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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.

FRANKLIN, William

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 192

No.13 Castle Street

Leister Square

Aug 21 1819

My Lord,

I most humbly beg leave to address your Lordship on the following subject, understanding that grants of land are giving by Government to such of his Majesty's subjects as may be thought deserving and have a wish to go and settle at the Cape of Good Hope. I most humbly beg to lay before your Lordship's notice that I have served his Majesty eight years during the last war in the Royal Marines, two years and a half of which I served in British North America in the Canadas on the Lakes &c and as I have been given to understand that Government give a grant of land in Canada to those who having served in that country who make application for it, I should be most humbly thankful to your Lordship to be informed if I can obtain a grant by means of my servitude as above, either at the Cape or in Canada. I beg further to state to your Lordship I have a wife and two children and that I can produce certificates as to my Behaviour in the Service and give every satisfaction of character since I quited it. Trusting your Lordship will be pleased to favour me with an answer I subscribe myself

Your Lordship's very humble and obedient servant

William FRANKLIN

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