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Historical Records of New Zealand

Baron C. De Thierry To Earl Bathurst

Baron C. De Thierry To Earl Bathurst.

The Baron Charles de Thierry, late of the 23rd Lancers, has the honor to present his respects to the Right Honourable the Earl Bathurst, and take the liberty to address His Lordship upon an affair of very considerable importance, which he has already on a former occasion submitted to him in a different shape.

The Baron Charles de Thierry has an estate of 40,000 acres in New Zealand, with the means of adding considerably to its extent, and is desirous of sending off a colony of a large number of useful persons who are anxious of going to settle there with their families, under the directions of his brothers, one of whom is at present a half-pay officer of the Royal Marines, and another who was for eight years midshipman in the Royal Navy. The Baron has been informed that the Government gives £500 to each person going to settle in New South Wales, and, upon the great encouragement which they receive, he begs to submit a request to His Lordship’s consideration, which, if granted, will secure the fortunes and happiness of a large body of persons who are now unemployed, will open a new source of wealth to this country, and will afford the Royal Navy the means of obtaining large spars of the cowrie tree and the native flax, which are allowed to surpass any other in the world.

The Baron C. de Thierry solicits His Majesty’s Government to grant him an advance of eight to ten thousand pounds to enable him to put into immediate execution the object which he has in view, of sending off a colony to New Zealand. This money would be repaid Government within three years, by means of spars from 74 to 84 feet long, and from 21 to 23 inches in diameter, or larger if required. And as a security for the due performance of the contract, the deeds of the estate, executed by the native chiefs and witnessed by the resident British Magistrate and missionary Mr. Kendall, and other British subjects at the Bay of Islands, would be left in custody of H. M.’s Government.

The Baron Charles de Thierry intends proceeding with his family to New Zealand after the arrival of his brothers; he hopes that the assistance which is so liberally bestowed upon page 618 British subjects wishing to colonize in New South Wales will be extended to him, and that the immense advantages which the colonization of New Zealand by British subjects promises to the Mother-country he will experience that bounty which is so much wanted in order to realize the desired objects.

75 Lower Grosvenor Street, Grosvenor Square. 16th Jany., 1824.