1820Settlers.Com

researching JOHN DARBY

Hi, I am the great,great,great nephew of JOHN DARBY, who arrived into Agoa Bay, on The Weymouth in 1820, he had a street in the area of Port Elizabeth, Deal Party, named after him. Can anybody give me any more details about this settler?

150th anniversary ox-wagon trek

I emigrated to Port Elizabeth in 1969, with my wife Patricia and 4 children, Tony, Ronnie, Angela, and Tina. We were chosen to represent the settlers in 1970 and take part in a 14 day ox-wagon trek, it was an experience which we will never forget, and a great privelige. I have now returned to UK and will always be greatful to the 1820 settlers, for allowing me to live in , and love South Africa, thank you. Ron Bockhart

Stephen Bourne and Joseph Purnell's letters

Trancribed by Sue Mackay from returns filed at CO48/41 at the National Archives in Kew, London.
Both are filed under B for Stephen BOURNE, who was originally to lead a party from Frome. Many men from these parties later went out either with HYMAN or JAMES from Wiltshire. - Sue <br>
526<br>
Frome, Somerset 21 September 1819
Name and description of the person taking out the settler
Stephen BOURNE of Frome, Somerset
Farmer, Baker and Carpenter
Aged 38
Ann BOURNE aged 42
? BOURNE aged 12
Names of the settlers,Profession or Trade,Age,Names of the wives,Age,Male Children,Age,Female children,Age
William CLIFFORD,Labourer,34,? CLIFFORD,33,,,Sarah CLIFFORD,13
John COLSTON,Labourer,32,? COLSTON,34,George COLSTON/John COLSTON,2/5,Ann COLSTON,12
Joseph USHER[sic],Brickmaker,36,S.USHER,36,Joseph USHER/John USHER/James USHER,13/7/4,Elizabeth USHER/Ann USHER/Sophia USHER/Frances USHER,16/11/9/1
William BARTLETT,Gardener,21
John PEARCE,Labourer,20
Robert BRIENT,Shoemaker,44,? BRIENT,42
James HAYWARD,Labourer,39,Tabitha HAYWARD,37,Samuel HAYWARD/John HAYWARD/William HAYWARD,17/13/4,Elizabeth HAYWARD/Selina HAYWARD/Eliza HAYWARD,11/9/2
James RANDALL,Labourer,44,Rebecca RANDALL,33,James RANDALL,3,Mary RANDALL/Jane RANDALL/Elizabeth RANDALL/Sarah RANDALL,13/9/6/1
William HOLLOWAY,Labourer,21
E. THORN?,Plasterer?,21
John GALE,Tayler,38,? GALE,37,Wm. GALE/Edward
GALE,12/9
Edward PROVIS,Carpenter,21,? PROVIS,20,Henry PROVIS,1
We whose names are hereto subscribed do certify that the abovementioned Stephen BOURNE is a proper person to take out the colonists
J.R.S.FENWICK, Minister
W. ROSSITER, Churchwarden
? DUDSEN? Overseer
Jacob MOODY, Overseer
Wm. BROWN? Overseer
Charles BISHOP, Overseer
Stephen BOURNE stated that he has acted in the capacities of Constable and Collector of Taxes and for sixteen years as a Volunteer in the Yeomanry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PURNELL, Joseph (filed under A-B)
570
Frome, Somerset 1 October 1819
Name and description of the person taking out the settler
Joseph PURNELL
the ninth in this list was five years in the Second Somerset Militia and superintendent for five years in a Clothing Factory in Wilton, Wiltshire. He has worked as a gardener
Names of the settlers,Profession or Trade,Age,Names of
the wives,Age,Male Children,Age,Female children,Age

