Harvey, Richard

To His Excellency the Right Honorable General Lord /
Charles Henry Somerset, Governor and Commander in Chief /
of His Majesty’s Castle, Town and Settlement 7+c 7+c 7+c of the Cape /
of Good Hope. /
The humble Petition of Richard Harvey of Graham’s Town. /
Sheweth /
That your Petitioner came to this Colony as a settler /
in the party of the late M\r/ W\m/ Clark and paid the deposit /
of Twenty pounds for himself and his Family, as required by His /
Majesty’s Government /
Your Petitioner was located on the allotment of land /
as+signed to him, on which he built a house erected a workshop /
sawpit, and cultivated some land, but the nature of his /
allotment was such, that at the utmost he could not have culti=vated /
more than two acres out of 100 acres. Your Petitioner /
having a large family and the late M\r/ Clark was disposed /
to sell his allotment of 400 Acres, he entered into an agreement /
with him for the purchase thereof at the sum of 300 rixdollars and /
he paid him a deposit, M\r/ Clark at this time was about to leave /
the Colony for England, but as he could not give your Petitioner /
any security for the Digram of the land, your Petitioner declined /
paying the purchase Money, but he conceived he had a prior /
right over any Other purchaser. /
About two Months after your Petitioner made the before /
mentioned bargain M\r/ W\m/ Clark died, and his Widow sold the /
allotment to M\r/ David Lewis of Graham’s Town for which /
M\r/ Lewis either did or was to pay her 600 rixdollars, under all /
these circumstances and disappointments and Your Petitioner /
having a Wife and six Children to support by the labour of his /
own hands, and his own allotment not being sufficient in /
equal /
> equal to the desirable an Object, he took the advantage of his /
trade (that of a sawyer and carpenter) and removed his /
family into Graham’s Town, where he purchased a spot of /
ground and built a temporary house thereon (his then Money /
not allowing him to do more) but as his busines+s is now /
daily increasing, he is much straitened for the want of /
small Capital to enable him to build a good and substan=tial /
house for his family use, and to make Other erections on /
the spot of ground which he purchased. /
Your Petitioner most humbly prays that your /
Excellency will be pleased to take his Case into consideration /
and to grant him the loan of 1000 Rixdollars and out of the Colonial /
Loans, for which he will produce such security as may be /
deemed eligible, and your Petitioner most humbly begs /
that your Excellency will be pleased to make the neces+sary /
enquiries through the medium of Harry Rivers Esq Land=drost /
of Albany as to Your Petitioners Moral and re=ligious /
character, and also of his industry and sobriety /
attain the object of a good husband and affectionate * /
viz+. that of supporting his family by the labour and work /
of his own hands. /
And Your Petitioner as he is in duty bound will /
pray /
Richard Harvey /
Graham’s Town /
November 16\th/ 1824 /