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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.

WILLIAMS, Gregory

National Archives, Kew CO48/46, 312

5th August 1819

The humble Memorial of Gregory WILLIAMS

Most humbly and submissively sheweth

That your Lordship's Memorialist is an Englishman born and having served in His Majesty's service a long time viz in the Cheshire Fencibles for 7 years and 6 months and fought in said regiment in the Rebellion in Ireland having served also in His Majesty's 97th Regiment of Foot for the space of 9 years & 113 days and having been discharged from the said regiment when the Reduction took place without the least Benefit whatsoever that your Lordship's Memorialist having a wife and 4 children and is in the utmost distress at present. Therefore relying on your Lordship's humanity hoping you will allow Memorialist & family to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope in order to enable Memorialist & family to make out a livelyhood for themselves for which Memorialist in duty bound will ever pray.

PS Be pleased to direct your answer to Gregory WILLIAMS, Shoemaker, Corbetts Lane in Fair Lane, Cork, Ireland together with the necessary information how I am to act concerning the same as being in the utmost distress.

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