Andrew C O'Dwyer's letter

Transcribed by Sue Mackay from CO48/42 at the National Archives in Kew, London.
Filed under C as A.CODWYN O’DWYER, Andrew C (filed under C as CODWYN)
420
Ireland
October 13th 1819
My Lord,
I perceive by the public prints that a Colony under the immediate protection of Government is about to proceed to Africa. I also remark that directions are given to rite to your Lordship for particulars respecting the expedition. I am therefore induced to take the liberty of stating my eligibility to become a Colonist and at the same time to respectfully beg a particular account of the means by which they are protected by Government.
I am by profession a brewer and understand the manufacturing of ‘artificial yeast’, am about 19 years old, good con[duct] and have received a tolerable gentleman’s education. I am thus particular bec[ause?] I would suppose I ought to ?reach? more encouragement than a person of less [pre?]tensions. I would if I met with good protection instantly go & I flatter myself I would rather be a acquisition than otherwise. I would feel much obliged to your Lordship directing me to be informed relative to this business and have the honour to be with much respect
Your Lordship’s obedient and humble servant
Andrew C. O’DWYER
[hole in paper obscures full address in Ireland]

Joseph Nead letter

Transcribed by Sue Mackay (with a strong cup of coffee to hand) from CO48/42 at the National Archives in Kew, London.

You may ask why a letter apparently from a Joseph NEAD to a Charles MERRYWEATHER should be filed under D. I suspect the clerk at the Colonial Office was deliberately trying to lose it. Indeed it nearly got sent to the Recycle Bin when I first saw it last night. I sent it to Kathryn, my trusty co-decipherer, not to transcribe but to decipher the signature and tell me if it was written by a settler, as if not I would be tempted to 'lose' it. The reason it proved such a challenge is that the letter is 'crossed'. I confess myself a bit addicted to Regency romance literature in my spare time (spare time??) and had read about the practice of crossing and even recrossing letters, but this was the first actual example I'd seen. The write would save himself the expense of another sheet by turning the page around after filling it and writing the next page crosswise across what had already been written. However, I've always been a sucker for a challenge, and once you learned to ignore the crossed lines it wasn't that bad. I'm glad I persevered because it's actually quite an interesting letter, though if he'd been less verbose he could have got it into one page anyway!!
Sue

733
Liverpool August 19 1819

Dear Charles,
I know not what apology to make for again becoming so troublesome as to offer myself a candidate for your additional assistance but must rely on your known goodness for pardon, and the interest which you have always taken in the welfare of my beloved Jane and myself assures me of being in forgiveness. I wish therefore to proceed to the nature of my present request.

