Cawood, David

To His Excellency the Right Hon. Lord Charles
Henry Somerset Governor of the Cape of Good Hope
And Its dependencies this, the petition of David
Cawood settler in Albany, humbly sheweth
That your petitioner having come from England
with a family of six sons, and three daughters
and four of his sons being grown up to maturity
entertained hopes that by the blessing of God on his
own and their industry he should be enabled to
provide decently for his family as an agricultural
farmer; but having repeatedly lost his cropes
by the rust, and lately by the floods he is persuaded
that the keeping of cattle will be less uncertain
and more beneficial; but having expended
much money and labour in tillage breeding
and inclosing sixteen acres by a bank, and
rack fence, cannot command a sum of money
to purchase cattle sufficient to carry on the business
profitably, he humbly reguests that your Excellency
will be pleased to grant to himself, and
to each of his four adult sons James, William,
John, and Joshua the sum of two hundred rixdollars,
making in all one thousand rixdollars
for which they are willing to be jointly, and severally
bound. Your petitioner also begs leave to
represent to your Excellency that his family has
always remained on the location; as also that
as is well known by the authorities here, he is able
to give good security for the loan.
Should your Excellency be pleased to
accede to his reguest your petitioner, as in
duty bound will ever pray.
Caffer Driff
1824