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Title Entry-Books of Correspondence: Letters to the Colonial Office. North America, 1840-1843
Author Villiers, Sir Edward; Elliot, Sir Thomas Frederick; Torrens, Robert; Lefevre, Sir J G S
Date 16 Dec 1840 - 16 Mar 1843
Document Type Correspondence; Report
Reference CO 386/81
Library / Archive The National Archives
Collection Name Colonial Office: Land and Emigration Commission, etc.
Description Copies of out-letters, mostly addressed to Sir James Stephen. The correspondence mostly covers colonial legislation (especially in relation to land), journey conditions, statistical returns, and the demand for labourers in Britain's North American colonies. An index is included at the end 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) Politics, Legislation and Governance; Arrivals: Ports and Early Experiences; Journey Conditions; Ships and Shipping Lines; Remigration
Country (from) Great Britain; Ireland
Country (to) Canada; United States of America
Places Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Quebec, Canada
Ports Londonderry, Northern Ireland; Liverpool, England; Greenock, Scotland
Nationality English; Scottish; Irish; Northern Irish; European
Ships Westmoreland; Montreal Packet; Pomona; Normandie; County of Arran; Mersey; Watt; Barbados; Lively
People Earl of Derby (Smith-Stanley, Sir Edward); Lord Sydenham (Poulett Thomson, Charles); Earl Russell (Russell, Lord John); Stephen, Sir James
Keywords land, legislation, legislature, land sale, land grant, crown lands, land claim, money, finance, mining, emigration, labour, labourer, female emigration, poverty, advertisement, statistics, shipping, regulations, surgeon, unemployment, agent, surgeon, victualling, overcrowding, food, surveying, remigration, employment, farming, agriculture, mining, eligibility, army veteran
Language English
Copyright Crown Copyright documents © are reproduced by permission of The National Archives London, UK