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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.

OLDHAM, Joseph, 1820 Settler

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 945

71 Richard Street

Commercial Road

July 24th 1819

My Lord,

From the information received by the official circular relative to emigration to the Cape of Good Hope published in the Public Prints I have been induced to take the liberty humbly of addressing your Lordship on that subject. In consequence of the almost universal stagnation of commerce and the number of merchant ships at present laid up I have been for a length of time unable to get employment in my occupation, which is the master of a merchant ship, and having a young and increasing family depending on my exertions for support should be happy to avail myself of the opportunity which the wisdom and goodness of His Majesty's Government offers of emigrating to the Cape of Good Hope. Altho the greater part of my life has been spent at sea yet having been bred in an agricultural district I have some knowledge of cultivation. My family consists of six persons, viz: myself, a wife and four children, with four other individuals above the age of twenty who are desirous of accompanying us, making ten persons; but as the children are under the age prescribed I have humbly to solicit that your Lordship would be pleased to allow us to proceed on the passage upon paying the necessary advance and that your Lordship would be pleased to assign us a grant of such lands as your Lordship might think proper and necessary for our support and cultivation. I have also humbly to intreat that your Lordship would be pleased to grant me the following information so necessary for providing the requisite supplies, as to what part of the Territory of the Cape of Good Hope the settlement is intended to be formed and if when the passage is granted a small proportion of tonnage will be allowed on board the vessel to carry out implements of husbandry and domestic utensils; being totally unacquainted with the forms of office I have ventured thus to address your Lordship and humbly intreat your Lordship's pardon for the intrusion and hope my ignorance may plead my excuse.

Your Lordship's most obedient most humble servant

Joseph OLDHAM

 

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National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 957

71 Richard Street

Commercial Road

August 16th 1819

Sir,

Agreeable to the circular received July 27th from the Colonial Office I herewith humbly solicit you will be pleased to grant me permission to join the settlers intended to be sent to the Cape of Good Hope together with the persons under my direction whose names and ages are specified below and we humbly beg you will be pleased to assign to us a grant of land as therein specified should we meet your approbation. We are ready to attend to pay the deposit whenever it shall please you to appoint our attendance for the same.

I am Sir your most obedient most humble servant

Joseph OLDHAM

Names

Ages

Callings

Family

Joseph OLDHAM

33

Mariner

Wife 4 children

Thos. OLDHAM

26

Shopkeeper

Single

Edwin OLDHAM

22

Do.

Do.

Mary Ann OLDHAM

32

 

Do.

Richard TAYLOR

30

Clerk

Do.

John VICE

32

Gardener

Wife 2 children

Thos. NIGHTINGALE

45

Potato dealer

Wife

John NIGHTINGALE

20

Do.

Single

Thos. MILLS

20

Corn chandler

Do.

John SAUNDERS

23

Shoemaker

Do.

Wm. PAGE

23

Biscuit baker

Do.

Anne FINCH

24

 

Do.

 

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National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 961

71 Richard Street

Commercial Road

August 18th 1819

Sir,

Agreeable to yours of the 17th inst which I had the honor of receiving I herewith transmit you the list of persons wishing to accompany me to the Cape of Good Hope in which I include myself.

I am Sir your most obedient and most humble servant

Joseph OLDHAM

List of Persons intending to accompany J. OLDHAM

Mens Names

Ages

Calling

Womens Names

Ages

 

Joseph OLDHAM

33

Mariner

Dorcas OLDHAM

32

Wife of J. OLDHAM

Thomas OLDHAM

26

Shopkeeper

Mary Ann OLDHAM

32

Spinster

Edwin OLDHAM

21

Do.

Elizabeth VICE

29

Wife of J. VICE

Richard TAYLOR

30

Clerk

Susannah NIGHTINGALE

40

Wife of Thos. NIGHTINGALE

John VICE

32

Gardener

Ann FINCH

24

Spinster

Thomas NIGHTINGALE

47

Potato dealer

     

John NIGHTINGALE

20

Do.

Children's Names

   

Thomas MILLS

20

Corn chandler

Harriet OLDHAM

12

}

Thomas SAUNDERS [sic]

20

Shoemaker

Mary Ann OLDHAM

7

} Daughters of J. OLDHAM

William PAGE

23

Biscuit baker

Lucretia OLDHAM

3

}

     

Josepha OLDHAM

4mo

}

     

Betsey VICE

2

} Daughters of J. VICE

     

Anne VICE

2mo

}

 

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National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 965

71 Richard Street

Commercial Road

Aug 23rd 1819

Sir,

Yours of the 18th inst I have had the honor of receiving and hasten to inform you that my error in not having a sufficient number of persons in the list I had the honor to transmit arose from my construction of the circular, where it is said that if the persons offering should engage to carry out at the least ten able bodied individuals above eighteen years of age, with or without families; and having in my list two unmarried females above that age I had erroneously classed them as such individuals, not understanding from the words of the circular it was confined to the other sex, but I humbly hope you will allow me to rectify my error by adding another person to the list of settlers and I herewith beg to transmit you an amended list of the same.

I am Sir your most obedient most humble servant

Joseph OLDHAM

Mens Names

Ages

Calling

Womens Names

Ages

 

Joseph OLDHAM

33

Mariner

Dorcas OLDHAM

32

Wife of J. OLDHAM

Thomas OLDHAM

26

Shopkeeper

Mary Ann OLDHAM

32

Spinster

Edwin OLDHAM

21

Do.

Elizabeth VICE

29

Wife of J. VICE

Richard TAYLOR

30

Clerk

Susannah NIGHTINGALE

40

Wife of Thos. NIGHTINGALE

John VICE

32

Gardener

Ann FINCH

24

Spinster

Thomas NIGHTINGALE

47

Potato dealer

Mary CABLE

23

Wife of J. CABLE

John NIGHTINGALE

20

Do.

Children's Names

   

Thomas MILLS

20

Corn chandler

Harriet OLDHAM

12

 

Thomas SAUNDERS [sic]

20

Shoemaker

Mary Ann OLDHAM

7

 

William PAGE

23

Biscuit baker

Lucretia OLDHAM

3

 

John CABLE

36

Smith

Josepha OLDHAM

4mo

 
     

Betsey VICE

2

 
     

Anne VICE

2mo

 
     

Wm. CABLE

2

 
     

John CABLE

6mo

 
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