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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.

SILBY, Richard and William TREGARTHA

National Archives, Kew CO48/45, 802

No.1 Tower Royal Court

Tower Royal

Budge Row

August 3rd 1819

Sir,

We beg leave to lay before you this letter as expression of our wish and desire to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope. We are young men lately from Cornwall now come up to London to seek emploayment by reason of the failure of the fishing in Cornwall which have cause a very great distrest in the small fishing towns. We have been in London a considerable time but have had very little work. Therefore finding by the publick prints that Government intend to send out peaple to the Cape Good Hope it is our desire to go out if Sir it should meet with your aprovebation. We are sorry to say that our circumstances will not permit us to deposite even the little that is requird but we have no dout on our minds of becoming chargeable in as we are young men able to work and ave a parrfect knowlage of fishing and farming having been emploay for these branches troughtout the year. We have likewise some friends in the colony how have obtain large grants of land in the colony. These friends would happy to hear of our arival in the colony, were we hope not only to make our selfs useful to those how may colonize ther but likewise to use our endevers to bring the natives under the comforts and blessings of civilize life. If Sir you could so manage for us to go or to put us in a way in which we are likely to suceed it will be a favour we never forget.

We remain Sir

Your most humble servants

Wm. TREGARTHA

Richard SILBY

Sir,

I thank you for the printed circlar in answer to a letter sent to his Lordship conserning going to New Sou Wells

Wm. TREGARTHA

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