FRANKS, Edward

[NB these letters are extremely faint] See also correspondence of Thomas GORRINGE

National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 103

Library

84 Bond Street

March 4 1819

Sir,

I took the liberty of addressing a letter to you under date of the 28 ult requesting the favor of intelligence relative to the Colony at the Cape of Good Hope, to which I respectfully solicit your reply

I am Sir your humble servant

Edw. FRANKS

National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 105

15 Old Bond Street

April 16 1819

My Lord,

I am deputed by two families residing in Sussex, of one I am a member, to apply to your Lordship requesting to know whether in the event of the approval of the applicants a grant of land in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope could be obtained in the neighbourhood of Knysna or of Plettenberg Bay, capable of settlers as above and sufficiently supplied with wood & water and on the conditions mentioned by H. GOULDBURN Esq in a letter dated March 1818 and published in the Times Newspaper September 5 following.

The families who meditate a removal from this country are both versed in agricultural affairs. The head of one, my father Edward FRANKS Sen'r is owner & occupier of a Farm in the parish of Burwash in the County of Sussex of whom your Lordship may hear of at Messrs WILLIS PERCEVAL of 76 Lombard Street, with whom he has handled many years and of Mr BACKRUP?, Linen Draper, Holborn.

The other family, whose name is GORRINGE, also reside in Sussex and will give references and will state with my father every particular that may be deemed necessary if it be found the spot they consider desirable is not yet fully settled & that land may be obtained in the vicinity of Knysna or Plettenberg Bay capable of cultivation and supplied with wood and well water.

The families have determined on the expediency of leaving England but are not fixed as to their future settlement. They balance the advantages held out by different climes and different countries and although they be absent from this the wish prevails still to be under the protection of its government. They propose to go together and to settle together and the spot on the Knysna contains what they most desire.

Should your Lordship's answer be favorable and the means pointed out by which they may attain what they wish, immediate steps will be taken to apply them. Trusting to your Lordship's goodness for early intelligence

I have the honour to be my Lord

Your Lordship's most obed't sev't

Edward FRANKS Jun'r

National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 107

15 Old Bond Street

London

April 27 1819

My Lord,

On the 16 inst I took the liberty of addressing your Lordship on the part of two families requesting to know whether a grant of land could be obtained in the neighbourhood of the Knysna or of Plettenberg Bay, in the Colony at the Cape of Good Hope, sufficiently supplied with wood & with water, adapted for agriculture, and on the conditions mentioned by H. GOULDBURN Esq in a letter dated March 1818.

As the latter enquiry is vague I now solicit to make an extract from the letter above alluded to. “Lord BATHURST is however ready to receive proposals from any persons willing to undertake in person or by their agents the cultivation of a large grant of land either at the Cape of Good Hope or in the North American provinces, under the following conditions. Such grant will only be made to those who can engage to take out and locate upon the land granted ten settlers at the least; and the quantity of land granted in each case will be in the proportion of 100 acres for every settler proposed to be taken out. In order to prevent any evasion of this condition the person applying for a grant of land will be required to pay down a sum at the rate of ten pounds for every settler, which sum will be repaid to him so soon after his arrival in the colony as the settlers shall have been located upon the land assigned. I am only further to acquaint you that in case of your being willing to undertake the cultivation of land, either at the Cape of Good Hope or in North America, and in the event of your proposal being approved by his Lordship a grant of land will be made free of expense and the necessary tonnage will be provided for the conveyance of yourself or your agent and the settlers whom you have engaged to accompany you. The expense of victualling the settlers will be defrayed by yourself”

March 1818 (Signed) H. GOULDBURN

Should the conditions still be held out, without there be land as before described, your Lordship permitting application will be made for two grants of land of 1000 acres each. Respectfully soliciting your Lordship to direct a reply to be made

I have the honour to be my Lord

Your Lordship's very obedient servant

Edw'd FRANKS Jun'r

National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 109

15 Bond Street

April 30 1819

Sir,

I beg to acknowledge the favor of your letter of the 29^th inst by which I understand that grants of land in the colony at the Cape of Good Hope are made by the Governor at the recommendation of Earl BATHURST and that choice of allotment is not permitted to the grantee.

I am still ignorant in respect to a material object of enquiry in my two letters to his Lordship, which was to ascertain whether the advantages held out by yourself in a letter dated March 1818 & published in the Times Newspaper of Sept 5 (an extract of which I inserted in my second letter of the 27^th) were still afforded. Viz to those who engaged to cultivate these grants of land it would be apportioned to them free from expense at the rate of 100 acres for every settler proposed to be taken out, and that tonnage would be provided for the government for the conveyance of the settlers though the charge for victualling would be defrayed by the person obtaining the grant. May I therefore take the liberty of again requesting information on this head.

I feel reluctant to intrude myself on your more important [assertions?] but by in excuse to say my applications for intelligence are far from dictated by idle comments. The determination to quit the country is fixed and it is only now deliberated where to remove to, the wish prevailing ever to be able to claim the protection of the government under which we first knew truth.

I have the honour to be Sir your obed't sev't

Edw's FRANKS Jun'r

[in clerk's hand: the general arrangement held out in the letter referred to is no longer in force]