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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, Thomas Rixon

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/46, 481

St. Florence House near Tenby

27th Sept. 1819

My Lord

Seeing in a Provincial Paper, an official circular, purporting the conditions under which Government proposed to give encouragement to emigration to the Cape of Good Hope, and having a great desire to visit and reside in that fine and interesting country but not without the most Royal Permission and Protection of my Prince & those Illustrious Personages who form and compose His Ministry, for the comfortable circumstances with which Providence has favoured and bless me, will enable me to make handsome proposals on my side, in order to facilitate and effect my Departure. Be it then made known unto Your Lordship, that I enjoy in this and in an adjoining County an estate which collectively nets me hard upon £600 a year, but one moiety is only for life, [obscured] copyhold and in Fee, to confirm such a statement the faithful and necessary vouchers and documents can be readily procured from Gentlemen of Strict Integrity and great respectability. This I would gladly barter or exchange for Colonial Lands & Property provided they were of that Fertility, Situation and Extent, which I may in justice solicit and expect, for considering the Pledges, the Sacrifices, which I am inclined to make, the distance and difficulties which I most probably encounter, I am confident your Lordship will concur with me in supposing that my requests, when more fully made known to Government, are by no means unreasonable and extravagant. On a Receipt of a Letter from your Lordship expressive of the Fertility, Situation and Extent of Land, the Terms [of] Grants, the Priviledges Government is willing to consider and ratify to me, my heirs and assigns for ever, in lieu of the said Estate, which if I approve of, I will [obscured] to your office, to give further strength and solidity to a project, which I consider will much benefit my Country, make me, and perhaps a numerous progeny in posterity both rich and happy.

I am my Lord, with the Most Profound Deference and Prospect

Your Lordship's most faithful, most humble and most obedient Subject & Servant

Thomas Rixon WILLIAMS

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