You must know my dear friend that Jane and myself have made up our minds to become emigrants to the Cape Colony about to be established if the advantages are as good as they appear to be from the statements in the public prints, and I have no doubt from the nature of the climate & soil, emigration to the Cape of Good Hope offers advantages that no other can. I will now state what my own means are and crave your assistance for what information you may be able to give and shall be very much obliged indeed if you will read my application for the grant of one thousand [acres] for me, made at the Colonial Department. I am not aware of the form or way of doing [it] and I fear no time is to lose from those applications made. I of course am willing to make the deposit required by Government to take out nine individuals, myself making the tenth. Do you think Jane would be allowed [as one?] of the nine as she does not go out with me & most likely will not leave this country for years? If I could have the grant with her as one of the ten I would take but eight [with me] instead of nine, but in this I must be sure of [the] circumstances. The sum I shall have at disposal [for] this undertaking will be about three hundred, a hundred of which will go for the deposit, one to be left with Jane to bring her out and for things which it may be necessary she should [take?] out with her and the third hundred would be for settlements &c & to take to purchase stock on arrival and to furnish a few comforts for me for the [pass]age as I should not be able to mess with the labourers that would be taken out. My ideas of remunerating the individuals that may be willing to go with me are these, that each one has twenty acres of land put at his disposal on arrival [paper torn] serves me five years, at the expiration of which the twenty acres will be granted to him as property, also a gift of ten pounds, a cow & pig � on these terms supposing I take with me about the same number of male & female and they should marry amongst each other they would find themselves possessed in five years of forty acres and twenty pounds, two cows & two pigs, besides being cloathed and well fed for five years � these ideas are quite my own, I have not spoken to a person on the subject. I know not if [next line obscured in fold as the writer begins to write crossways across the first page of the letter] I should much wish your advice. I an extremely anxious to secure a grant of a thousand acres and a passage for the persons I may take out as I shall not like to give Mr. HADWEN notice until I am secure and I shall have but little time to spare as the transports are to sail in November. I will with many think upon what expences there may be if you think it necessary to employ any one to forward the application. As to myself I am quite ignorant as to the method to be taken to obtain the grant, but I understand there is a committee which sits at the Globe Coffee House, Fleet Street who will give what information they have collected, but I am so situated with respect to the time of giving notice that I cannot afford the time which it would take to write and receive an answer from them. May I then dear Charles venture to be so troublesome as to require a few lines per return post saying if you think I may get the grant as I should not like to throw myself out of a situation on an uncertainty and I must give Mr. HADWEN a sufficient time to get some one to take my situation. I have little doubt that you will think my prospects as a settler at the Cape will be much better than here, with a hundred a year and no prospect of increase it would be but a triffle for myself and beloved Jane to live on and I am very anxious to fix a period when I may again enjoy this society without the prospect of being again obliged to separate, and I think we could fix it as two or three years at the farthest if I go to the Cape, by which time I should I trust have things comfortable round me, the difficulties with which emigrants have to struggle would then be gone by, as well as those debts discharged, by which yourself and I MERRYWEATHER have been such sufferers
[next line obscured in fold]

Your very obliged friend
Jos�h NEAD

PS Please direct for me to the care of Jos�h HADWEN. I shall await your reply with much anxiety. Will you say if you think there will be any difficulty in getting men to accompany me � it is twenty I think of putting as the disposal on arrival of each person. I have stated that again fearful that the seal may hide that part

Francis McLeland's letter

Transcribed by Sue Mackay from CO48/42 at the National Archives in Kew, London
This letter was mis-filed under Francis Chiland, but actually is the first of the Francis McCLELAND
letters, still in CO48/42

Sue
263
Longford, Ireland
31st August 1819
My Lord,

Now when the rage for emigration has in a great degree subsided, and allowed you to enjoy a little rest, I beg to apply to you to know what are the inducements which Government holds out to such of the established clergy as the emigrants may be willing to take out with them: and whether, in case they do not make any application for pastors, it is the intention of government to send out any themselves.

As a clergyman who may be a long time unemployed in my own country & one who would take delight in diffusing the light of the religion I profess among the benighted sons of Africa under British Auspices, I would [wish] to embark myself with [ten?] people who may so shortly be leaving their friends and their homes, and I trust could a few more be procured who would make the [?church?] the weapon of conquest, His Majesty’s Government would soon find British laws ?? at the Cape, on such a foundation as no power can shake and no art could undermine.

The British Constitution has been the theme of my continued panegyric and I have no doubt but I should be found a strenuous promoter of its rights and privileges wherever I may roam. I shall now only add that should your Lordship think proper to notice this application I shall be able to procure the strongest recommendations from Viscount FORBES, the new Bishop of Rapham and other revered and respected characters
in this country.
I have the honour to remain with great respect
Your Lordship’s most obed’t and humble servt
Francis McCLELAND

Henry Hill's letters

Transcribed by Paxie Kelsey from CO48/43 at the National Archives in Kew, London
605
July 28 1819
Sir,
Not having any ties to induce me to remain in England, I wish to avail myself for the opportunity offered, to emigrate to the Cape of Good Hope, Cape, and will feel myself very much obliged by your furnishing me with any instructions you may possess to enable me to carry my plans with execution.
Your reply addressed to Mrs CURRIE, Office of Ordnance, Town, will confer an obligation on
Your Oblig’d and Obed Ser.
Henry HILL

