The Cape of Good Hope (also called Cape Province) was formerly the largest of four traditional provinces in South Africa, occupying the southern extremity of the African continent. The first European settlement in southern Africa was established in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company at Table Bay (which became Cape Town). In 1806 Great Britain established control of the region. In 1814 the Dutch permanently ceded the Cape settlement to Britain and it was renamed the Cape of Good Hope Colony. The new British settlers clashed with the Dutch settlers precipitating the Great Trek (1835). The British attempt to incorporate Transvaal and Orange Free State into a single state with Natal and Cape Colony resulted in the South African War (1899-1902). In 1910 Cape Colony became a province of the Union of South Africa. From 1961, when it became a province in the Republic of South Africa, the Cape Colony was called the Cape Province. In ca.1994, Cape Province was split up into three new provinces - Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape.

Letters written from Cape Colony. Correspondents include Sir Henry Barkly, Robert Brooke, Sir William Eyre, George Macartney, Sir Rawson William Rawson and Sir Richard Southey.

Also included are 81 letters from Robert White to his uncle, Robert Godlonton, both partners in the firm of Godlonton, White & Co., printers, publishers and stationers of Graham's Town.

The letters have been bound, mainly chronologically, into 2 volumes.

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The library holds a card index of all manuscript collections in its reading room.

Barkly | Henry | 1815-1898 | Sir | Knight Colonial Governor

Brooke | Robert | d 1802 | Governor of St Helena

Eyre | William | 1805-1859 | Sir | Knight Major General

Macartney | George | 1737-1806 | Earl Macartney

Montagu | John | 1797-1853 | Colonial Administrator

Rawson | Rawson William | 1812-1899 | Sir | Knight Colonial Governor

Southey | Richard | 1808-1901 | Sir | Knight Colonial Administrator

White | Robert | fl 1850-1880 | partner in Godlonton, White & Co. of Graham's Town

Great Britain | Colonial Administrative Service

Colonial administrators | Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) | Correspondence

Governors | Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) | Correspondence

Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) | Officials and employees

Great Britain | Colonies