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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.

NEILL, Thomas

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 863

London

21st August 1819

My Lord

I take the liberty of addressing your Lordship under the following heads - seeing that there is an Incouragement held out individuals to emigrate to the Cape of good Hope (from Government) I humbly beg leave to state to your Lordship that I am peculiarly situated & that if I could get Imployment so as to support myself in a respectable way I would not on any account trouble your Lordship - my motives in troubling y'r Lordship is that through your liberal mind & powerful hand to place me in a situation in the new settlement so as I may do myself good & be of use to the person that employs me in a professional capacity as a farmer & profes'l gardener. I beg leave to state to your Lordship that I will bring the strongest testimonials of professional abilities from noblemen & gentlemen that I have lived with - my last situation was with the late Richard MEYLOR Esq whose extensive concerns came under my direction & as a most Honourable gentleman he before his much lamented death used all his means & interest to place me in a situation: that he considered me worthy of - in so much so I beg leave to say to your Lordship: that in July 1817 when the Honourable Mr NAPPIER was on a visit to Mr MEYLOR at Crawley house Hants, that there Mr MEYLOR gave Mr NAPPIER such a good character of me that Mr NAPPIER, who I understand is your Lordships nephew, was pleased to tell Mr MEYLOR he was sorry he had ingaged a steward & land bailiff to go to Ireland or he could have ingaged me. I also take the liberty to let your Lordship know that: I lived with the later Lord MONCK, with the late Richard REYNELL Esq, with James GIBBONS Esq & with the Lord Bishop of London Derry in Ireland & that I served my apprenticeship at Peter LA TOUCHES Esq & that I served in his Corps of Yeomanry free of expense to Government in the Rebellion of 1798 & after going to live to the late Lord MONCK. I served in the late Lord POWERSCOURTS Corps of Yeomanry free of expense to Government - these Noblemen and Gentlemen that I mention are well knowing to your Lordship. Lord CASTLEREAGH, Lord HARDWICKE & all the noblemen in the Kingdom. My Lord in wishing to go to the Cape my sole objects is to get a living by industry & [obscured]

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