Skip to main content
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.

ROSSITER, John

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 545

Ivy Cottage

Near Woodland Place

Charlton, Kent

13 August 1819

The humble petition of John ROSSITER

Most respectfully setteth forth

That your petitioner's present income being insufficient to support himself & family and having heard of certain offers held out to persons wishing to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope is desirous to become a candidate for the same.

That your petitioner is perfectly acquainted with the colony having resided there nearly six years after assisting at the capture of the same in the year 1806.

That your petitioner conceives he could be of infinite service to His Majesty's Ministers and the settlers in checking the invading Caffres & arming against the attacks of the wild beasts from his general knowledge of offensive and defensive warfare, he having served in the Engineer Department for many years both at the Cape & on the Peninsula [last line of image cut off]......understands arming and equiping the settlers as regular troops against the attacks of the Caffres or other tribes that may attempt to invade the colony.

That your petitioner having studied the R'l Laboratory Courses is perfectly acquainted with the preparation of all sorts of ammunition compositions &c

That your petitioner being thoroughly acquainted (from an experience of fifteen years) with Stores in general humbly solicits employment from your Lordship to superintend the selection and distribution of the same as on that the Riches of the colony will much depend in the first instance.

And your petitioner humbly but earnestly solicits from your favourable consideration an appointment by which he may improve his present circumstances and become useful to his countrymen.

And your petitioner as in duty & gratitude bound will ever pray &c

John ROSSITER

  • Hits: 5368