George McCall Theal was the most prolific and influential South African historian, archivist and genealogist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. In his epic compendium Records of the Cape Colony, he records all the correspondence by and to the Colonial Office in Cape Town for the period 1793 to 1827. As the last seven years coincide with the arrival of the original batch of Settlers, this series of 35 books contains a rich vein of data to be mined.
Before even landing in Saldanha Bay, Francis McCleland had already made a name for himself as a heavy drinker and troublesome priest. As well, William Parker – the Party Leader – and Francis McCleland were a volatile mix, ever on the brink of ignition.
For these reasons, the McCleland name is often fairly and sometimes unfairly denigrated in these pages. For ease of reference, I have extracted all references to the irascible Irish clergyman however oblique.
Main picture: George McCall Theal
This information has been set out by volume
Volume 12
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & Date | Topic |
| 374-375 | Rev McCleland to Earl Bathurst | Adelphi, London-22nd Nov 1819 | Accompanying settlers |
| 398 | Lord Bathurst to Lord Charles Somerset | Downing Str, 16th Dec 1819 | Accompanying settlers |
Pages 374 & 375:
Page 398:
Volume 13
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & date | Topic |
| 150-152 | W Parker to Colonial Secretary | Saldanha Bay–27th May 1820 | Reprehensible conduct by McCleland |
| 225-228 | W Parker to Deputy Colonial Secretary | Saldanha Bay-5th Aug 1820 | Reprehensible conduct |
| 267-279 | W Parker to Earl Bathurst-20th September 1820 | Saldanha Bay-20th Sep 1820 | Reprehensible conduct |
| 284-287 | W Parker to Deputy Colonial Secretary | Saldanha Bay-3rd Oct 1820 | Reprehensible conduct |
| 406-407 | W Parker to Lieut. Col. Bird | Burgher’s Post- 20th Feb 1821 | Reprehensible conduct |
| 283 | Extracts of complaints to Acting Governor by Deputy Landdrost at Clanwilliam | 2nd October 1820 | Land allocation |
| 302 | Deputy Landdrost to Colonial Secretary | Clanwilliam-22nd Oct 1820 | Land allocation |
| 304-306 | Colonial Secretary to Deputy Landdrost at Clanwilliam | Colonial Office-25th October 1820 | Land allocation |
| 312-313 | McCleland to Earl Bathurst | Cape Town-9th Nov 1820 | Complaint |
| 314 | McCleland to Earl Bathurst | Cape Town-9th Nov 1820 | Salary increase |
| 397 | W Parker to Ralph Rogerson | Cape Town-10th Oct 1821 | Deposit |
| 454-455 | Petition of John Quin to Sir Rufane Donkin | Charity received from McCleland |
Pages 150 to 152:
Pages 225 to 228:
Pages 267 to 279:
Pages 284 to 287
Pages 406 & 407:
Page 283:
Pages 304 to 306:
Pages 312 to 313:
Page 397
Page 454 to 455:
Volume 17
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & Date | Topic |
| 4-5 | McCleland to Bishop of Waterford | Clanwilliam, 15th Jan 1824 | Conditions in Clanwilliam |
Volume 18
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & Date | Topic |
| 10-11 | Earl Bathurst to Lord Charles Somerset | Downing Street, London-26th June 1824 | Accommodation for Rev McCleland |
| 144-146 | Evidence of Synnot to Commission of Enquiry | Cape Town-16th July 1824 | |
| 203-205 | Queries raised to Synnot by Deputy Landdrost of Clanwilliam | Cape Town | |
| 274-279 | Evidence given by OM Bergh to Comm. Of Enquiry | Cape Town-2nd Sept 1824 |
Pages 10 & 11:
Page 144 to 146: Owner of a slave:
Pages 203 to 205:
Pages 274 to 279:
Volume 19
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & Date | Topic |
| 132-135 | Evidence given by Robert Woodcock to the Comm. Of Enquiry | Cape Town-13th November 1824 |
Page 132 to 135:
Volume 22
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & Date | Topic |
| 60 | Report of Commission of Enquiry to Earl Bathurst | ||
| 84 | Evidence given by William Hayward to Comm. of Enquiry |
Volume 24
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & Date | Topic |
| 231 | List of Appointments | F. McCleland appointed effective as from 10th November 1825 |
Note: The are discrepancies between the Date of Appointment between the various official documents.
Volume 25
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & Date | Topic |
| 261-262 | Salary list | Date of Appointment 1st Oct 1825 at a salary of £ 150 | |
| 293-294 | McCleland to Earl Bathurst | Port Elizabeth, 9th Jan 1826 | Requests a parsonage house & a farm Gora in the Uitenhage District |
Volume 26
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & Date | Topic |
| 15 | Lord Somerset to Earl Bathurst | Cape Town, 12th Feb 1826 | Appointment of McCleland as a Chaplain in PE |
| 16-18 | McCleland to Sir Richard Plasket | Port Elizabeth, 13th December 1825 | Request for a Parsonage House with a garden |
Volume 27
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & Date | Topic |
| 61 | Earl Bathurst to Major General Bourke | Downing Street, London, 12th July 1826 | Requesting a residential house or a housing allowance |
| 250 | McCleland to Earl Bathhurst | Port Elizabeth, 8th August 1826 | Bishop to administer conformation; building at 14 feet by shortage of funds to continue |
Volume 28
| Pg # | Letter from & to | Location & Date | Topic |
| 331 | RW Hay to TP Courtney | Downing Street, 18th November 1826 | Bishop for confirmation |
Other blogs on Francis McCleland:
Rev Francis McCleland: An Interlude in Clanwilliam 1820 – 1825
Source:
http://eggsa.org/1820-settlers/index.php/records-of-the-cape-colony