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Title Registers of Correspondence, Orders, Statistics, etc., and Miscellaneous Register of Letters to Colonial Authorities, Vol. 1
Date 3 Jan 1851 - 6 Aug 1852
Document Type Correspondence
Reference CO 386/160
Library / Archive The National Archives
Collection Name Colonial Office: Land and Emigration Commission, etc.
Description Index register of miscellaneous correspondence sent to, and by, colonial authorities. The index is set out by colony and country, detailing recipients, subject matter, dates sent, and ships. The subject matter of the letters predominantly concerns particular ships, emigration and emigration agents. 'Coolie' emigration, particularly from Madras, Calcutta, and Hong Kong, is a common theme.
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; Religion, Ethnic Identity and Community Relations; Ships and Shipping Lines
Country (from) Great Britain; India; China
Country (to) Australia; Trinidad; West Indies; Jamaica
Places New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Australia; Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Canada; Windward Islands; Calcutta, Madras, India; British Guiana; Sierra Leonne; New Orleans, United States
Ports Plymouth, England; Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia; Liverpool, England; Hong Kong, China; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; New York, United States
Nationality English; European; Indian; Asian; Chinese; Irish
Ships Wanderer; Whitby; Sir George Seymour; Emperor; John Knox; Oriental; Aurora; Panama; Sea; Sarah; Earl Grey; Kate; Neptune; William and Mary; Argyle; Maria Somes; Irene; Medina; Omega; Sultana; Blundell; Bride; Joshua; Lady Eliza; Cambodia; Clifton; Thetis; Clarendon; France
People Ward, R D; Lamb, F; Walcott, S; Buchanan, Alexander Carlisle; Moore, William; Lewis, Allan; Caid, J; White, I J; Fisher, R J
Keywords shipping, emigrant, emigration, emigration scheme, colony, colonisation, land , land sale, passenger, passenger list, passage money, administration, employment, education, charity, poverty, hospital, legislation, customs, religion, crime, convict, transportation, surgeon, medical staff, shipwright, trade, tobacco, immigration agent, assisted emigration, indentured labour, labourer, labour, racism, surveying, death, journey conditions, female emigration, health and sickness, tuberculosis, application, Passengers' Act
Language English
Copyright Crown Copyright documents © are reproduced by permission of The National Archives London, UK