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From: Sue Mackay <>
Subject: [ZA-EC] Settler Correspondence (1820) - Thomas PRINGLE
Date: Sat, 2 Dec 2006 00:25:56 +0000 (GMT)


Transcribed by peter KIRKMAN from CO48/52 at the
National Archives in Kew, London

149
London, 43 Princes’ Street, Soho
January 8, 1820
Sir,
I beg leave to inform you that the party of settlers
proceeding under my direction to the Cape of God Hope
have now all arrived in London, and that I have
notified their arrival to Captain YOUNG of the
Transport Office, who has promised to have them
embarked in a few days.
Previous to their departure from Scotland, however,
some alterations had taken place in the names and
numbers of the party, of which it is necessary to
report to you. When nearly ready to sail from Leith,
the servants, both those engaged by my father & our
friend Mr. SYDSERFF, who had been all engaged on
written agreement for four years, refused to embark
unless certain extravagant demands were conceded to
them, quite inconsistent with the terms they had
engaged upon, & inconsistent with our future
circumstances. Rather than submit to their conspiracy
or incur the trouble of seeking legal redress, my
friends discharged the whole of them and engaged other
men in their stead. But not being able to find a
smith and joiner on such short notice, my eldest
brother had also remained behind in Scotland, with a
view of joining us next year with some accessions of
money and implements. In consequence of these changes
the Party now consists of 21 individuals, in place of
the 27 formerly stated in the official lists, viz.
besides myself, 10 men, 6 women and 4 children,
Alexander NOBLE’s wife and four children being, of
course, left with him. This man NOBLE was the
instigator of the conspiracy for rise in wages &c.
With a view to fill the vacancy that now remains for
one man, I have advertised yesterday, but we do not
consider it of any importance, unless required by the
Colonial Office. I enclose a list of the individuals
withdrawn and of those added in their place, and hope
that you will be pleased to allow of this alteration,
especially as we now losing rather more capital and
fewer persons.
Mr. BARROW of the Admiralty has informed me that you
have been so good as promise me a letter of
recommendation to the Governor. For this most
important favour I beg to present my most grateful and
respectful acknowledgements.
As a slight testimony of my sense of the obliging
attentions you have bestowed on my concerns, I beg
leave to request your acceptance of the little volume
with (sic) accompanies this letter, & I remain with
the highest respect Sir,
Your obliged & Obdt. Servt,
Thos. PRINGLE

Names of the persons withdrawn from Thos. PRINGLE’s
Party of Settlers proceeding to the Cape of Good Hope.

William PRINGLE, agriculturist}
Alex. NOBLE, joiner}
Walter TURNBULL, Blacksmith} = 5 men
Andrew SCOTT, ploughman}
William RITCHIE, Ploughman}
Isabel SLORACH, wife of Alex. NOBLE = 1 woman.
Margaret NOBLE }
Mary NOBLE } children of Alex. NOBLE = 4
children
Isabel NOBLE }
Christian NOBLE }
Total 10 persons

Names of the persons engaged into the party in place
of those withdrawn :-

Thomas DAVIDSON, agriculturist, aged 22}
James ECKORN (sic), ploughman, aged 20} = 4 men
Alexander MORTIMER, ploughman, aged 23}
James SOUNESS, ploughman, aged 19}

Of the four men last mentioned the two former are
natives of Roxburghshire, the two latter servants of
Mr. SYDSERFF are from East Lothian.

[Note from GOULBURN]
Alter his list accordingly – thank him for his book
and say I will send him the instruction to Ld.Charles
in a few days
10 Jan

152
London, 153 Princess Street, Soho
January 13, 1820
Sir,
I had the honour to receive your note of 10th instant
the day before yesterday, and would have more promptly
obeyed your directions in returning the letter to the
Governor had I not experienced some difficulty in
getting it out of a trunk which my friends had left at
the Wharf on their arrival. I now inclose it along
with the full and final list of my party, which are
now perfectly completed by the accession of Wm. ELLIOT
and E. RIDGARD a saddler with his wife and two
children. As the latter of these persons, besides
possessing a trade which may be very useful to the
party and neighbourhood, is possessed of considerable
capital, I hope his joining in with his relation Wm.
ELLIOT who is bred a farmer, will meet with your
approbation.
As the list of alterations sent in a few days ago will
be superseded if this is accepted of I have to prevent
all mistakes inclosed first a list of the whole names
withdrawn and those received in their room, and
secondly a complete return of the whole names &c of
the party as they will stand upon these alterations
being made.
I have the honour to be with the highest respect Sir
Your much obliged and obdt. servt.
Tho PRINGLE

Names withdrawn from Tho. PRINGLE’s party of settlers.

