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Title

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Series part of

Colonial Office fonds [textual record (chiefly microform), graphic material, architectural drawing]. [Great Britain] (R10976-0-4-E)

Date(s)

1817-1896

Place of creation

No place, unknown, or undetermined

Extent

59 microfilm reels : negative & positive.

Language of material

English

Scope and content

Colonial Office 384 is a "subject" class of records relating to emigration. Since the British government preferred that emigrants should be encouraged to go to British territories overseas instead of to foreign countries, responsibility for emigration business always rested with the Colonial Office. At different times, however, it was handled through a variety of committees and departments within the Colonial Office itself, or outside it though subordinate to it. CO 384 is largely composed of original letters to the Secretary of State for the Colonies which related to emigration and therefore became the in-letters of the succession of agencies appointed to handle that business. The selections copied from CO 384 are primarily of Canadian interest and cover the periods 1817 to 1857 and 1872 to 1896. However, with four exceptions, the volumes of North American interest for the period 1817 to 1854 have been copied in toto. After 1854, only the North American segments of volumes have been copied. CO 384 is available on microfilm reels B-876 to B-888, B-943 to B-962, B-1735 to B-1749, B-1984 to B-1989, B-2065 to B-2069. The class is divided into two parts: volumes 1-99, 1817-1857, almost entirely composed of domestic letters; volumes 100-193, covering the period 1872-1896 and from 1874, containing despatches as well as domestic letters. The bulk of the material in the earlier section consists of applications from would-be emigrants desiring assistance or information. Letters and memorials, etc., which came directly from correspondents, are alphabetically arranged in the "Individuals" and "Settlers" sections of the volumes. Others, which were channelled through various government offices, such as the War Office, Transport Office, etc., are found in the files for those offices in the "Offices" and "General Miscellaneous" sections of the volumes. Much of the correspondence concerns half-pay officers and military pensioners, who had previously served in Canada and desired to return as settlers with their families. A few of the volumes contain papers relating to government assisted emigration experiments, such as the first and second Irish emigrations of 1823-1824 and 1824-1825. These include the correspondence and reports of agents such as Peter Robinson, estimates, abstracts of expenses, Treasury correspondence, Navy Office, Transport and Victualling Office accounts, government advertisements, and collections of letters written home by settlers describing their experience. A number of volumes include correspondence connected with the particular projects, missions, or official duties of Col. Cockburn, A.C. Buchanan, Col. John By, John Richards, and Agent-General T.F. Elliot. Volume 87, 1817-1851, comprises a collection of "Circulars", advertisements, form letters, application forms, general orders, shipboard regulations, published reports, etc., which provide information on the subject of government policy and its implementation. Many of the reports include Australian as well as Canadian material, and those for Van Dieman's Land are of interest for the earlier career of Sir George Arthur before his transfer to the lieutenant-governship of Upper Canada. Additional noteworthy components of the class, particularly of the later section, are the correspondence of private emigration societies, Crown Agents, and others, on the subject of the Passenger Acts, their enforcement and abuse, together with the opposing views of the passenger brokers. Recurring topics include the emigration of particular classes of settlers, deaf mutes, pauper children, Madame von Koerber's Swiss and German females and Chinese from Hong Kong. From about 1840 most of the volumes are indexed either at the front or back. Some of the Indexes are alphabetical nominal indexes but the majority are chronological tables of contents. In cases where only selections have been copied from a volume, many of the items listed in the indexes have been excluded from the microfilm.

Conditions of access

Finding aid

Textual records Finding Aid No. 90, British Records on Microfilm, lists the material copied on microfilm, but does not indicate whether volumes were copied in part or in full. MSS0090 90 (Electronic)

Textual records Finding Aid 647 includes two partial finding aids for the class: a nominal index to passenger lists in volumes 1, 3, 12, 23, 27, 28 and 83 (also available on microfilm reel volumes 100-193 (1872-1896). For information on other finding aids, see the MG 11 inventory. MSS0647 90 (Electronic)

Additional name(s)

Great Britain. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Additional information

Subject heading

1. Great Britain - Emigration and immigration - Government policy, 1817-1857, 1872-1896
2. Colonel Cockburn, [1817-1857, 1872-1896]
3. Immigrants - Societies, etc., 1817-1857, 1872-1896
4. A.C. Buchanan, [1817-1856, 1872-1896]
5. Immigrants - Great Britain, 1817-1857, 1872-1896
6. Colonel John By, [1817-1856, 1872-1896]
7. Great Britain. Colonial Office - Despatches, 1874-1896
8. John Richards, [1817-1857, 1872-1896]
9. Ireland - Emigration and immigration, 1823-1825
10. T.F. Elliot, [1817-1857, 1872-1896]
11. Great Britain - Officials and employees, [1817-1857, 1872-1896]
12. Colonies.
13. Great Britain
14. Grande-Bretagne
15. Great Britain. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Source

Private

Other system control no.

MAINS23148

MIKAN no.

104563