I'm miles from France

No.12 Hemmings Row

St.Martin’s Lane

August 19^th 1819

My Lord,

I have now 15 families whom I wish to take out as settlers to the Cape of Good Hope providing they are approved of and your Lordship will favour me with the grant of land as specified in the circular. I shall be glad to attend at any time when called upon in order that I may give you the necessary information respecting myself and these persons who are wishful to accompany me. I will pledge myself they will be found industrious and able bodied individuals and are likely to be of use in the colony should they meet with your Lordship’s approbation. Their names, families &c will be found correctly written as under. With all possible respect I am my Lord

Your lordship’s most obed’t humble servant

William Mortimer WOOD

(Among the list of names are the Wakefords:)

Thomas WAKEFORD, Husband, 36

Mary WAKEFORD, Wife, 38

William WAKEFORD, Child, 13

Sir,

Shall be obliged by your perusing the above list which you will find (I hope) perfectly conspicuous and I shall be glad to attend if required

I am Sir your most obedient servant

W.M. WOOD

(CO48/46 National Archives, Kew, London  ~  1820 Settler Correspondence T-Y

Transcribed by volunteers from the ZA-IB and ZA-EC Rootsweb mailing lists from digital photographs taken by Rowena Wattrus and Sue Mackay at the National Archives. 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.

Letters were either addressed to Lord BATHURST, Secretary of State for the Colonies, (starting My Lord), or to his deputy Henry GOULBURN (starting Sir). 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. If a page number is not given then the date of the letter will give a good idea of its whereabouts in the file.

Names in red actually became 1820 settlers to South Africa, as listed in ‘The Settler Handbook’ by M.D. Nash, not necessarily with the Party listed here.)