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GSSA
The 1820 Settler Correspondence
 as preserved in the National Archives, Kew
 and edited by Sue Mackay

Correspondence 1821 to 1837.

Here only letters by known settlers or their families, or letters of great relevance to the 1820 settlers, have been transcribed, whereas ALL the 1819 correspondence was transcribed (see CO48/41 through CO48/46) whether or not the writers emigrated to the Cape.

Unless otherwise stated letters were written to either the Secretary of State for the Colonies or his deputy.The original correspondence is filed in order of receipt. Here it has been placed in alphabetical order according to the surname of the writer, with letters by the same writer in chronological order, for ease of reading. Original spelling has been maintained. Reference numbers, where given, refer to printed page numbers stamped on the letters and will enable visitors to the National Archives to locate the letter more easily.

CRAUSE, John 1835

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/164, 62

 

Graham's Town
28th May 1835

To the Rt Hon'ble the Secretary of State for His Majesty's Colonies &c
My Lord,
          I have the honor to enclose to your Lordship the copy of a Memorial which I addressed to His Excellency Sir B. D'URBAN and which will show Your Lordship His Excellency's good intentions towards me, but as most of the appointments in this Colony are granted to Candidates from England, I take the liberty of soliciting that Your Lordship will be pleased to take the prayer of my Memorial into your most gracious consideration. I beg leave further to state that under Lord C. SOMERSET's Government I organized and commanded a Division of the Albany Levy and subsequently was appointed Field Commandant of the English Burgher Force of this District. At the commencement of the Caffre irruption last year I assisted Major GREGORY 98th Regiment as Adjutant of the Burgher Force until removed by the order of Col. SMITH, Chief of the Staff, to aid Captain SELWYN Royal Engineers as Town Adjutant in the Defence of Graham's Town, in which duties I am now engaged. These services I have performed without pay, nor should I now seek for employment had I not lost the whole of my property by the Caffres.
     My former and late losses by the Caffres have exceeded two thousand pounds sterling and have left me and my wife without a house over our heads or a bed to lie on. I think therefore I have only to leave my case to Your Lordship's generosity.
I have the honor to be
Your Lordship's most obedient and humble servant
John CRAUSE
Lieut. & Adj't H.P.
Town Adjutant
Graham's Town

 

(attached to above) Graham's Town
26th Feb 1835

 

To His Excellency Gen. Sir B. D'URBAN KCB, Governor and Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Colony at the Cape of Good Hope, the memorial of Lieut. and Adjutant J. CRAUSE H.P. respectfully sheweth
That Memorialist entered the Service as a Cadet at the Royal Military College, and on receiving his commission in 1808, was ordered to join his Regiment the 58th Foot in Portugal, in that Country. Memorialist served in Gen. PICTON's division until the retreat of the army on the lines of Torres Vedras.
During the occupation of that position Memorialist was attached to Gen'l SINTAG [transcriber's note: should be General John SONTAG] and selected to take charge of redoubt no.5 near the Sea, with 200 Portuguese Militia, a detachment of the Royal Artillery and half a Company of British Infantry under his Command.
In the discharge of this duty Memorialist was exposed to the inclemency of the Winter Season, under canvas, and contracted a violent cold wch settled on his lungs, and caused an enlargement of the glands of the neck, and ultimately brought on spasmodic astma [sic] under which your Memorialist has still suffered.
Your Memorialist next served with his regiment in Sir Thomas GRAHAM's division, until the advance of the Army on Madrid, after the Battle of Salamanca, when Memorialist in consequence of his Complaint increasing on him was recommended by a Medical to be sent to England, and in appearing before a Special board in London, was reported unfit for active service.
Having been recommended to the Notice of the Commander in Chief, His Grace was pleased to acquaint Memorialist that his name was on the list for a Company on a favourable opportunity offering.
Memorialist was ordered to proceed to his Regimental Depot and subsequently to Fort Pitt and report himself to Major R. CAMPBELL, 52nd Regt, & received the appointment of Staff Adjutant & Acting Staff Captain, to assist Major CAMPBELL in forming Invalid Depot, and adjusting the Claims of Invalids previous to their appearing before the Chelsea board.
At the time of the French Emperor's escape from Elba the Depot was nearly 4,000 strong & orders were received to form of the most able men a Garrison Battalion.
Eight hundred men were selected and embodied for that purpose and afterwards delivered over to Lt.Col DALTEN. Similar orders were received for a veteran Battalion, wch was executed and this Regiment was handed over to Lieut. Col. BURTON.
The remainder of the men capable of bearing arms were kept for the Garrison's duty at Chatham until the conclusion of the general peace when they were forwarded on to Chelsea from time to time, with such other men as were intended for the same destination, till the whole were discharged, when the Staff of the Depot were placed on half pay.
This climate being more favourable to Memorialist's health than England, he emigrated to this Country in 1819 and was located on the Spanish Reed River.
In 1821 joined officers of the Royal Africa Corps in forming a settlement at Fredericksburgh, wch was afterwards abandoned. In 1823 Memorialist lost a fine herd of cattle by the Caffres, for these losses he has recovered no remuneration. In 1825 in consequence of his giving up his rights to his location on the Spanish Reed River, Memorialist received his present grant on the Carriega River, where he established himself in the greatest comfort. By the last Caffre depredations Memorialist proves by respectable Evidence that he has lost property to the amount of 1,000 Pounds.
From his present state of health (wch your Excellency will perceive from the enclosed certificate from Mr. EARLES, who has attended on Memorialist for the last eight years) your Memorialist does not feel himself able to undergo the fatigue of re-establishing himself on a Farm, for the fourth time in this country having already involved himself with a loan, wch was sunk in improvements of his late residence, wch are now all destroyed. Memorialist therefore prays that in consideration of his Services, loss of health in the army & his heavy losses and disappointments in this Country, Your Excellency will be pleased to give him some employment, by which he may gain a living & Memorialist as in duty bound will ever pray.
John CRAUSE
Lt. & Adj, H.P.
Invalid Depot

 

Appointment
I should be very happy if any means should present themselves for my giving Mr. CRAUSE such an appointment as he desires; but I cannot foresee such an opening.
Signed B. D'URBAN
Feb'y 28th 1835

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