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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Entry-Books of Correspondence: Letters to the Colonial Office. British Guiana, 1896-1874 |
| Author | Murdoch, Thomas William Clinton; Walcott, Stephen |
| Date | 7 Jan 1869 - 31 Mar 1874 |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Reference | CO 386/97 |
| Library / Archive | The National Archives |
| Collection Name | Colonial Office: Land and Emigration Commission, etc. |
| Description | Copies of out-letters written by T. W. C. Murdoch and Stephen Walcott, often sent to Sir Frederic Rogers, among other recipients. Most refer to the shipping of 'coolies' from India and China, the charter of emigrant vessels, the demographics of emigrants, and to the high mortality rates and inquiries made into this on board vessels transporting indentured labourers. The neglect and misconduct of surgeons on board emigrant vessels is a particularly common topic. |
| 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) | Colonisation Companies and Emigration Societies; Religion, Ethnic Identity and Community Relations; Ships and Shipping Lines |
| Country (from) | China; India |
| Country (to) | British Guiana; St Helena; Spain |
| Places | Jamaica; Trinidad; St Vincent; Grenada; Antigua; St Lucia; China; Spain |
| Ports | Madras, Calcutta, India |
| Nationality | Indian; Asian; English; European; Chinese; Creoles; African |
| Ships | Pandora; Dinapore; Saxon; India; Sir Robert Sale; Winchester; Trevelyan; Himalaya; Michael Angelo; Ganges; Shand; St Kilda; Adamant; Dover Castle; Poonah; Persian Empire; Syria; Indus; Madras; Atalanta; Kate Kelloch; Ailsa; Golden Fleece; Keva |
| People | Elliot, Sir Thomas Frederick; Bart, Frederic Rogers; Herbert, R G W; Bligh, Dr John W; Trevelyan, Sir Charles Edward |
| Keywords | application, emigrant, colony, government, indentured labour, immigration agent, administration, shipping, emigration, government, demographics, food, provisions, women, eligibility, neglect, journey conditions, shipping inspection, trial, death, mortality rate, steamboat, surveying, land, riot, colony conditions, law, legislation, employment, medical staff, wages, plantation |
| Language | English |
| Copyright | Crown Copyright documents © are reproduced by permission of The National Archives London, UK |
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