Do you ever feel Flusterated?

[Sue Mackay]

Many of you will know of my project to transcribe all the letters applying for government aided emigration to the Cape of Good Hope in 1819

A-G now on line at
https://www.genealogyworld.net/settle...nce/index.html

Transcribing the latest letter I looked long and hard, but his writing is extremely clear and he definitely says 'flusterated'. What an absolutely super word! I often feel very flusterated

38
New Halls
Dudley
Worcestershire
27 July 1819
My Lord,
I have taken this liberty of addressing you as I consider you the most likelyest of standing my friend at this time. I’m a person that was brought up to good expections in life but unforeseen misfortune as flusterated it. I served a legal apprenticeship as a Builder and I believe am compleatly master of it in all its branches and since my time expired with my Master I have been practicing myself as a Draftsman and am got to great perfection. having no hopes of ever doing myself any good in England as I am entirely destitute of money, thinking an opportunity would occur of going abroad which at length as happened and lies in your power of putting it in mine of going to the Cape of Good Hope and by you giving me a pass to carry me over together with a recommendation to some person of distingtion. With my own perseverance I have not the least doubt of soon being able to do something handsome for myself. I am 27 years of age of good bodely health and sound constitution. I hope your Lordship will condescend to give me an answer and I shall ever be bound in the Bonds of Gratatude
Your obedient servant
J. JONES

[Ladkyis]

I know exactly how he feels! I am feeling that way myself today. No real reason for it just that everything I start needs something else to be done first and by the time I do what has to be done first it is too late to do what I wanted to do. Very flusterating.


Ann

[AnnB]

I know exactly how he feels! I am feeling that way myself today. No real reason for it just that everything I start needs something else to be done first and by the time I do what has to be done first it is too late to do what I wanted to do. Very flusterating.


Ann

I'm having a day like that, Ann, must be something in the air - but I'm glad I'm not the only one

Yours flusteratingly
Ann

[Ed Bradford]

Sue, after reading your posting, a nagging question comes to mind. After so masterly making the English language his own, did Mr. Jones get to go to the Cape of Good Hope?
..........Ed

[Bengie]

That's a smashing posting. We were talking in the office the other day about how the language has been bastardised over the years.
If that man came back today and watched an episode of 'Eastenders' (god forbid), he probably wouldn't understand a single word.

Also of great interest is the spelling of some of the words, are they errors of education or could that be the way they were originally spelt.

[GeoffD]

I'm feeling ready for admission to a Home for the Terminally and Permanently Flusterated.

[Sue Mackay]

Sue, after reading your posting, a nagging question comes to mind. After so masterly making the English language his own, did Mr. Jones get to go to the Cape of Good Hope?
..........Ed

Sadly no. Only a fraction of those who applied actually got to go in the 1820 settler scheme. One of the reasons I decided to transcribe ALL the letters, however, is that the letters from non emigrants contain such a wealth of family, social or historical information that their desecendants would give their eye teeth for if only they knew to look amongst applications to emigrate to South Africa!

[Ed Bradford]

Thanks for the rest of the story. Too bad about Mr. Jones.

What a wonderful project to take on. I went and had a look for my own family. Unfortunatley, a letter from them wasn't there. You're right about it being a wealth of information.

..............Ed

[Sue Mackay]

Also of great interest is the spelling of some of the words, are they errors of education or could that be the way they were originally spelt.

Having transcribed hundreds of these 1819 letters now I have noticed several interesting facts about spelling. Some of the letters have some very creative spelling as they were written by semi literate artisans, but of those written by the more educated, or by the local vicars etc on behalf of the illiterate, it is clear that 'American' spelling used to be the norm here and became preserved by those who emigrated to the US whereas here it developed differently. Thus although 'favour' and 'honour' can be found the vast majority of the letters used spellings like 'honor', favor' and 'colonize'.
Other widespread spellings for 1819:
Untill for until
Expence for expense
Familys for families