Despatches from William Reid, governor of Bermuda (October to December 1845) together...

Despatches from William Reid, governor of Bermuda (October to December 1845) together with letters from various 'offices' (Government departments and other organisations) and individuals on matters related to Bermuda sent during the year. Despatches are described at item level; other correspondence is not and correspondents and subjects are as follows:

Offices:

• Admiralty (conveyance of young orange and lemon trees, tenders for building warships);
• Privy Council Office (terms on which Bermudian candidates would be admitted into the normal school at Battersea);
• Board of Trade (Pilotage Act approved, Revenue Act left to operation, fibre of arrow root not applicable to paper manufacture, Jurisdiction of Justices in Cases of Salvage Act left to operation);
• Foreign Office (issue of an exequatur for United States Consul Alexander J Bergen);
• Home Office (Convict Overseer Hire cannot be employed in England, reinforcement of convict mates and guards, convicts allowed to smoke, Roman Catholic convicts not refused services of their priests, convict chaplain to be lodged at Ireland Island, Convict Establishment to be placed under the governor, warrant appointing the governor as assistant to the superintendent of the Convict Establishment);
• Treasury (G W Traill's claim to compensation for property occupied by the governor, Act 634 approved, Lighthouse Act approved, disposal of the proceeds of the sale of colonial secretary's land, escheated property of J Gifford granted to his widow, balance of slave compensation money can be applied according to the governor's recommendation, Act 640 approved);
• Horticultural Society (fruit trees not ready to be sent out to Bermuda);
• Land Board (no remarks to make on the emigration returns);

Individuals:

• Cox & Co (requests governor's certificates of existence for salary purposes);
• G Cockburn Harvey (arrival on leave of absence);
• John Hart (rescue of four men by the American brig Pedraza);
• John McNaught (asks if a convict named Archibald McNaught was still alive);
• Duncan Stewart, Solicitor General (his arrival, asks for copy of Bermuda Company's charter);
• Reverend Dr R T Tucker, Rector of St George's (arrival on leave, leave of absence extension request);
• J Marsden Washington, General Assembly member (requests an interview to discuss the poor state of public education and the race prejudice preventing advancement)

Topics

International

Manufacturing

Trade and commerce

Migration

Pay and pensions

Slavery

Weapons

Race relations

Navy

Forestry

Americas

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Operations, battles and campaigns