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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.

COOPER, Joseph (1)

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/42, 5

No.21 Church Street

Bethnal Green

June 16 1819

My Lord,

May it please your Lordship, the undersigned begs leave most humbly to represent that from a state of comparative independence he is, owing to the pressure of the times, reduced with his family to a state of indigence bordering upon a privation of every necessity of life, without any visible or probable prospects of amelioration. Your Lordship's humble supplicant at the suggestion of his friends, having resolved upon leaving the country, in hopes of finding relief to his growing mania, has fixed upon emigrating to the Cape of Good Hope as the only alternative to ensure his future comfort, for which purpose he humbly begs leave to address your Lordship in order to procure himself and son a passage in some of the ships about to sail.

The undersigned with his son, nearly a man in years, having been brought up in the farming and cattle herding department, humbly flatter themselves that their joint efforts and knowledge in these branches of agriculture, might prove not only beneficial to themselves but that the ?? colony might be considerably benefited by their industrious & scientific exertions.

May it please your Lordship the undersigned also humbly begs leave to observe that his means are totally inadequate to pay for his passage, but the object once acquired, his remaining friends would cheerfully contribute their mite to enable him to settle; with the priviledges he might have reason ultimately to expect (should His Majesty's Government aid the superfluous population of this country to fix their residence within the boundaries of that colony under the protection of the mother country) your humble supplicant would be most humbly thankful for the remainder of his life.

Should this application not have the desired effect, or have erroneously been sent through an improper channel, may it please your Lordship to signify the same in order that your humble applicant may more effectually direct his future & I am my Lord

Your Lordship's most obedient and very humble servant

Joseph COOPER

With his son Robert Wild COOPER

 

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National Archives, Kew CO48/42, 7

No.21 Church Street

Bethnal Green

June 24 1819

Sir,

Having taken the liberty of addressing Earl BATHURST on the 18th inst requesting a passage to the Cape of Good Hope for myself and son in order to settle there in the farming line; not having received an answer may I beg the favor of you to inform me of his Lordship's determination on my request, the Dromedary store ship being about to sail for that place and I humbly hope his Lordship will permit us to go out in her.

I beg leave to add that I shall be unable to carry over every kind of implement for husbandry and that upon my arrival there I shall be no burthen whatever upon the colony and I trust his Lordship will recommend me to the Governor for a grant of land.

May I request you will do me the favour of an early answer as I wish to make any preparations in my power in case my request is acceded to.

I have the honour to be Sir

Your most obedient servant

Joseph COOPER

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