GRANT, Captain J.

(see also correspondence of 1820 at CO48/52)

[The following letter re Captain GRANT is filed under L at CO48/45 and is from James LOCH, the Sutherland Estate Commissioner, who was largely responsible for implementing the Highland Clearances]

Dunrobin Castle

22 August 1819

My Lord

Captain GRANT an officer of the 78th having received Lord GOWER's permission to communicate with those persons who are to be placed on the coast in the course of the ensuing year, in order to learn from them whether they would be inclined to accompany him to the Cape of Good Hope on terms of the regulations held out by His Majesty's Government. I have taken the liberty of addressing your Lordship to learn whether, in the event of a sufficient number agreeing to accompany him & being approved of, a transport or transports would be sent off this coast to carry them to the place of their destination.

May I beg that your Lordship will direct your answer to be sent to me at Blair Adam as I am about to return to Staffordshire.

I am your Lordship's obedient servant

James LOCH

[note from Henry GOULBURN , under Secretary of State, written across the bottom]

Acquaint Mr.LOCH that if the offer of any considerable number of persons from that part of Scotland should be accepted then there will be no objection to a transport taking them on board at the nearest port compatible with the safety of the vessel.

National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 437

Downing Street

1 October 1819

My Lord,

The very liberal offer held out by the Government circular respecting the formation of a settlement at the Cape of Good Hope induced me to address the Earl GOWAR on his arrival at Dunrobin Castle in August last to request his permission to communicate with such of his tenants under notice of removal and to point out to them the very superior advantages of the Cape to that of America to which latter country they seemed anxious to remove. The Earl GOWAR granted the permission and I am now enabled to state to your Lordship that upwards of 400 families have already offered themselves from the Earldom of Sutherland, the estates of Naver Rossshire and of Petty Invernessshire, the property of Earl MORAY and I am only fearful of the too great increase of numbers daily.

I have the honor to request that your Lordship will be pleased to afford them transport from Cromarty* and have to solicit attention to the following queries, viz:

A clergyman, a catechist and a schoolmaster on small salaries of about £20 each, of the people's choice.

From the religious, moral and peaceable disposition of the Highlanders it is requested the lands given may be the boundary line of the Great Fish River from the sea upwards. Every one of these people will be found most able and efficient missionaries in converting to Christianity the Kaffirs, described by all authors as a most shrewed people and capable of every perception.

I have the honor to be my Lord

Your Lordship's most obedient servant

J. GRANT

Captain 78^th Regiment

* a harbour capable of containing ships of the largest class and of easy access at all seasons of the year

National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 479-483

Tain

22 October 1819

Sir,

Since my return to this country I find as expected the number desirous of emigrating to have increased, must therefore request you will be pleased to afford us transport this season for six hundred families, not a fourth of the number who have offered. I am inclined to hope this request will not be thought unreasonable when it is considered the persons are from all the northern and eastern counties and it is my wish to select the most capable who will be able to afford shelter to those who are to follow. The annexed paper will show the places from which the people are to be taken with their description. I have the vanity to believe none will be found more respectable nor more likely to answer the intention of the Government. Several of the larger proprietors have wrote me on the subject of taking under my protection those on their property anxious to emigrate and it is generally understood the Highland districts have an overcharged population. I trust you have adhered to our understanding of our being allowed a clergyman, a catechist and schoolmaster to every two hundred families dividing the double salary between three persons. Our catechist is somewhat similar to the English curate. Nothing will go so far with the Highlander as an attention to his religious opinions, allow him these and he will be found ready to turn as directed.

Some subaltern officers of the regular militia wish to ascertain whether they would be allowed to retain their allowances and one who is an Adjutant of Local Militia if he could be allowed his retired pay. As there are several pensioners and more likely to follow I trust I may be allowed to be their agent. I do not mind salary but merely to have everything possible to ourselves. One strong feature I have is getting a respectable set of our clergy on liberal salaries, is my intention to immediately found an Academy on the most extended scale for the education of our youth and those of the colony, the clergy to be the professors to teach Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Mathematics, French, Dutch, bookkeeping &c &c in fact all the liberal branches of education. We also wish to encourage a Trade with the natives to buy their commodities in barter for ours or in any way it may be found most easily encouraged. I wish to have here two vessels from one hundred to 120 tons as coaster between the new settlement and the Cape Town and to have a mercantile house in both. I trust the Government will take these up to transport our sailors &c. If found fit for the undertaking my idea is as I am well supported both with capital and experience to embrace all that will conduce to the prosperity of the new colony. I should be happy to know the period it is intended the people should be expected to sail. I should wish to proceed them and should hope the Government will be inclined to offer me a passage in my ship of war that may be going to that quarter. I trust I may be pardoned for having addressed you privately but my wish is to gain information without my signing in the public prints which I am sorry to find has been already done. You may depend on the most perfect secrecy if necessary, my point being to be of service to my associates without ostentation. Trusting you will be pleased to answer these points or to direct them to be answered, I beg to remain Sir

