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Title Emigration (and Coolie Immigration), 1875. Volume 1. Despatches: Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, Trinidad, Jamaica and Miscellaneous
Date 22 Dec 1874 - 24 Feb 1876
Document Type Correspondence; Manuscript
Reference CO 384/105
Library / Archive The National Archives
Collection Name War and Colonial Department and Colonial Office: Emigration Original Correspondence.
Description Despatches and draft responses mostly from the Windward Isles, Leeward Isles, and Jamaica, with some from Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa. Key material includes immigration administration (returns, reports, costs and fundraising, conditions for workers in the plantations (wages, rations, health), details and reports on crimes committed within the indentured labourer population and the punishments and reports of passenger health and mortality on indentured labourer ships.
Series Description This series contains correspondence relating to British settlement in North America and Australasia, and to Indian indentured labour in the West Indies. Until 1857 it consists of domestic letters alone. The series then ceases and is not resumed until 1872.
Biographical Note / History A Colonial Land and Emigration Commission was created in 1840 to undertake the duties of two earlier and overlapping authorities under the supervision of the secretary of state: the Colonisation Commissioners for South Australia and the Agent General for Emigration. In 1855 it became the Emigration Commission. The commission's powers were gradually given up to the larger colonies as they obtained self-government, and after 1873 it was responsible only for controlling the importation of Indian labour into sugar-producing colonies. It was abolished in 1878 and an Emigration Department was then set up in the Colonial Office. This department was merged with the General Department in 1894, and abolished altogether in 1896.
Theme(s) Arrivals: Ports and Early Experiences; Religion, Ethnic Identity and Community Relations; Remigration
Country (from) India; China; Denmark
Country (to) St Vincent; Barbados; Grenada; Antigua; Nevis; Trinidad; British Guiana; Jamaica; Indonesia; South Africa; Australia; St Helena; Vietnam
Places Calcutta, Madras, India; Acheen, Sumatra, Indonesia; Cape of Good Hope, South Africa; Hobart Town, Australia
Ports Kingston, Jamaica; Haiphong, Vietnam; Copenhagen, Denmark; Hong Kong, China
Nationality Indian; Chinese; Jamaican; English; Danish
Ships Lincelles; Gainsborough; British Empire; Foyle; Mofussilite; Neva; Chetah; Robert Lees; Fyen; Ailsa; Colmonell; John Allan; Howrah; Sumna; Atalanta; Syria; Winchester; Brockham; Ganges; Golden Fleece; Latoua; Stockbridge; Woodburn; Duke of Argyll; Jack Lomoud
People Herbert, Robert G W; Walcott, Stephen; Lord Carnarvon (Herbert, Henry Howard Molyneux); Longden, Sir James Robert; Baron Pauncefote (Pauncefote, Sir Julian); Rawson, Sir Rawson William; Berkeley, Sir George; Latrobe, Charles; Grey, Sir Charles Edward; ; Ommanney, Sir Montagu Frederick
Keywords cholera, Coolie, death, mortality rate, birth, emigration return, emigration agent, plantation, crime, labour, indentured labour, execution, wages, murder, rations, plantation conditions, hospitals, child labour
Language English
Document(s) linked to Emigration (and Coolie Immigration), 1875. Volume 2. Despatches: British Guiana
Emigration (and Coolie Immigration), 1875. Volume 3. Offices and Individuals
Copyright Crown Copyright documents © are reproduced by permission of The National Archives London, UK