PAYNE, John Francis

[Transcriber's note: The details do not quite fit for this to be John PAINE of SEPHTON's Party, but several of his party below did emigrate with either BAILIE or WILLSON]

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 17

Paxton Place

Tottenham Court Road

20 July 1819

Sir

I trust I shall be pardoned for soliciting further information on the subject of Emigration to the Cape, than what is contained in the circular of the 17 dated at your office Downing Street. I whould wish to be informed if the monies required to be paid into the Hands of Government is considered sufficient to answer all the purposes of agriculture and meet the exigences of the Plan, or is it contemplated by government that more Funds are necessary for the carrying in to Effect a Design which appears to promise success to boath parties and if so does Government feel inclined to assist in such a case providing Character &c &c are satisfactory and if I may be further indulged in asking may I be permitted to go myself – that is with my family which consists of a wife and 4 children under 7 years of age. Providing I cannot form a party mentioned in the circular of the 17 inst it is Sir considered by some a mighty effort to leave their native soil – but when wee are enabled to go as friends all the ties of reciprocal interests becomes sacred! I humbly solicit an answer as soon as possible.

I am Sir your most obd & very hble servt

John Francis PAYNE

Fishmonger

 

 

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 50

Paxton Place

Tottenham Court Road

26 July 1819

Sir

In the Latter part of the first paragraph of the circular of the 23 inst it is said that Government will reserve to it selfe the right of selecting offers that may appear on examination to be most eligible.

There are now 10 more of us all able bodied and willing to work. Some of us have Families 4 out of the number are unmarried none of us above the age of 31 – but one & all of us have fell a victim to the hardness & distress of the times. I have a wife & 4 children and no doubt my children would have been on the parish had it not been for the Bounty of Gentleman in Bedford Square who assisted me in Business – but notwithstanding my unremitted attention to the same I cannot succeed in supporting my family. Wee do not wish to hurt the feelings of Government by giving a general description of the distresses wee have all under gone; but suffice it to say they have been very, very severe. And we hail the present offer of emigration as calculated to remove at least some of our dificulties. The shape in which we presume to make our propisitions to Government is as follows –

We will be thankful & glad to emigrate to the Cape providing Government will guarantee to each man or Head of a Family his own proper allotment of land as his own individual right. We mean under the provision of the circular regarding the quit rent &c which appears to us extremely lenient on the part of Government – such a Dispensation we presume to say will be usefull with the happiest result for each man then becomes as far has possibility will allow highly interested in the thing – and after all it must be acknowledged that one man can certainly cultivate on Hundred acres of land equial as soon has 10 men can a thousand – [obscured] and sooner – and better – for those will be the Dearest and best of reasons to call forth his efforts – and no doubt being the meanes of giving Government every satisfaction. Therefore we humbly pray Government to accept of our offer and assist our resolutions, as we presume on the certainty that Government will be highly satisfied with all our character, and we assure Government that in a connected party of ten we can see economy and wisdom for when located. We no doubt shall require each others mutual assistance. We humbly solicit an answer as soon as possible.

I am Sir your very obd hble servt

John PAYNE

[GOULBURN's notation in the margin] proposal under consideration

 

 

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 112

Paxton Place

Tottenham Court Road

August 10, 1819

Sir

It must be acknowledged on all hands that penetration vigilance & Discretion and a true Disposition to Labour must be quallifications highly calculated to recommend our suit to Government. The return I sent to your office on the 26 of July amounted only to Ten – since that time we had been constrained to accept of six more which of course in the whole makes up sixteen.

I trust here I shall be pardon'd for offering something by way of elucidation on the characters of the above mentioned Party before I proceed to offer a reason for writing in the present moment. Most of these men notwithstanding the manner in which they have been used by the times possess Capitals or can realize the same fully equivilent to the purposes in question and what is more their mind are far removed from the flames of a political faction which evidently as bewildered the Hearts of many of our Countrymen & almost certainly has placed them in a condition not to understand the High duties they owe to their God, their country, and themselves!

I do not expect that my bare word will secure our nomination but that Government will require further testimonials which we are Prepared to give. The reason of me writing in the present moment; are some of my Party are alarmed in consequence of being informed that Government prefers Treating with Parties more numerous. If such is the case I need only Hollow I should soon have numbers – but I assure you Sir we have had regard to character and all other necessary quallifications to secure an infallible result. We presume it would be but little use to take persons on a Colonizing Expedition void of the qualifications I have alluded to in this note. The only thing I have to ask more at this time is that you will be pleased to afford us some hope of our Nomination, for at present the minds of us sixteen are placed under the Dominion of Doubt. We dont wish to trouble you with to great a description of things, but most of us have lost hundreds, but have just enough to try our Luck in an other Hemisphere. I humbly hop I shall be Pardoned for giving so much Trouble. We humbly solicit an answer to this.

