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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.

TOURNIER, John

Written by Sue Mackay on .

National Archives, Kew CO48/46, 131

No.4 Curzon Street

Mayfair

5th October 1819

The humble memorial of John TOURNIER

Sheweth

That your memorialist having served more than eight years as Midshipman in His Majesty's Navy viz. with Capt. Sir M. SEYMOUR in the Amethyst, Niemen and Hannibal from January 1809 till September 1814, with Captain WALKER in the Bedford from September 1814 to July 1815, with Captain PAGE in the Puissant from July 1815 to August 1815 and with Captain BROUGHTON in the Spencer from May to August 1817, when your memorialist was discharged sick to the Royal Hospital at Plymouth, of which services and good behaviour your memorialist has certificates from his several captains and that in the course of such service your memorialist was frequently engaged with the enemy and amongst others at the Capture of the Niemen, French frigate, at the expedition to Flushing, at New Orleans and at cutting out vessels in the Basque Roads, and your memorialist is one of four brothers who have served in His Majesty's Navy, two of whom were lost in the Service.

Your memorialist being by the reduction consequent on placing the British Navy on the Peace Establishment left destitute of any employment, and with all prospect of promotion being closed, is desirous of going to the Cape of Good Hope as a settler, but finds considerable impediments in availing himself of the benevolent intentions of Government towards individuals similarly situated with himself, as your memorialist understands that to enable him to participate in the benefits held out he must join a club under the responsibility of a Principal who must be approved by Government, and in case of such Principal not being approved the individuals composing the club are deprived of the advantages of the grant of land and voyage and have no other means of going out with the privileges Government have granted. Your memorialist understands that the rejection of the Principal is not usually communicated to the individuals composing the club. Your memorialist might therefore be kept in suspence and uncertainty till too late to enable his going out at all.

Your memorialist therefore humbly prays that in consideration of his and his family's services he may be permitted to go to the Cape unconnected with any club and may be granted a free passage to the Cape and a grant of land when there, subject to the established regulations, which land he has sufficient capital to cultivate himself. Your memorialist is urged to make this appeal to your Lordship's benevolence chiefly from being unacquainted with any of the settlers who are going and having passed a considerable portion of his life at sea has limitted his experience and rendered him fearful of becoming a member of any club composed of entire strangers to himself.

And your memorialist as in duty bound will ever pray

John TOURNIER

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