GLADSTONE, John MP re HAYHURST's Party, 1820 Settlers
[Transcriber's Note: John GLADSTONE, MP for Liverpool, was the father of William E. GLADSTONE, four times British Prime Minister during the reign of Queen Victoria]
National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 346
Liverpool
7 August 1819
Dear Sir,
I have many enquiries and applications for emigration to the Cape of Good Hope. There seems a strong to take that direction amongst those who had previously contemplated the United States but information as to the time & place of embarkation made & terms of conveyance, quarter of destination, in addition to what the public circular contains, is applied for. I mean the detail of the plans & there does not appear to be any one here authorised to give it.
I am inclined to think that the means of conveyance may be provided here on more reasonable terms than from the Thames & I understand that there is a disposition amongst those intending to emigrate to prefer providing conveyance for themselves if the Government were disposed to allow them a moderate sum as a consideration for the expence, payable after they arrived in the Colony.
Would you be good enough to inform me if this is likely to be acceded to & to put me in possession of such general information of views and intentions of Government as it may be wished should be made known here, which I will put in train for that object. Believe me in truth my dear Sir
Yours respectfully
John GLADSTONE
National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 379
Seaforth House near Liverpool
August 24, 1819
My dear Sir
I had the pleasure on Saturday last - but I find it necessary to trouble you again on the subject of emigration to the Cape. Of those who are likely to embark here for that destination, a large proportion will consist of cotton weavers and others connected with that manufacture, as it is those of their class that had the greatest difficulty, first, in procuring employ't, & next sufficient remuneration, when employed, to support their families. By the order in Council dated in November 1813 the statutes forbidding their emigration to foreign countries, and the punishment of those who may entice or contract with such manufacturers so to emigrate either to foreign countries, or British colonies or possessions, are published in the Gazette, that they may be more generally made known to such as contemplate doing so. It appears that altho' the Law, as it now stands, forbids any one to entice or contract with such manufacturer, so to emigrate, & in such case inflicts a heavy penalty, yet it does not prevent the manufacturer from doing so of his own accord; but the officers of the customs here inform me that they do prevent, as far as they properly can, such persons from emigrating, & that they have been instructed by the Board to this effect - it is therefore on this point that I now trouble you. My apology must be, the very strong conviction I feel, that every difficulty which it is practicable or advisable to remove, that is now in the way of such emigration, ought to be done away with. Our population, particularly in this county, grows upon us with a rapidity, that the means of employment, though also gradually increasing, cannot keep pace with, the burdens occasioned by the present practical application of the Poor Laws are becoming daily more severe, and the number of those who are able to work but who state that they cannot find employ't, that now resort to the Parishes for assistance, is becoming alarmingly great, once accustomed to this source for support, they become too generally indifferent to laudable exertion, thus degraded in their own eyes, they are too apt to give themselves up to such habits as produce discontent & a desire for mischief, of which the evidence around us is at present too striking - for so pressing an evil, emigration seems the only immediate remedy, if the outlet was once organised with such facilities as would give it something like the character of a highway, we might then hope to be able, at least, to arrest the rapidly increasing evil effects of the Poor Laws, because there would be an alternative which could be pointed out to those requiring relief. Under the circumstances, I would hope the laws which now restrict or shackle emigration to our own colonies may be thought deserving revision & such temporary measures adopted and made known, as many suspend the difficulties. If some decided measures are not adopted to give relief the discontent which unfortunately at present prevails so generally among the lower classes in Lancashire may for a time perhaps be suppressed, but I fear it will ere long again burst forth with increased violence. In submitting these observations to my Lord Bathurst & yourself, I consider that I only discharge my duty, and am with great respect
My dear Sir
Most faithfully yours
John GLADSTONE
National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 439
Liverpool
October 4th 1819
Dear Sir,
I enclose an application from parties desirous of emigrating to the Cape of Good Hope with a list & description of whole. The leaders desire me to say they will be ready to go up to Town to wait upon you if required. They inform me that there is a large body of manufacturers who are desirous of accompanying them but that they have not taken their names, preferring farmers & tradesmen.
As the parties generally reside in this neighbourhood they are desirous to embark here. I will communicate to them any information you may think proper to desire. Believe me my dear Sir
Yours faithfully
John GLADSTONE
National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 514
Liverpool
13 Dec 1819
Dear Sir,
When I had the pleasure of seeing you in Downing St I mentioned that some friends of mine at Lancaster were desirous to get a man with his wife & child sent out to the Cape by one of the ships now fitting here. Since my return I sent for WHITELY & HAYHURST (NEAVE I cannot find out) who ?told? me their number of thirty individuals in full, what I therefore have to request is the favor of hereupon being given to add the poor man's family to WHITELY & Co's 30, when the deposit will immediately be remitted. Please to favor me with an early reply and believe me my dear Sir
Yours faithfully
John GLADSTONE
National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 524
Liverpool
29 Dec 1819
Dear Sir,
I am obliged by your attention to the application I made on behalf of the poor man & his family for whom my Lancaster friends interested themselves. I now enclose a letter from WHITELY & Co with the name &c which be good enough to transmit to its destination & also to give the necessary directions for their being rec'd on board the transport here, as I understand she will be ready to sail in a few days.
Faithfully yours,
John GLADSTONE
[enclosed letter]
Liverpool
20 Dec 1819
Sir,
Since your esteemed favor of the 2nd inst we have to acquaint you that our list stands as accepted by Earl BATHURST with the exception of John RIGG, who we have replaced with Thos. KIDD as below. By this post we understand that John GLADSTONE Esq MP has remitted to W. HILL Esq ten pounds as Government deposit for James KENT & family as under who he informs us you have allowed to be added to our list. In consequence of which alteration we presume it necessary to return the enclosed for your correction.
We are your obedient humble servants
HAYHURST & WHITLEY
Thos. KIDD, grazier, aged 32 in place of Jno. RIGG
James KENT, aged 27, household serv't
Ellen KENT aged 28
Rich'd John KENT aged 6 months
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