OLDHAM, Joseph, 1820 Settler

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 945

71 Richard Street

Commercial Road

July 24^th 1819

My Lord,

From the information received by the official circular relative to emigration to the Cape of Good Hope published in the Public Prints I have been induced to take the liberty humbly of addressing your Lordship on that subject. In consequence of the almost universal stagnation of commerce and the number of merchant ships at present laid up I have been for a length of time unable to get employment in my occupation, which is the master of a merchant ship, and having a young and increasing family depending on my exertions for support should be happy to avail myself of the opportunity which the wisdom and goodness of His Majesty's Government offers of emigrating to the Cape of Good Hope. Altho the greater part of my life has been spent at sea yet having been bred in an agricultural district I have some knowledge of cultivation. My family consists of six persons, viz: myself, a wife and four children, with four other individuals above the age of twenty who are desirous of accompanying us, making ten persons; but as the children are under the age prescribed I have humbly to solicit that your Lordship would be pleased to allow us to proceed on the passage upon paying the necessary advance and that your Lordship would be pleased to assign us a grant of such lands as your Lordship might think proper and necessary for our support and cultivation. I have also humbly to intreat that your Lordship would be pleased to grant me the following information so necessary for providing the requisite supplies, as to what part of the Territory of the Cape of Good Hope the settlement is intended to be formed and if when the passage is granted a small proportion of tonnage will be allowed on board the vessel to carry out implements of husbandry and domestic utensils; being totally unacquainted with the forms of office I have ventured thus to address your Lordship and humbly intreat your Lordship's pardon for the intrusion and hope my ignorance may plead my excuse.

Your Lordship's most obedient most humble servant

Joseph OLDHAM

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 957

71 Richard Street

Commercial Road

August 16^th 1819

Sir,

Agreeable to the circular received July 27^th from the Colonial Office I herewith humbly solicit you will be pleased to grant me permission to join the settlers intended to be sent to the Cape of Good Hope together with the persons under my direction whose names and ages are specified below and we humbly beg you will be pleased to assign to us a grant of land as therein specified should we meet your approbation. We are ready to attend to pay the deposit whenever it shall please you to appoint our attendance for the same.

I am Sir your most obedient most humble servant

Joseph OLDHAM

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 961

71 Richard Street

Commercial Road

August 18^th 1819

Sir,

Agreeable to yours of the 17^th inst which I had the honor of receiving I herewith transmit you the list of persons wishing to accompany me to the Cape of Good Hope in which I include myself.

I am Sir your most obedient and most humble servant

Joseph OLDHAM

List of Persons intending to accompany J. OLDHAM

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 965

71 Richard Street

Commercial Road

Aug 23^rd 1819

Sir,

Yours of the 18^th inst I have had the honor of receiving and hasten to inform you that my error in not having a sufficient number of persons in the list I had the honor to transmit arose from my construction of the circular, where it is said that if the persons offering should engage to carry out at the least ten able bodied individuals above eighteen years of age, with or without families; and having in my list two unmarried females above that age I had erroneously classed them as such individuals, not understanding from the words of the circular it was confined to the other sex, but I humbly hope you will allow me to rectify my error by adding another person to the list of settlers and I herewith beg to transmit you an amended list of the same.

I am Sir your most obedient most humble servant

Joseph OLDHAM