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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.

GATEHOUSE, George, 1822

Written by Sue Mackay on .

(see correspondence of John GLOVER in CO48/56)

National Archives, Kew, CO48/59, 316

Grahams Town

August 26th 1822

[Received 28th Feb 1823]

May it please your Lordship,

The memorial of George GATEHOUSE belonging to Mr. William COCK's Party, located near Bathurst in the province of Albany, South Africa

Most humbly sheweth

That your Lordship's memorialist, participating in the difficulties with which his native country was recently visited, gratefully embraced the opportunity which was generously offered of emigrating to this part of His Majesty's foreign possessions in the year 1819, but as he resided at a distance from the British Metropolis, he was not so fortunate as to apply for a passage until the several parties were nearly all complete. He found great obstacles to surmount previous to the attainment of his object, and the Weymouth being at anchor off the Port where your Lordship's memorialist resided, a vacancy occurred in the party which was superintended by Mr. William COCK (then on board) by the defection of one INGRAM, who was a single man, and your memorialist was accordingly admitted in his stead, and under his name, in order to save the additional trouble which the alteration might occasion at your Lordship's office, but as the wife and children of your memorialist could not proceed with him to this colony by virtue of that arrangement (and unfortunately for him he could make no other) he left them with tears of affection and distress and under such acute and painful feelings as no human language can describe, yet hoping that he might shortly be enabled by the bounty of divine providence to defray the expences attending their voyage to these distant shores, but alas a succession of unfortunate events have prevented the accomplishment of his anxious desires, and he therefore feels himself under the necessity of praying that your Lordship will be pleased with your accustomed goodness to lay his distressing case at the foot of His Majesty's throne.

That your Lordships memorialist has an affectionate wife and four children now residing at Mr. WOOD's, 146 High Street, Portsmouth, and from whom he must remain separated by an ocean of more than seven thousand miles, from events that no human sagacity could have foreseen, nor human power prevented, unless your Lordship is pleased to interfere for him, as it is not in his power to pay the expence of their passage hither and therefore humbly prays that your Lordship will intercede for him with his beloved and gracious Sovereign in order that his wife and children may be sent out to this colony at the expence of His Majesty's Government.

That your Lordship's memorialist relying on the well known clemency of his gracious Sovereign through your Lordship's noble and generous interference towards his unfortunate wife and children, looks forward with no small degree of complacency to the realization of his earnest desires, and therefore begs leave with all humility to pray that your Lordship will be pleased to allow her to sail from Portsmouth instead of London as she would not be able to meet the expences which that journey would occasion, and your memorialist will ever feel himself in duty bound to pray for your Lordship and your illustrious family.

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