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GSSA
The 1820 Settler Correspondence
 as preserved in the National Archives, Kew
 and edited by Sue Mackay

Correspondence 1821 to 1837.

Here only letters by known settlers or their families, or letters of great relevance to the 1820 settlers, have been transcribed, whereas ALL the 1819 correspondence was transcribed (see CO48/41 through CO48/46) whether or not the writers emigrated to the Cape.

Unless otherwise stated letters were written to either the Secretary of State for the Colonies or his deputy.The original correspondence is filed in order of receipt. Here it has been placed in alphabetical order according to the surname of the writer, with letters by the same writer in chronological order, for ease of reading. Original spelling has been maintained. Reference numbers, where given, refer to printed page numbers stamped on the letters and will enable visitors to the National Archives to locate the letter more easily.

SCOTT, Katherine (mother of George SCOTT), 1823

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew, CO48/61, 452

No.2 Wintropp Street

Cork

Ireland

May 5th 1823

[The petition of Katharine SCOTT] widow

Sheweth

That your memorialist is a poor widow who intirely depended on her son for her support in her old age, Mr. George SCOTT, son of the late Mr. SCOTT Barrack Master at Sheerness, who went out settler to Algoa Bay in November 1819. Your memorialist sent him five hundred pounds to enable him to cultivate the grant of land given to him by Government - he sunk a thousand pounds in the undertaking, all of which he lost - he had thirty seven men, women and children to support – three years the crops failed, which caused his utter ruin – his mind and body could not see his hopes crushed without acutely feeling – he nearly lost his senses – sickened and died with a broken heart and left your memorialist in want – infirm and sickly – she was to have gone to him – it was on that account she advanced her all, which deprives her of the means of support. Thus situated your memorialist can only hope your Lordship will be graciously pleased to take her truly forlorn situation into favorable consideration and grant her some relief – she is now pining on a sickbed – almost starving in daily fear of being drove into the poorhouse – she trusts this appeal to your Lordships humanity will not be made in vain. Your memorialist will ever pray as in duty bound

Katharine SCOTT

 

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