BISSET, Alexander, 1820 Settler
National Archives, Kew CO48/41, 491-494
No.139 Long Acre
London
12 Sept.1819
My Lord,
On the other side you will receive a list of persons whom I propose taking with me to the Cape of Good Hope and I trust your Lordship will find this in all respects as eligible as most offer made.
In it your Lordship will observe there are a father with his five sons who except one have been bred to agricultural pursuits from their infancy, and their respective families amounting in all to 18 it is therefore not likely such an association will fall to pieces from discord: the other individuals of the party are not picked up by chance but well known to Mr. CURRIE and myself.
Should this offer meet your Lordship's approbation it would be most desirable to know it as soon as convenient to your Lordship several of the party having their furniture to dispose of and other little matters to arrange which would subject them to great loss were they obliged to quit at short notice.
I am also ready to conform to all the conditions expressed by Government in their Circular letters relative to granting land in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope.
I have the Honour to be My Lord
Your Lordship's most obd't svt
Alex. BISSET
Name of person intending taking out the settlers:
*Alexander BISSET, Lieut.R.N. aged 32 years
|
Names of the Settlers |
Profession or Trade |
Age |
Names of the Women |
Age |
Male Children |
Age |
Female Children |
Age |
|
Walter CURRIE 1 |
Farmer |
56 |
||||||
|
Walter CURRIE 2 |
Purser R.N. |
34 |
Ann CURRIE |
24 |
Walter CURRIE |
6m |
Mary Ann CURRIE |
4 |
|
Wm. CURRIE |
2 |
Marg't CURRIE |
? |
|||||
|
Jas. CURRIE |
Farm labourer |
31 |
Marg't CURRIE |
27 |
J. CURRIE |
3m |
Helen CURRIE |
4 |
|
Geo. CURRIE |
6 |
|||||||
|
Geo. CURRIE |
Do. |
29 |
Janet CURRIE |
27 |
W. CURRIE |
5 |
Janet CURRIE |
3 |
|
J. CURRIE |
2 |
|||||||
|
Adam CURRIE |
Do. |
24 |
||||||
|
Charles CURRIE |
Do. |
19 |
||||||
|
Jas. PATERSON |
Carpenter |
24 |
||||||
|
Rich'd PAYNE |
Do. |
38 |
Marion PAYNE |
38 |
G. PAYNE |
4 |
M? PAYNE |
2 |
|
Rich'd PAYNE |
6 |
|||||||
|
Thos. AUBIN |
Farmer |
22 |
||||||
|
Jno. ROBERTS |
Carpenter |
28 |
||||||
|
Thos. COOK |
Farm lab. |
26 |
||||||
|
Elizabeth SCOTT |
31 |
|||||||
|
*Alicia BISSET |
28 |
Alex BISSET |
4 |
Sarah BISSET |
6 |
|||
|
Jno. BISSET |
2 |
The names starting with Walter CURRIE (2) down to Jas. PATERSON have been bracketed with the following note :
These, (excepting Walter CURRIE (2)) are residing near Langholm Dumfries Shire Scotland, and would be glad to embark at a Scotch Port.
National Archives, Kew CO48/41, 495/496
Old Broad Street
15 September 1819
Dear Sir,
The enclosed is a copy of an application which has been made to Lord Bathurst on the subject of emigration to the cape, by Mr. Alexr. BISSET a Gent whom I have known for several years past, and believe to be a very respectable and proper person for the object in question. I am anxious to facilitate that object, and shall feel obliged by your giving the business your kind air in the proper quarter.
Mr. BISSET would not leave England if he could support his Family in It and I have reason to believe the Association he has firmed is as highly eligible an one for the purpose as could be made.
Mr. BISSET's father was many years a Schoolmaster in the neighbourhood of Croydon, and his Brother is Rector of Addington in Surrey, which he got from His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, therefore Mr. BISSET is respectably connected, and I can with safety and propriety recommend him as a fit person for selection on this occasion.
Requesting your usual attention to my request, and that you will pardon the terms
I remain with esteem dear sir
(unreadable signature)
Joseph REID
[And at the very bottom of the page] : Joseph ALLCOCK Esq]
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