Skip to main content
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.

ROBINS, Joseph

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 502

37 Bedfordbury

St.Martins in the Fields

August 5th 1819

Honored Sir,

I have some idea of emigrating to the Cape of Good Hope with the assistance of Government but the short account which the news papers give of this emigration is the cause of my troubling you with a few questions as all the knowlege I can obtain is a description of the country and that Government will give a free passage and measure the land and return the said ten pounds deposited before the embarkation of the emigrants. Sir, pardon my intrusion but the questions I spoke of are these viz. how shall I and my family be treated or how can we get a living. Sir, dose Government furnish the setler with a place to shelter himself and family dose Government provide for them the implements of husbandry or are they to buy all these things with the said ten pounds and to buy seed and to maintain themselves till such time as the land will bring forth asficient to keep them in food and raiment. An answer to this will much oblige

Your most humble and obedient servant

Joseph ROBINS

  • Hits: 5858