Norman to Under-Secretary of State

A poor woman in this neighbourhood has a son named George Cook, who,
in 1849 or 1850, was hired by The Hudson's Bay Company, and went in
their service to Vancouver's Island; where she has reason to believe
that he still remains; and therefore I conclude that he is now in the
service of the Government. His mother is in great distress because
she has had no tidings of him for many years, and has at length
applied to me to help her to procure whatever information can be
obtained respecting him.

May I ask you to be so kind as to cause inquiries to be made whether
any such person as George Cook appears on the books as a Government
servant, and how a letter can be sent to him. His present age
appears to be about Thirty-one.