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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.

TUCKER, William

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/46, 146

[Received 15 October 1819]

The humble petition of William TUCKER, Surgeon of Imber near Heytesbury in the County of Wilts

Sheweth

That your petitioner is the eldest son of Richard TUCKER Schoolmaster of Imber in the County of Wilts who has a family of nine children; that your petitioner not having been initiated into any trade or profession left his home at the age of eighteen and without friends, prospects or pecuniary resources he succeeded in acquiring such a knowledge of the Medical and Chirurgical Professions as to qualify him for the situation of Visiting Assistant, in which capacity he resided three years with Henry THOMSON Esq, Surgeon of Kensington, and since that period your petitioner has resided with other Surgeons of eminence in London. Your petitioner by a steady perseverance in the same system of diligence and application with which he commenced his professional career was enabled to go through the usual routine of Hospital Studies and after passing his examinations before the respective constituted bodies was elected a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons and a Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries. Your petitioner is now unfortunately arrived at a period when all his further efforts are futile, and not possessing either property or connexions he is induced, most humbly, to solicit the following favor of you: that you will be pleased either to recommend him to the Surgeoncy of a Ship intended to convey emigrants to the Cape of Good Hope or to some medical appointment, foreign or domestic, naval or military, in which his talents may be advantageously employed. And your petitioner will ever pray.

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