I am Sir your most obd & very hble servt

John PAYNE

 

 

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 159

Paxton Place

Tottenham Court Road

Augt 24, 1819

Sir

It may not be unpleasant to the feelings of Government to be informed that the Party which proposes going out with me are about forming a plan for the mutual assistance of each other in case of Loss or Distress, and we mean to commence the formation of it as soon as Government condescend to inform us of our Nomination. This certainly may be considered local business, but we beg leave to state it as it will no doubt exhibit to our Government the sincerity of our intentions and put our country in possession of one pleasing Contemplation – that when located we shall not be deficient in the laws of Wisdom Prudence and Charity, which have so conspicuously adorned the heart of our King, our Government and our Nation!

I am Sir your very obed & hble servt

John Francis PAYNE

 

 

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 161

[Transcriber's note: The following return is undated, stamped 161. This might well be an attachment to the letter dated 10 August, as it lists the sixteen mentioned in that letter]

Sir

My name is John PAYNE by Trade a Fishmonger and have acquired a thorough knowledge of my business in all its respective branches. My original business was a farmer – my Father and Grandfather were Tenants to Lord BRADFORD many years. I am known to Sir Humphry DAVY, I have a brother who studied under him & was his operator 13 years. I should have solicited his recommendation had Mr H. DAVY been in Town. I beg leave to refer Government in point of character to Andrew LOUGHNAN Esq 5 Bedford Square & to Revd T. PERCY Sardinian House Lincoln's Inn Fields, G.SMITH Esq 42 Bernard Street Middlesex Hospital. With respect to my person I am a strong man able and willing to bare fatigue – my age 30, my wifes age 27 my children ages – my oldest John PAYNE 6 ½ years, William PAYNE 9, Edward PAYNE 1, Mary PAYNE 4.

With respect to the men going out with me I beg leave to say they are all useful & clever men and have general knowledge of agriculture.

 

 

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 212

Paxton Place

Tottenham Court Road

13 Sept 1819

Sir

I trust I shall not be considered too troublesome for inquiring respecting our nomination. My party are waiting with the utmost anxiety for an answer, I am well aware that business of such importance cannot be disposed of immediately, but if it may be convenient to assure us of going to the Cape, we will feel most gratefully obliged – as many of us have some business to dispose of that will require some time.

I am Sir

Your most obed & very hble servt

John Francis PAYNE

 

 

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 250

Paxton Place

Tottenham Court Road

1 Oct 1819

Sir

I received your letter to day. Nothing can exceed the Disappointment I feel in not being accepted by the Earl BATHURST. I hope I shall be pardoned for stating but I assure you Sir, as far as the Denial regards myself I shall be quite ruined. I have lost every farthing I have in my business and could I have procured my nomination to go as a settler to the Cape my friends would have assisted me off in a handsome manner, and with respect to the sixteen who were going with me their capital amounts to more than thousand pounds which money they are willing to place at my disposal, and I assure you Sir, I am willing to comply with Government instructions in every respect. I entreat you to lay my case again before the Earl BATHURST, and I trust his Lordship will perceive it to be a great Charity to permit me to go as I presume on the certainty that by my industry there I shall be able to support my family which absolutely as not been the case here.

I humbly solicit the favor of an answer as soon as it may be convenient, assuring you I am prepared to be examined with regard to my Pretentions if it may be judged necessary. I beg of you Sir for the sake of my little family to interest your self in my behalf and I will not only be thankful & greatful but feel myself under a weighty obligation to you.

I am Sir

Your very obed & hble servt

John Francis PAYNE

 

 

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 252

Paxton Place

Tottenham Court Road

1 Oct 1819

My Lord

I have received a letter from Henry GOULBURN Esq stating that your Lordship as not accepted me to go as a settler to the Cape of Good Hope. I assure your Lordship that such a refusal will place me and my family in the Greatest Distress. I have lost all I had in the world in business, but my friends are willing to come forward in a very Handsome manner to assist me to the Cape and thereby Possess me of means to commence with spirit as they have from experience implicit confidence in my Industry & Integrity, and I also assure your Lordship that the party that intended going out under my direction in number sixteen possesses in capital above a thousand pounds and will place it at my disposal as far at least as it may be to the General Interest of the whole.

I entreat your Lordship to take my case into consideration. My friends see it useless to assist me in my business as it is so very bad and if your Lordship does not perceive it just to nominate me to go to the Cape I shall most assuredly fall a Victim to the greatest want and Distress.

With respect to my pretensions as far as it regards my self or party I am persuaded they are such as your Lordship will approve of – we are strong healthy men and generally speaking skilled in their respective Professions as well as most of us understand well the Farming Business.

I intreat your Lordship in case your Lordship concurs & to many we will be thankful for us to be nominated and I assure your Lordship as far as it will assist me it will be complying with the sacred obligation of charity.

I am My Lord

Your Lordships most obed & hble servt

John Francis PAYNE

 

 

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 307

11 Oct 1819

Sir

I humbly solicit you will favor me with an audience on the subject contained in a Letter I addressed to you last week. The Honble Mr BRIDGEMAN son to the Earl of BRADFORD as undertaken to recommend me to the Earl BATHURST as qualified in every respect to receive a nomination for the Cape. I should wish to see you and it is more than probable you have received something on the subject from the Earl BATHURST. I am waiting with the greatest anxiety.

I am Sir your very obedient servt

J. F. PAYNE