Biggar, Alexander

To His Excellency The Right Honble General
Lord Charles H. Somerset, Governor and
Commander in Chief of the Cape of Good Hope.
&c &c &c. &c
The Memorial of Alexander Biggar
Humbly Sheweth.
That your Memorialist was induced by the
flattering representations made of this Colony
to avail himself of the offer of the British Government,
and came out as a Settler, under the thin
well grounded expectation of being enabled to Maintain
a Numerous family _
That your Memorialist brought out with
him twelve Men with their wives and families who
together with his own, amounted to fifty five persons
for whom he paid a deposit of One Hundred and
ninety five pounds _
That your Memorialist invested his all
in the undertaking, and expended about two hundred
pounds in England in purchasing such articles as was
deemd necessary for an infant establishment, in
a New Colony; that it cost your Memorialist
upwards of Two Hundred and fifty pounds to bring
to, and keep himself and people at Portsmouth.
two

two Months, until the Vessel in which they were
to be embarked was ready to receive them _
That your Memorialist immediately on
arriving at this Location in June 1820 lost no time
in taking the necessary steps to support himself
and people, by purchasing such articles as would
further this purpose, viz Bullocks, wagons, Cows,
sheep, goats, pigs and poultry _ &c _
That your Memorialist the first year
Ploughed and sowed Twenty five acres of wheat
which from taking the rust, frustrated, for that year
his hopes of living independent of the aid of Government
but not discouraged by this failure your Memorialist
the second year, made a Strong effort to
obtain a Crop, and relieve himself from the past
disappointment, and privations which his family
and people had laboured under, your Memorialist
therefore Ploughed and sowed Forty five Acres
of wheat, Barley & Potatoes, exclusive of a garden
of an Acre & a half, but a total failure has
again taken place, more severely felt than the
first one. _
Your Memorialist labouring under these
unforeseen, and unavoidable calamities, has been
obliged to discharge all but one of his European
Servant Men, and to Substitue Hottentotts, a less
useful but cheaper class of Servants _
That your Memorialists funds are quite
exhausted

exhausted having in no instance desired any return
from his land, but subject to a continued expenditure
and he is now obliged to such a precarious livelihood
by occasionally hiring his waggons to carry stores _
That your Memorialists ardent expectations
and wishes, to maintain himself and family as an
agriculturalist, and fulfilling the views of His
Majestys Government by cultivating his land are
disappointed, and he is unable to plough this season or take
any steps towards his future support in the agriculturing
line, or improvement of his place, .
That your Memorialist with a wife and
eleven surviving Children, sees only a continuation
of Misery and privation to those objects of his dearest
affections, who have seen better days, _ but your
Memorialist has the consolation to think that no
effort on his part has been working & that he
has Ploughed and sown more than any other
individual in this part of the Colony, he rests
satisfied that upon this candid statement of facts,
your Excellency will be pleased to permit him to
derive the pecuniary aid held out to agriculturalists
in your Excellencys Proclamation of the 22d. ulto _
That your Memorialist conceives the sum
of Four Thousand Rix dollars would enable him
to follow up his original and only view viz, the
cultivation of his land, Maintainance of his family &
prevent them becoming a burden to society
That