William PRINGLE, agriculturist
Alex. NOBLE, joiner
Walter TURNBULL, blacksmith,
Andrew SCOTT, ploughman
Wm. RITCHIE, ploughman = 5 men

Mary PRINGLE
Isabel SLORACH, wife of Alex. NOBLE = 2 women

Margaret, Mary, Isabel & Christian NOBLE = 4 children

Total 11 persons

Names of persons taken into the party in the room of
those withdrawn :-

Alex. MORTIMER, ploughman, aged 23
James SOUNESS, ploughman, aged 19
James ECKORN (sic), ploughman, aged 20
William ELLIOT, agriculturist, aged 27
Ezra RIDGARD, saddler, aged 29.= 5 men

Elizabeth RIDGARD, wife of E. RIDGARD, aged 24 = 1
woman

Andrew RIDGARD
Marianne RIDGARD, children of E. RIDGARD, aged 2 and 1
year = 2 children

Total 8 persons

Enclosure in letter of 13th Janry 1820
Return of Settlers proceeding to the Cape of Good Hope
under the direction of Thomas PRINGLE.

No.48

Total No.of men (besides TP) 12
Total No.of women 6
Total No.of children under 14 years of age 6
Total No.of the whole party 24
£150

Table showing Names of Men, Ages, Trade, Women,
Ages, Male children, Ages, Female Children, Ages.
[The amount of deposit money has been inserted in the
last column; the figure is inserted below in square
brackets]

Robert PRINGLE, 61, Agriculturist, Mrs. R. PRINGLE,
45, R. D. PRINGLE, 10, C.H.PRINGLE, 7, Beatrice
PRINGLE, 3½ [10]
John PRINGLE ,29, Agriculturist. [10[
Charles SYDSERFF, 22, Agriculturist. [10]
George RENNIE, 23, Agriculturist, Mrs RENNIE (his
mother), 44, C RENNIE, 11.[20]
John RENNIE, 22, Agriculturist, Eliz. RENNIE (his
sister), 15 [20]
Peter RENNIE, 20, Agriculturist. [10]
Alex. MORTIMER, 23, Ploughman. [10]
James SOUNESS, 19 Ploughman. [10]
James ECKORN (sic) 20, Ploughman. [10]
Wm. ELLIOT, 27, Agriculturist. [10]
Ezra RIDGARD, 29, Saddler, Eliz. RIDGARD (his wife),
24, And. RIDGARD, 2, Marianne RIDGARD, 1. [20]

Th. PRINGLE, 30, Mrs. Tho. PRINGLE, 32, .Janet BROWN,
35 [20]

£ 150

177
Deptford, On board the Brilliant Transport
February 1 1820
Sir,
I beg to mention that I embarked here yesterday with
my party, and we are appointed to sail on Thursday
first. May I therefore take the liberty to solicit the
obliging letter of introduction to Lord Charles
SOMERSET which you were so kind as promised me – if it
is not already inclosed in the personal letter which
you so politely returned to me with the alterations in
my party stated in it.
I take the opportunity to mention also, that my
friends in leaving Scotland have forgotten to bring
with them the official letter from the Colonial Office
accepting my application and authorising me to take
out twelve settlers &c. I do not know if this paper
be of any essential importance - but as it may be
useful in settling my friends in their respective
allotments, I should wish to be favoured with a
duplicate of it – if it be not troublesome to you.
Begging your excuse for all the trouble which I have
given you, of which the present I trust will be the
last occasion, I have the honour to remain with
sincere feelings of respect & gratitude, Sir,
Your much obliged & obdt. Sevt.
Tho. PRINGLE


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