Palmer, Thomas

To His Excellency the Right Honourable General
Lord Charles Henry Somerset, Governor of His
Majestys Castle; Town At Settlement of the Cape
of Good Hope &c &c &c

May it please your Excellency,

The Memorial of Thomas Palmer humbly

Sheweth

That your Memorialist, who came out to this Colony, in the party
which left England under the Superintendence of Mr Wilson, had established
himself in his profession as a Tanner in Grahams Town with the most
flattering prospects of sucess, and his affairs were daily becoming increasingly
prosperous until October last, when the Flood not only carried away in
its frightful current, and spoiled property to the amount of more than 2700
Rix Dollars. but rendered your Memorialist by a Rheumatic Complaint incapable
for many Weeks of providing for himself, and in consequence of which he cannot
now carry on his sd business with any advantage

That your Memorialist however has heard with unspeakable pleasure
of your Excellencys kindness in the generous supply of Loans to persons who
have become imbarrassed in consequence of that disastrous event before alluded
to, and therefore as he feels confident that a more distressing case, does not exist in
this District, he makes his humble and earnest appeal to your Excellencys
noble and generous mind, for the Loan of 1000 Rds, and in making this aplication ,
he has great pleasure in stating, that two persons of considerable respectability , are ready to become his Securities

That your Memorialist in addition to his general moral deportment
of which he flatters himself the Worshipful The Landrost of Albany will report
favourably to your Excellency he begs leave to state that his political principles
have always been influenced by the most underrating fidelity to his King and
Country, and under the sacred impulse thereof he Joined the StJamess and StMary
Volunteers, in London and remained among them Eleven Years, during a
period to which the Historian has attached more than common importance,
and during which, he supported by his own personal property, all the expences of
that long military connection, arising from clothes, Accountrements &c and never
did he shrink from any duty which the exigency of the times prescribed, through
his respected Officers, and their testimonials now in his posession, at and the disbanding
of the Troop, when Peace had terminated the arduous struggle, are a comencing
proof

That your Memorialist immediately on the publication of yr Excellencys
proclamation respecting The Albany Levy again manifested his patriotism
and Joined the first Troop of Cavalry, and he therefore earnestly intreats that
your Excellency will be pleased to grant him a favourable answer to the Prayer
of this his Memorial, and he will ever feel himself in duty bound to pray

Grahams Town March 30_1824 Thos Palmer.