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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.

MACEY, Walter, 1820 Settler

Written by Sue Mackay on .

[Transcriber's note: ‘The Story of the British Settlers of 1820' by H.E. HOCKLY lists Walter MACEY as an independent settler]

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 719

370 High Street

Cheltenham

Oct 4th 1819

My Lord,

I Walter MACEY of Cheltenham cabinet maker upholsterer & builder having seen your circular letter and the guide to the Cape of Good Hope Colony and by the particulars and the statement I have seen have made up my mind to go there with the advice of my friends and have got to join me my brother-in-law Ephraim ROBERTS who has been a miner in Cornwall and for this past ten year have had the sole management of and finding out the mineral springs & baths at Cheltenham. He understands the perfect management of the mineralogy of the springs and other minerals as I think will be some advantage in the Colony in finding out the above, as well fresh water springs. I will be prepared with the money to make the necessary contracts and the number of men & families to go there from the [obscured] I think I shall be able to get more of to the amount of thirty. I [obscured] by paying the same contract if it will meet with your Lordship's approbation to be so kind as to give me an appointment I will get as many men as will go with a good free will & will be able to get some of all ranks of business as well as labourers - if it should meet with your Lordship's pleasure to give me an appointment I shall be very much obliged to you to state what time the vessel will leave England and what place we should go from as we may be prepared with our baggage & other materials for the voyage.

I was in London last week and called at your office in Downing Street and there finding that a personal applycation was of no use and have since that time seen the coppy of the agreement that some gentleman has that is going to take out a great number of settlers,

From your obed't humble serv't

Walter MACEY

If your Lordship should wish to have any reference to character &c I have two sisters at 35 Old Broad Street London, a brother of the same business as my self at Southampton will give any reference I require.

 

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National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 753

370 High Street

Cheltenham

Gloucestershire

19th Oct'r 1819

My Lord,

I was much disapointed in finding my application of the 4th to late to be accepted to go to the Cape of Good Hope Colony under the Government grant therefore myselfe and brother in law Ephraim ROBERTS with our wife and children have made a contract for the voyage and shall take 2 or more labourers to the Cape and we wish to go to Saldana Bay as we think there might be a speculation for finding springs and minerals. If it should meet with your Lordship's pleasure to give us a grant of some land at Saldana Bay we shall be very much obliged to your Lordship and esteem it as a very great favour as we have engaged our passage in the brigg Orator now at the London Docks and to sail on the 1st Novem'r instant therefore we shall feel greatly obliged to your Lordship to give us an answer today if convenient as we are come up from Cheltenham on purpose to get your Lordships answer & ingage the passage as the time is so short that we should have to get ready and to be prepared for the voyage.

I am your Lordships most obliging humble serv't

Walter MACEY

 

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National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 758

370 High Street

Cheltenham

Oct 22 1819

My Lord,

I left a letter of application at your Lordship's office in Downing Street for grant of land at Saldana Bay Cape Colony on the 19 instant. I sent on the 20 for an answer when H. GOULBURN Esq informed the person that your Lordship would give the land on receiving a satisfactory account of our being possessed of property sufficient to cultivate the land when we get there. Therefore I hope the enclosed letter will be sufficient to sattisfy your Lordship

We remain your Lordship's most obliged humble servants

Walter MACEY

[on reverse of page]

I beg to state that I have now perused with attention the letter on the other side and to add from my knowledge of Mr. Walter MACEY (who has resided in my neighbourhood in the town of Cheltenham) that I am of opinion he will be a great acquisition at the Cape of Good Hope and I have also reason to be fully persuaded that Mr. Walter MACEY is possessed of property sufficient to enable him to cultivate lands at the Cape of Good Hope. Given under my hand at No.6 Cambray Street Cheltenham

October 23rd 1819

George MORRIS [letters after his name obscured in fold]

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