LIDDON, A

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 431

Wellington, Nov: 6, 1819

My Lord

I presume to hope your Lordship will not deem the liberty of my addressing you thro the agent of Mr SOUTHEY of this town, an intrusion in the duties of the important office you fill in his Majesty's Government, or inconsistent with the motives which have given occasion to it, as the subject appears to me on the maturest consideration to involve the immediate & future interests of myself & family. – learning from public prints, as well as from minutes of the Evidence [of] various persons, taken before a committee of the House of Commons, the benevolent views of his Majesty's Government intends relieving the distresses of the lower classes of his Majesty's subjects in this kingdom, as well as from a tract lately published entitled hints on Emigration by Wm. BURCHELL that the Cape of Good Hope, now attached to the British Dominions, whilst it affords the fostering care & protection of the british Laws, is considered by his Majesty's Government as offering a Realization of the sanguine views of the Emigrant, & finding also there are in this & other countries a number of persons who are availing themselves of the advantages held forth permit me my Lord, without too great a trespass on your Lordships time, to inform you that after having passed thro the regular course of medical studies & obtained my Diploma from [the] College of Surgeons, I served the first period of my personal life in his Majesty's Navy, but quitted it from ill health, before I had served a sufficient time to obtain, & while as yet there were none of those advantages which have since been extended to all classes of the profession in his majesty's service. – I am now practising as surgeon in this town but as my family are making calls on my industry which the utmost of my professional Exertions are not able to satisfy, with a view to their future support & comfort, I therefore take the liberty of laying before your Lordship the offer of my services, & should it fall [within] the views of his Majesty's Government & be made available to the interests of the infant colony, the Expression of your Lordship's pleasure, in any terms your Lordship may do me the Honour to transmit, will call forth the most grateful acknowledgements of my Lord,

Your Lordships most faithful, most devoted, & humble servant

A LIDDON

[Transcriber's note: “Hints on Emigration to the Cape of Good Hope” by W.J. BURCHELL was published in 1819]

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 451

Wellington Dec 1, 1819

My Lord

The subject of colonising the Cape of Good-hope, & the colonists now about to embark from this country under the patronage of his Majesty's Government were the powerful motives of my laying before your Lordship a statement of my professional surgical qualifications, and the offer of my services founded thereon thru [sic] the medium of Mr SOUTHEY, in my letter of 6 Nov – but having only received a verbal communication from him, that the same were accepted & that I should hold myself in readiness to embark with him, I trust your Lordship will conceive with me that this does not afford me sufficient information either with respect to the conditions of my services, the time allowed for making my previous arrangements or the place & manner of my embarkation;- I therefore take the liberty of renewing my application, having had no correspondence with MR SOUTHEY on the subject, previous to my former letter requesting your Lordship will cause to be transmitted for my direction, your Lordships instructions, so as to enable me best to fulfil the views & intentions of his Majesty's Government, in Reference to the point I have just alluded to.-

If your Lordship should require any testimonials of the respectability of any character, I shall feel happy to supply them, by references to Sir Wm POLE Bart.of Shute House & Major BAWDEN, in whose corps of cavalry I had the honour of serving as Lieut & surgeon, more than 12 years, to Wm TUCKER Esq're of Coryton, are to the most respectable individuals in the immediate neighbourhood of my present residence. –

I am my Lord with all respect, your Lordship's most devoted & most faithful servt

A LIDDON

[Note by GOULBURN at foot of page: Has the Gentleman been accepted on Mr. S's list, if so acquaint him, if not explain to him how the case stands]