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Title Emigration General, 1856. Emigration Board, Volume 1
Date 15 Dec 1885 - 31 Dec 1856
Document Type Correspondence; Manuscript
Reference CO 384/96
Library / Archive The National Archives
Collection Name War and Colonial Department and Colonial Office: Emigration Original Correspondence.
Description Correspondence regarding the activities of the emigration commissioners and the general admin of emigration from Great Britain. Subjects covered include complaints from and against passengers and resulting penalties and compensation, breaches of emigration legislation, annual reports and emigration returns, emigration of convicts' wives, and general admin, accounts and expenses. Includes passenger lists.
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) Departures: Port Conditions and Organisation; Journey Conditions
Country (from) Great Britain; Ireland; Germany
Country (to) Canada; United States of America; Australia; New Zealand
Places Geelong, Portland Bay, Victoria, Sydney, Launceston, Hobart Town, Tasmania, Adelaide, Moretown Bay, Queensland, Australia
Ports Liverpool, Plymouth, England; Melbourne, Australia; Glasgow, Scotland; Londonderry, Ireland
Nationality English; Irish; Scottish; German; Polish
Ships Oliver Lang; Marco Polo; Lightning; Donald M'kay; Schomberg; Champion of the Seas; James Baines; Boomerang; Ocean Chief; Saldanha; Montmorency; Commodore Perry; America; Indian Queen; Conway; Flora MacDonald; Fortune; Switzerland; David M'iver; John and Lucy; Great Tasmania; Grand Trianon; Flora; Magdalena; Northern Light; Rodney; Coromandel; Marion; Northwark; Trafalgar; Confiance; Telegraph; Europa; John Banks; Norman; Lady McDonald; Lord of the Seas; Hyerabad; Sultana; Time of Truth; Olivia; Emerald Isle; Hamlet; Godfrey; Credenda; Poictiers; Utopia; Sir Alan McNab; Northumberland; Arabian; Pestonjec Bomanjie; Queen of England; William Miles; Nabob; Rose of Sharon; Victory; Omega; Lloyds; Neptune; Oriental; Warren Hastings; Ramillies; Royal Albert; Bee; Morayshire; Duchess of Northumberland; Maitland; Aurora; Atalanta; Hooghly; Underwieten; Trident; Harmonia; Velocity; Eden; The Argentinian; Taymouth Castle; Guiding Star
People Trevelyan, Sir Charles Edward; Merrivale, Herman; Elliot, Thomas Frederick; Murdoch, Thomas William Clinton; Walcott, Stephen; Duke of Newcastle (Pelham-Clinton, Henry Pelham); Baron Taunton (Labouchere, Henry)
Keywords Black Ball Line, diet, Passengers' Act, convicts, Royal Mail Packets, accounts, expenditure, penalty, compensation, land grant, assisted fraud
Additional Information This volume includes searchable printed documents.
Language English
Document(s) linked to Emigration General, 1856. Public Offices and Individuals, Volume 2
Printed Documents in this Volume Black Ball Line of British and Australian Royal Mail Packets
Extract From a Despatch of Sir H. E. F. Young to the Duke of Newcastle on the Supply of Labour to the Colonies
Government Emigration Commission, Regulations for the Selection of Emigrants for Passages to Australia
Copyright Crown Copyright documents © are reproduced by permission of The National Archives London, UK