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Title Colonial Land and Emigration Board. Original Correspondence: Appointment of Surgeons Superintendent to Coolie Emigration Ships. Letters of Appointment
Date 1875-1878
Document Type Correspondence
Reference CO 386/9
Library / Archive The National Archives
Collection Name Colonial Office: Land and Emigration Commission, etc.
Description Correspondence between the Government Emigration Board and surgeon superintendents of emigration ships used by indentured labourers. Includes draft letters of engagement and further correspondence regarding acceptance and rejection of appointments, stating availability for service, arranging surgeons' onward travel to India and questions regarding payments and expenses. An index of Surgeons' names is included at the start of the volume.
Series Description This series contains original correspondence, entry books and registers of the Agent General for Emigration, the South Australian Commissioners and the Land and Emigration Commission. Amongst the miscellaneous contents are registers of births and deaths of emigrants at sea 1854-1869, lists of ships chartered 1847-1875, registers of surgeons appointed 1854-1894, and volumes of The Colonial Gazette 1838-1842.
Biographical Note / History A Colonial Land and Emigration Commission was created in 1840 to undertake the duties of two earlier and overlapping authorities which were both under the supervision of the Secretary of State. These were the Colonisation Commissioners for South Australia, established under an Act of 1834, and the Agent General for Emigration, appointed in 1837. The new commission dealt with grants of land, the outward movement of settlers, the administration of the Passengers' Acts of 1855 and 1863 and, from 1846 to 1859, the scrutiny of colonial legislation. In 1855 it became the Emigration Commission. In 1873 the administration of the Passengers' Acts was transferred to the Board of Trade. The commission's powers were gradually given up to the larger colonies as they obtained self-government, and after 1873 its only duties were the control of the importation of Indian indentured labour into sugar-producing colonies and it was abolished in 1878.
Theme(s) Onward Travel; Departures: Port Conditions and Organisation; Ships and Shipping Lines
Country (from) China; Great Britain; Ireland
Country (to) India; St Lucia; Trinidad; British Guiana
Places Mumbai, India; London, England; Demerara, British Guiana
Ports Calcutta, India; Southampton, England; Dublin, Ireland
Nationality Chinese; Asian; English; European; Irish
Ships Rohilla; Syria; King Arthur; Sheila; Senator; Artist; Naturalist; Ganges
People Walcott, Stephen
Keywords coolie, indentured labour, surgeon, medical staff, expenses, money, onward travel, shipping, labourer
Language English
Copyright Crown Copyright documents © are reproduced by permission of The National Archives London, UK