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Title Entry-Books of Correspondence: Letters to Emigration Agents, Colonial Secretaries, etc. India, West Indies, China, 1859-1864
Date 11 Jan 1859 - 28 Nov 1864
Document Type Correspondence
Reference CO 386/135
Library / Archive The National Archives
Collection Name Colonial Office: Land and Emigration Commission, etc.
Description Letters refer specifically to emigration to British Guiana and associated funds, expenses and reports. Some also refer to financial affairs in Madras, and to the remuneration for audit of agency accounts for minor colonies. Throughout these letters 'coolie' emigration, Australian surgeons being employed and the relaxation of rules limiting these emigrants are also referred to.
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) Ships and Shipping Lines; Religion, Ethnic Identity and Community Relations; Politics, Legislation and Governance
Country (from) India; China; Great Britain; Africa
Country (to) Trinidad; British Guiana; China; Honduras; St Kitts Nevis; St Helena
Places Calcutta, Chennai, India; England; Hong Kong, China; West Indies; Jamaica
Ports Hong Kong, China; Glasgow, Scotland
Nationality Chinese; Indian; Asian; English; European; Australian; African
Ships Atalanta; Gertrude; Arima; Genghis Khan
People Armstrong, Warren; Anderson W; Marriott, H; Eales, C; Walcott, Stephen
Keywords wages, emigration, emigrant, finance, government, colonisation, colony, shipping inspection, shipping, immigration agent, accounts, health and sickness, medical examination, surgeon, employment, return passage, East India Company, labourer, indentured labour, water, women, journey conditions, regulations
Language English
Copyright Crown Copyright documents © are reproduced by permission of The National Archives London, UK