James Erith's letters on Emigration

Transcribed by Fay Lea from CF48/43 at the National Archives in kew, London
3
28 Wellington St
Newington Causeway
Jan 30th 1819
Sir,
Excuse the liberty I have taken in addressing you but understanding that instructions have been issued from your office respecting settlers for the Cape of Good Hope & by which I am informed that Government franks those that go over free of expense and that after their arrival each settler at the Cape is to receive 50 acres of land as compensation for leaving this country and as many acres as they may wish by lease at a certain sum per Annum each acre.
Trusting to your goodness to answer my petition
I remain Sir
Your Obedient Humble Servant
J. T. ERITH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#
7
28 Wellington St
Newington Causeway
Surrey
My Lord,
As I have been favoured with one of your instructions concerning the Colony about to be formed at the Cape of Good Hope and as I am with several of my friends desirous of settling there [hole in paper] your Lordship will favour me with [every] particular and what part of the Cape the establishment will be at.
Your early reply will much oblige
My Lord, Your Lordships Most obedient Humble Servant
Jas. Thos. ERITH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8
12 William St
Harper St
Kent Rd
May 18th 1819
Sir,
I have had the honour to secure your letter of the 15th instant acquainting me that His Majesty’s Government no longer gives encouragement to persons proceeding as Settlers to North America and I beg leave humbly to represent to you that my letter of the 15th instant written on behalf of myself and nine Others expressed our readiness to settle not in the British possessions in North America but at the Cape of Good Hope that we were ready to pay the usual deposit and to conform to any other conditions required by Government if His Majesty’s secretary of State for the Colonies was pleased to encourage our views
I have the honour to be Sir
Your most Obedient Humble Servant
J.T. ERITH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5
12 William St
Harper St
Kent Rd
May 29th 1819
Sir,
I beg leave to state that I am ready to take out and locate upon land at the Cape of Good Hope ten settlers at the least and that we are ready to Pay down the deposit required by His Majestys Government if the Hon Secretary of State for the Colonies should approve of this proposal and if any reference is further required I take the liberty of referring to Mr G THOMAS Iron Monger Strood near Rochester or Mr Robert FOWLER farmer Rochester who have known me long as a Free holder of the country of Kent. I am also known to Mr E. KNATCHBULL for whom I voted at the last election if this application not be precisely in the form required I will be happy to amend it on being made acquainted with the wishes of the Government.
I have the Honour to be Sir
your Ob Humble Servant
Ja Tho ERITH
[written across bottom: Lord B has not thought it advisable to accept this proposal]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
50
No 2 Bardon Place
Peckham
20th August 1819
Sir
I have the honour of receiving your letter of the 10th Inst requesting the ages of the several individuals that are to accompany me to the Cape of Good Hope. I beg leave to state that I should have answered it immediately but the Persons living at the Minster in the Isle of Sheppey Kent has caused this delay being so far off.
James Thomas ERITH   aged thirty years
Jane ERITH   wife aged thirty years
Jane ERITH  dau aged three years
Eleanor ERITH dau aged eighteen months
Mary ERITH  sister aged twenty nine years
William ERITH   her son aged ten years
Mary Ann ERITH her dau aged nine years
Robert ROBERSON   aged twenty seven years
Martha ROBERSON wife aged twenty six years
Robert ROBERSON son aged four years
John ROBERSON son aged two years
Philip ROBERSON son aged five months
Louisa ROBERSON dau aged five years
Mical HAROM    Single aged thirty five years
William CLOVER Single aged thirty five years
James ALLEN   Single aged thirty seven years
Robert KEMSLEY Single aged twenty one years
John PANKHURST Single aged twenty four years
James STRUTT  Single aged twenty one years
Richard READER Single aged twenty four years
James ROBERSON Single aged twenty one years
Charlotte ROBERSON his wife aged twenty six years
Ebraham ROBERSON son aged six years
Stanley ROBERSON son aged ten months
I have the honour to be Sir
Your Most Ob.Humble Serv
Jas. Thos. ERITH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
51
August 1819
The humble partition of James Thomas ERITH of No 2
Bardon Place, Peckham Baker –
Humbly shewth,
That your petitioner being desirous of proceeding to the Cape of Good Hope with his wife and family for the purpose of cultivating such parts of the soil as may be allotted to him by His Majesties Government accompanied by the persons named on the other side hereof is willing to deposit the usual sums required of persons under similar cir*****stances and therefore most humbly pray, that your Lordship will be pleased to authorise your petition and the several persons above referred to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope and to allow them such portion of land subject to the usual conditions as may be judged proper – engaging for him self and the persons in question to render due obedience to His Majesties Government and to conform to all and every regulation required of the persons emigrating to the aforesaid Colony.
James Thomas ERITH, wife and two children.
Mary ERITH, sister, two children No 2 Coalman St Woolwich Kent
Robert ROBERSON, wife and four children Minster Isle of Sheppey.
James ROBERSON, wife and two children Minster Isle of Sheppey.
William ALLEN single man Minster Isle of Sheppey
Michal HAROM single man  Minster Isle of Sheppey
William CLOVER single man Minster Isle of Sheppey
Robert KEMSLEY single man Minster Isle of Sheppey
Richard READER single man Minster Isle of Sheppey
James STRUTT single man Minster Isle of Sheppey
John PANKHURST single man Minster Isle of Sheppey