Your most obedient servant

J. GRANT

A Statement of the Persons desirous of Emigrating to the Cape of Good [sic] on the terms laid out by Government and to be under the direction of Captain GRANT

Remarks: Several from Loch Maree, the West Coast & property of Seaforth not stated, many of whom have no place to go

JS

[draft notes for Henry GOULBURN's reply to above]

I have received and laid before Lord B your letter of the 22^nd inst on the subject of your proposal under the usual regulations to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope with a certain number of families from the Highlands of Scotland & expressing a wish that you may be permitted to make some addition to the number originally proposed.

In reply I am to acquaint you that it does not appear to Lord B advisable in the first instance to send more than 400 families under your charge, that number as I stated to you when I had the honor of seeing you in London being well beyond the proportion which ought in fairness to other parts of the UK to be accepted from the Highlands.

With respect to Ministers of Religion Lord B certainly concurs with you in opinion that it would be desirable that the settlers should retain as far as is practicable at the Cape the same means of religious instruction which they have enjoyed at home: but he sees no necessity for providing more than one clergyman, one catechist and one schoolmaster for the whole 400 families, since as the settlers are to be placed together their number cannot be above what these 3 persons could easily & properly undertake. Nor however desirable it might be hereafter to encourage liberal education among the colonists can Lord B consider it necessary to make special provision for such an object in sending out the first settlers to a new country.

With respect to any commercial objects which you may have in view in undertaking this settlement Lord B has no observation to offer; it will be competent for you on your arrival at the Cape to adopt such a course as you may consider best calculated for your own interests or for those of the settlement provided that it does not contravene the laws and regulations of the colony, but as the object of Government is the establishment of am agricultural settlement Lord B can give no special encouragement to a purely commercial enterprise.

With respect to the period at which passage will be provided for the settlers you must be aware that until I am furnished with a list of names agreeably to the enclosed form it will be impossible from ignorance of the precise number to be embarked to provide the tonnage for their conveyance. As soon, however, as that list is returned orders will be given to the Navy Board to provide for the necessary transports at the port of embarkation & any proposal for the employment of particular spots should be addressed by the sources of these to that Board.

If you consider it [noticeable to precede?] the great body of the settlers & can leave any person in charge of them with whom communication can be had there will be no difficulty in ordering you a passage in one of the first transports about to proceed.

It only remains for me to observe with respect to officers of militia who may be desirous of going to the Cape that the retention of their allowances as British Militia officers is in no degree compatible with a permanent residence in a distant colony.

National Archives, Kew CO48/43, 503

Fort George

26^th November 1819

Sir

I have the honor to acquaint you for the information of Earl BATHURST that I have been ordered here by command of His Royal Highness the Commander in Chief to answer before a Court of Enquiry several charges prefered against me by Ensign SUTHERLAND, 93^rd Regiment, all and every of which I am innocent of as I trust I have made appear to the Court. In consequence I do not think I can consistently with prudence take any further steps with the emigrants until I am relieved by His Royal Highness from the foul and undeserved calumnies attempted against me, and I feel assured in a few days His Royal Highness and Earl BATHURST will be fully convinced of my innocence and rectitude of conduct.

I have the honor to be with much respect

Your obed't servant

J. GRANT

Captain 78^th Regiment

[Transcriber's Note: The following papers are in the National Library of Scotland:

Dep.313/1469

8 Nov 1819 Francis SUTHER (factor) to James LOCH (estate commissioner) "Capt. GRANT cannot get a single person on this Estate to accompany him to the Cape - he is still sanguine in succeeding with Strath Brora people - I do not think it - the Parson is slyly opposing him – he (GRANT) writes me he was in Strathfleet on Saturday, but the people told him that Mr YOUNG had confirmed them in their places."

8 Dec 1819 SUTHER to LOCH

"Capt MacKAY informs me that Capt. GRANT's Cape business is at a Stand if not entirely given up by him not having got an Individual from any place to agree to accompany him."

10 Dec 1819 SUTHER to LOCH

"Dr ROSS informed me some days since he heard in Dornoch that Lt SUTHERLAND of the 93d had called Capt GRANT before a Court of Enquiry at Nairn for tampering with his Sergt GRANT when at Golspie to induce him to go to the Cape" Appears GRANT acquitted]