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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.

PUTNAM, William

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 137

31 Princes Street

Soho

August 18th 1819

My Lord,

In addressing your Lordship upon the subject of the intended colony near to the Cape of Good Hope I must beg leave most solemnly to declare that it is not done from any idle curiosity but from an ardent wish to embark in it, and therefore it would be highly necessary to have every information which may be consistent, in the present occasion, for His Majesty's ministers to give, to a particular class of His Majesty's subjects, namely officers on half pay, of which I am one – a Lieutenant of HM late 101st Regt of Foot and well used to tropical climates, having served with that regiment in Jamaica, and likewise having been in the Honourable East India Company's service previous to that period, and consequently not an altogether stranger to its effects on Europeans; and at the same time I do myself the honor of enquiring whether in the event of my being permitted to go there, as in the case of obtaining His Majesty's most gracious leave of absence, I might not be allowed to (to render the greater chance of success) draw a certain part of my half pay in advance by which means I might be enabled to take out such articles as I am aware must be wanted for an infant state. Being of active habits and partial to a foreign climate I feel every chance of succeeding, and in the event of a vacancy occurring in any of the various situations held out for the better government of the Colony I trust that my attention to the interest of His Majesty's service would at some period introduce me to the notice of my superiors there. Should it at the same time be necessary for me to produce any testimonials from my late Commanding Officer, I can, and trust highly satisfactory. I must again take the liberty of troubling your Lordship that in the case of embarking with the colonists no exertion shall be wanting to render every assistance to His Majesty's commissioners there: in so doing with the highest respect I beg leave to subscribe myself

Your Lordship's most obed't & very humble serv't

Wm. PUTNAM

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