Robert Emslie's correspondence

Transcribed by Millicent Emslie from CO48/42 at the National Archives in kew, London
57
Gibsens Street
Foundry
Hull
30th August 1819
The Humble Petion of Robert EMSLIE, an out Pensioner of Chelsea at 2/3 d pr Diem
Humbly sheweth
That your petioner hath aplyed to the Board of Chelsea for permission to receive his pension at the Cape of Good Hope and hath received permission accordingly, Should your Lordship be pleased to grant permission to your Petitioner to Emigrate to that place with his familie, viz Wife and 4 Children under 8 years of age – 2 Sons and 2 Daughters, your humble petitioner prays for free passage for self and family – as also such further allowances as your Lordship may think proper to grant, to him, your petioner having Served H.M. 31 Years and upwards 21 of which he was a noncommissioned officer in the 75th & 76th Regiment of foot your petioner having a pension as above, which will be paid by the Company General at the Cape. Shall he be oblidged to Deposit same as thoes who are not pensioners also will aney Transport be sent to this port as ther is others, similary Cir*****stanced, praying also for your Lordships permission: an answer to this will answer all other Enquirers and be thankfully received by an old Soldier who for the welfare of His Majestys Government will Ever pray as in Duty bound
Robert EMSLIE
late Serjeant 75th and 76th Regt of Foot
[attached to this letter]
Copy of a leter from Joseph LYNN Esq.
Royal Hospital Chelsea 26 Augt 1819
In Reply to your petion of the 9th Inst praying to be alowed to receive your pension at the Cape of good hope, I am to inform you that the Commissionof this Hospital have been pleased to grant you ther permission and that your transmitting to this office the particulays of having procured a passage stating the time when you are to Embark with the place at which you intend to reside, the necessary directions will be forwarded to the Commissary General at the Station, to whom you must apply on your arrival, for the payment of your pension accordingly &c &c signed
Joseph LYNN
Extract, from Major Genl GORDON’s letter Cork 1st Augt
1819
EMSLIE, you say that £15 will be asked as a Deposite for your familie to be returned at or soon after your Landing at the Cape I will advance the money when I know to where it is to be paid.
Signed Ben GORDON
PS Could I be permitted to proceed without Depositing this money, I would not wish to put the General to such expense as I think my pension would be sufficient to help me.
Robert EMSLIE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
72
Gibsons Street, Foundry, Hull
16th Augt 1819
Hon Sir,
I humbly ask your forgiveness for my freedome in thus addressing a Gentleman to whom I am a stranger - when you will have consiedred my case, which I trust you will have the goodness to do. I hope you will favour us with your advice having petioned Earle BATHURST on 30th Inst as you have seen and received his answer thro your honor. - I endavoured to fiend 9 mor families wanting to Emigrate to the Cape, but only one could I fiend that could pay the deposit money and were I again to petition his Lordship with only two or three families would I am afraid incur his displeasure, and for us to come to London, and break up our homes, and not be permitted to proceed, would be certain ruin to our small families. in concidring the above I have taken the liberty of praying for your kiend assistance, by letting me know if it would be proper for us to com or not, and whatever you think would tend must likely to favour our obtaining liberty of proceeding this present season to the Cape of Good Hope. Your favourable answer will be thankfully received and add greatly to the happiness of my small familie who joins with me in asking your parden for this freedom.
I am Honored Sir
Your very humble Servant
Robert EMSLIE
Late Serjeant 76 Regt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
81
Foundry Hull Yorkshire
10th Octr 1819
My Lord,
We - The undersigned most humbly pray your forgivness for thus troubling you but having seen an advertisement in the Liverpool paper of a Messrs Whitley and Co for pepole willing to Emigrate to the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope stating that the person so advertising hath Governments approbation for so doing as only 3 families from this place (that are known of) are willing to go and pay the deposit money we humbly pray your Lordship to be so good as to accquaint us whether or not we should be acting proper in going to Liverpool and paying the Deposit money required by the Circular for our families in to ther hands. Your answer will be thankfully received by your very humble and obedient Servants.
Robert EMSLIE
Jos’h RHODES
Sam DUGELBY

