requisite, are persuaded that such (lodged in the hands of government and to be allowed as [pro]posed to the settlers on their arrival and ‘location' in the colony) will be quite sufficient, so that even with any such addition (as 2 guineas a man or the like) they would be [obscured] off”

Any instructions or information on this subject would be a particular favour and, at furthest by Friday's post (which will be here on Saturday morning) that we may on Sunday announce a Vestry to be held next day to settle the business.

I have the honour to be my Lord

Your Lordship's most obedient and faithful humble servant

R. CHURTON

Rector of Middleton

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