NEILL, Thomas
863
London
21st August 1819
My Lord
I take the liberty of addressing your Lordship under the following heads - seeing that there is an Incouragement held out individuals to emigrate to the Cape of good Hope (from Government) I humbly beg leave to state to your Lordship that I am peculiarly situated & that if I could get Imployment so as to support myself in a respectable way I would not on any account trouble your Lordship - my motives in troubling y’r Lordship is that through your liberal mind & powerful hand to place me in a situation in the new settlement so as I may do myself good & be of use to the person that employs me in a professional capacity as a farmer & profes’l gardener. I beg leave to state to your Lordship that I will bring the strongest testimonials of professional abilities from noblemen & gentlemen that I have lived with - my last situation was with the late Richard MEYLOR Esq whose extensive concerns came under my direction & as a most Honourable gentleman he before his much lamented death used all his means & interest to place me in a situation: that he considered me worthy of - in so much so I beg leave to say to your Lordship: that in July 1817 when the Honourable Mr NAPPIER was on a visit to Mr MEYLOR at Crawley house Hants, that there Mr MEYLOR gave Mr NAPPIER such a good character of me that Mr NAPPIER, who I understand is your Lordships nephew, was pleased to tell Mr MEYLOR he was sorry he had ingaged a steward & land bailiff to go to Ireland or he could have ingaged me. I also take the liberty to let your Lordship know that: I lived with the later Lord MONCK, with the late Richard REYNELL Esq, with James GIBBONS Esq & with the Lord Bishop of London Derry in Ireland & that I served my apprenticeship at Peter LA TOUCHES Esq & that I served in his Corps of Yeomanry free of expense to Government in the Rebellion of 1798 & after going to live to the late Lord MONCK. I served in the late Lord POWERSCOURTS Corps of Yeomanry free of expense to Government - these Noblemen and Gentlemen that I mention are well knowing to your Lordship. Lord CASTLEREAGH, Lord HARDWICKE & all the noblemen in the Kingdom. My Lord in wishing to go to the Cape my sole objects is to get a living by industry & [obscured]-aplication & that if Government would be pleased to lend me a small sum to put my abilities in [obscured] at the new settlement at the Cape I would be very willing to pay interest for any sum that your Lordship would be pleased to advance - if its not the intention of Government to lend out so, from your Lordships great & Powerful interest your Lordship can forward me by letters of introduction to the Governm’t Officers at the Cape. I humbly beg leave to state to your Lordship that I have been told that Doctor WATSON is using Means to forward people to the Cape. I most humbly beg to say that if such a man as he is has anything to do in the establishment of the new Colony that the Loyal and well disposed to the King & Government will have little chance of success &c. Your Lordship I hope & trust will pardon me for troubling you at such length. I beg leave to inclose for your Lordship's information the advertisement the late Mr MEYLOR asked me to put in the papers for a situation. I hope & trust your Lordship will be pleased to favour me with a few lines. Please to direct to me at Mr KNIGHT'S Exotic Nursery, King's Road, Chelsea London.
I remain in Duty & Respect &c my Lord
Your Lordships obedient humble s’t &c
Thomas NEILL
PS I am a single man free of encumbrance
[“inclosed” advertisement]
WANTS a PLACE as GARDENER and BAILIFF, a single active MAN who understands gardening in all its branches, the laying out of plantations, and planting in general, the superintending of tradesmen's work and accounts, the buying, selling and measuring of timber, also falling, setting and measuring of coppices and woods; he trusts, from his knowledge and experience in business to prove an acquisition to any nobleman or gentleman who wants a person in whom trust and confidence may be required; he is a good accountant and will have an undeniable character from the gentleman he last served, whose extensive buildings and concerns he has superintended nearly five years; he understands building hot-houses on the most approved plans; has no objection to any part of the United Kingdom. Letters addressed, post paid, to Mr T, gardener and bailiff, 117 Mount Street, Grosvenor Square, will be duly attended to. It is requested no small place will offer.