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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.

MIHILL, William

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 512

New Cross

Near Deptford

26 July 1819

Sir,

Being desirous to emigrate with my family to the Cape of Good Hope I should feel myself particularly obliged to you to furnish me with the particulars thereof. My family consists of myself wife and six children, 3 of which are girls and the other 3 boys, all under the age of sixteen. I have allso other branches of my family who wish to proceed thither with me, who are all of them good agriculturalists, making in the whole about 12 in number, all of which I will become responsable for. I hope it is not unnecessary to observe that I have served as cornet in a regiment of Fencible Lt Dragoons in the Bermondsey and 1st Surrey Vollunteers and if required will secure refference to either.

Sir, your obliged & humble servant

William MIHILL

Salesman

 

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National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 654

New Cross

Near Deptford

27 August 1819

Sir,

On the 26 of last month I took the liberty of addressing you on the subject of emigrating to the Cape of Good Hope of which you were so good as to favour me with your circular, wherein it claims each party must consist of ten familys. I should have wrote before, from the time above stated, but being endeavouring both in town and country to procure the specified number I find it utterly impossible, as I cannot get so many in the mind. The persons I have procured is Charles WHITE aged 20 years, has been constantly in the husbandry business and also John WHITE, father of the above, with wife and 6 children, 4 girls and 2 boys, late farmer, also James HUNT with wife and family and myself with wife and family, 4 boys and 3 girls. I am in my 40th year, the final part of which I have devoted to the service both in cavalry and infantry and I therefore hope and trust that Earl BATHURST will take it into consideration and allow me to proceed thither with the few I have got under the protection of Government as I am possessing every other requirement.

Sir, your obliged & humble serv't

William MIHILL

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