Skip to main content
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.

MURRAY, John et al re Rev. William ROBERTSON, 1831

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/145, 377

 

MURRAY, John

377 Aberdeen, 10th January 1831

Sir,
   We whose names are subscribed beg eave to request that you will lay before the Right Honourable Lord GODERICH the case of Mr. William ROBERTSON, with which you are in part already acquainted. Mr. R, as you are aware, after discharging for several years with much approbation and success the Duties of Teacher in Graaf Reinet, in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope, under the Patronage of the British Government, returned to this country, in the view of qualifying himself for being promoted to fill one of the vacant churches in that Colony. Upon the recommendation of Major general BOURKE, the late Right Honourable William HUSKISSON, then Secretary for the Colonies, favoured Mr. R. with the promise conveyed in your letter of 24th Nov 1827 that he would be very much disposed to promote his views, as soon as he should be qualified to receive an appointment. From the Right Honourable Sir George MURRAY he received a similar pledge, expressed in your letter of 28 Aril 1830.
   We beg leave, thro' you, to intimate to the Right Honourable Lord GODERICH, that Mr. ROBERTSON, who is at present residing here, has now nearly finished the Course of Studies prescribed by the Church of Scotland to [obscured] for the office of the Ministry, and to request that his Lordship will have the goodness to say his intention (that we doubt not he will be pleased to do) to recommend him to the Government of the Cape of Good Hope for a Clerical appointment in that Colony, that we might be able to take the necessary steps for having him ordained according to the Rules of our Church.
   It may be proper to state that Mr. R had acquired a knowledge of the Dutch Language during his residence in the Colony but that, in order to reach a state still more perfect in that language he has been prosecuting the study of it for several months in Holland, and that he has received testimonials from the learned gentleman, the benefit of whose Tuition he enjoyed, certifying that he is qualified to speak and write it with great accuracy, and he can confidently recommend Mr. R. as in all respects eminently qualified for discharging the Duties of the appointment after which he aspires.
We are, Sir,
Your obedient humble servants
John MURRAY, Minister of North Parish, Aberdeen
James FOOTE, Minister of the East Parish of Aberdeen
James BENTLEY, Professor of Oriental Languages

 

381

Aberdeen, 7 May 1831

Sir,
We whose names are subscribed beg leave to intimate thro you to the Right Honourable Viscount GODERICH that Mr. William ROBERTSON is now admitted to Orders, according to the Rules of the Church of Scotland, and to request that his Lordship will be pleased, agreeably to his promise, conveyed in your letter of 31 January last, with which we were duly honoured to instruct His Excellency the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope to appoint him to one of the vacant Charges in that Colony.
And we beg leave to request that his Lordship will also be pleased, as is usual in such cases, to authorise the payment of Mr. ROBERTSON's Passage to the Cape, which we hereby hold ourselves bound to repay in the event of his failing to proceed to the place of his Destination.
We are, Sir,
Your obedient humble servants
John MURRAY, Minister of North Parish, Aberdeen
James FOOTE, Minister of the East Parish of Aberdeen

  • Hits: 12488