William Earle (2)

Transcribed from CO48/43 at the National Archives in Kew, London
[NB The partner of Michael WHITLEY referred to was Richard HAYHURST – see Nash page 79]
91
Liverpool November 18th 1819
Sir,
At the suggestion of Mr GLADSTONE, who has kindly permitted me to make use of his name, I take the liberty of writing to you on the subject of settlers who are making preparations to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope.
Several of them are from the neighbourhood of Padiham where a relation of mine resides, who is desirous of rendering them pecuniary assistance to enable them to emigrate – the persons, however, who have the collection of Government deposits in this place, carry on so illiterate a correspondence with the poor people in the Country, that my relation questioned the propriety of remitting any money to them, without making previous enquiry respecting them. He commissioned me to do this and I found them in a situation that I deemed it right to recommend him [not?] to pay the deposits to them. One of them named WHITLEY told me that he had had the honour of [meeting?] with you. I do not know him as he has not generally resided in Liverpool. His partner, however, was a bankrupt but a short time ago and from the manner in which he then conducted himself gave sufficient [obscured] of its not being prudent to trust him with the property of others.
It is regrettable that some respectable Bankers are not appointed to receive the Government Deposits. The country people are extremely credulous and we had an instance two or three years ago of a man decamping with a considerable sum of money collected from a number of poor individuals under the pretence of sending them out to North America. I am told by Mr. WHITLEY that Mr. Arthur HILL of the Colonial Department is the Gentleman to whom he is directed to send the deposits he may collect. I have received from my relation deposits on account of the Padiham Emigrants, who are in the WHITLEY’s list and who have been accepted by Government. The immediate object of my letter is to request the favor of you to inform me whether I shall be correct in transmitting the sum direct to Mr. HILL, the money having been placed in my hands for the security of the poor Emigrants. I am of course anxious to know that it will be properly applied before I part with it, and the nature of the business will I trust appear a sufficient apology for my having thus intruded upon your time.
Mr. GLADSTONE desired me to add that he should feel obliged to you if you could inform him whether any of the Emigrants will be embarked from this place. I presume it is the intention of Government to send some of them from hence, as a large East India vessel at present under the care of my [house?] here is engaged for that purpose.
I have the honour to be with much respect your most
obedient humble servant
William EARLE