Palmer, Thomas

To His Excellency the Governor Sir Rufane
Shawe Donkin K. C. B. Commander in Chief of the
Forces in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope &c &c &c _
your Excellency will be pleased to pardon the Liberty
I take in offering myself to your notice, and troubling
you with my Complaints, which I hope you will be
pleased to Honour with your Attention.
I am a Settler of Wilsons party by
professions a Taner Currier, white Leather Dresser, and
Dyer, Losses in Trade, and the want of Business, in
England, Induced me to try my fortune in this
Country, my Memorial to the Earl Earl Bathurst ere I
left England, who I beg leave to Submit to your Excellency,
will farther shew my Condition and Character, my
Exertions, and General Conduct Since Ive been in
the Colony, has Come under the Individual Notice of
the Revd Wm Boardman, who Supervises the
Party.
Early in Decr. last, as my finances were
Nearly Exhausted by divers Expences on my Location
and as a Report was there prevalent that the rations
woud be Discontinued at the Close of the year, I was
Induced to Accept an offer made me by Mr. Hart
to take Charge of Somerset Jan Yard, I beg to observe
to your Excellency that I did so much to gain the
means to further my Views on my Location at the
End of my Engagement, which was for one year.

I have a pass from Mr. Boardman, Signed by a
Majastrate, and the Secretary of Grahams Town, which
I then thought Sufficient, but Agreeable to the proclimation
I left Somerset at a few days Notice, and have returnd
to Grahams Town, on my way back to my Land.
before I left Somerset Mr. Hart prefferd his Services
to me, and promised that my things Shud be Sent
to my Location, but to my Surprise I found that
the driver had orders to proceed no farther then this
place, and my things as were others, were thrown
in the Street, were in the mud, and there Exposed
two days and Nights, not being Able to get a place
to put them in, nor a waggon to proceed, which
Subjected me an Intire Stranger to the place, and
the whole of its Inhabitance to a Considerable Loss
of property, Also to a heavy Expence, the particulars
of which I forbear to trouble your Excellency with.
when I arrived here on my was to Somerst
Mr. Hart Ordered all the things I Coud Spare to be
put into the Government Store. He was under the
Care of Mr. Mc.Donald. on my return I made
application for them, and found the head of one
of my Casks Broke open, and a number of
valuable Articles taken out, but tis Impossible
for me to ascertain the whole of my Loss in this
latter Case, the Cask being made up with so many
different Articles, there are other grievances Arisg
from the Same Cause, which I forbear to
name, not wishing to Intrude too much

upon your Excellencys patience, nor offend .
those whose names I shoud be oblight to being more
in Location, Consequintly Create Enemies .
but your Excellency will Allow me to observe,
that I had a Lease of my House in England, that
Containd the Remnant of my Little Fortune, on
which rested my future hopes, but according to
its tenure, I Coud not lett or dispose of it without
the Consent of the Landlord, which he refused to give
to any one without Exception, well knowing of
my Engagement to Come to this Country, and
Instead of Receiving near 3000 Rds for it and fixtures,
I was only allowd by him for the latter, and an Underrate ,
Consequently I Came to this Country under
very Indifferent Circumstances, and very Unable
to bear Any Additional Loss.
I beg that your Excellency will pardon the liberty
I have taken, and take these matters into Consideration
and If I am thought worthy of favour, and permitted
to Express any wishes to your Excellency, an
Earth of Land at Bathurst, and a little Seed Corn
woud be very Acceptable, as the Shortest, and best
way to Recompense I can conceive, Also the
Bathurst Skins at a Reasonable Contract, which
woud be gratefully received by your Excellencys
very Humble, and Devoted Servant, and
Memorialist Bound to pray
Grahams Town
Octr 22d. 1821 .
Thos. Palmer .
P.S. Should your Excellency decline to Indulge
me in the above favours, a Colonial pass or a pass to
England woud be Gladly Received. the former I preffer.