The convict ship James Laing departed
Dublin Sunday 16 February and arrived in Port
Jackson on 29
June 1834
with 197 male prisoners, four having died on
the passage out.
The Guard consisted
of 29 rank and file of 50th regiment., under
command of Captain Johnstone. Mrs. Ellson,
Mrs. Johnstone, 7 soldiers wives 6 children
arrived as passengers.
Assistant surgeon Mr. Ellson
He died by his own hand on this voyage of the
James Laing
Distribution of 197 male
convicts who arrived by ship
James Laing - 172
assigned to private service; 2 to Mineral
surveyors Dept; 1 to Commissariat dept., 19 in
hospital; 1 unfit for assignment 2 sent to
Port Macquarie (specials)
The
James Pattison
departed Kingstown Harbour (Dun Laoghaire), Dublin on 2nd October 1829 and arrived in Port
Jackson on
20 January 1830
with 199 male prisoners. Prisoner Pat Cooney, aged 23 died from Phthisis on 28 December 1829. Passenger Mr. Hodgson, D.A.C.G.
The convicts of the
James Pattison
were landed on the morning of Saturday 30th January 1830.
Most of them were assigned to settlers and rest were sent
to Parramatta Barracks.
Surgeon Superintendent James Gilchrist kept a
Medical and Surgical Journal
from 11 August 1829 to 30 January 1830. He gave a favourable
report of the prisoners' conduct on the passage out.
Two hundred and seventy male
convicts were embarked on the James Pattisonat Woolwich and Sheerness, all
in good health.
They departed from Portsmouth on
16th July 1837 and the prisoners continued to be healthy during
the passage, the total on the sick list was only 42. Catarrhs
were the most numerous illness, occurring between the Cape of
Good Hope and Bass's Straits where the weather was cold and
wet. Prisoners were kept on deck from 8am until sunset,
weather permitting. They were mustered and examined daily and
bathed every day in the tropics. Schools were formed and
dancing held in the evening. Irons were removed at the start
of the voyage with the dread of putting them on again ensuring
good behaviour. Meals were served regularly at set times and
the health of the prisoners can be attributed to the improved
mode of victualling. Between decks was kept clean, dry and
ventilated by windsails.
They arrived
in Port Jackson
on 25 October 1837,
after a voyage of 101 days.
Thomas Robertson, R.N.,
was employed as Surgeon Superintendent. He kept a
Medical and Surgical Journal
from 17 June to 2 November 1837.
Thomas Robertson was also employed as surgeon on the convict
ships
William Bryan
1833 (VDL)
Forth 1835Surry 1836
and
Planter 1839
Passengers
included Lieut. Bridge of 3rd regt., Ensign Beat, 80th regiment,
and 28 rank and file of the 28th, 4th , 50th and 80th regiments, 4
women and 6 children
On 21st
April 1831, 130 male prisoners were embarked on the convict
shipJanefrom the convict hulk Surprize
at the Cove of Cork. The
Jane
departed Cork on 29 April 1831.
Oliver Sproule was employed as
Surgeon Superintendent. He kept a
Medical and Surgical Journal
from 14 March to 14 November 1831.
On 20th August he examined
the prisoners and found several men slightly affected with
scurvy. He placed them on the sick list and ordered a solution
of Nitre twice a day.
Two prisoners later died - John Coughlan
on 28 August and Michael Mooney on 16 September 1831.
Five prisoners were embarked at the Cape of Good Hope on 12th
September and the
Jane arrived at Port Jackson on 5 November 1831.
Surgeon Oliver Sproule reported that although the ship was over six
months on the passage to New South Wales and was detained in
the Tropics for seven week, the prisoners and crew remained
generally healthy, all on board being free of contagious
diseases. Dr. Sproule regarded the cause of the outbreak of
scurvy to be the want of exercise. He found that the solution
of nitre was an efficient remedy for the complaint.
Oliver Sproule was also employed as surgeon on
the convict ships
Borneo 1828 (VDL),
Larkins 1829
and
Lady Nugent 1835
The convict ship Janus
sailed from the Cove of Cork on the 5th December, entered
the harbour of Rio the 7th February, where she remained a
fortnight.
On board were one hundred and five female prisoners and 26
children and passengers Rev. Philip Connelly
and
Rev. John Joseph Therry.
The death of the Surgeon
Superintendent Dr. James Creagh, R.N occurred when the ship had
arrived off Van Diemen's Land. He left 'an amiable wife and
four infants' who would not hear of his fate for several
months.
The Janusarrived in Port Jackson on Tuesday 2nd May 1820
She was one of three convict ships bringing female prisoners
to New South Wales in 1820, the others being the
Lord Wellington and
Morley. A total of 306 female prisoners arrived in the
colony in 1820.
Two hundred
convicts were hurriedly embarked on theJavaat the Cove of
Cork on 22nd July. At the same time four free
settlers -
John McNamara, Michael McNamara, Patrick
McNamara and John McNamara. Six
military convicts were also embarked. Five of
them were Robert Deighton, Michael Fox, James
Fraser, Hugh McQuiggan and Edward Standford.
They departed from Cork
on 24th July only two days after embarkation.
Three of the
convicts were already ill. John Sullivan a boy
of thirteen was also unhealthy but rallied and
was eventually landed in a healthy state
although still delicate. Surgeon Dixon attributed the cause of so many
bowel complaints during the voyage to the
sudden change from dry heat to cold moisture
and choking perspiration. He thought them ill
fed compared to English prisoners and
therefore unable to withstand the long passage
and changes of climate. There were several
deaths - Thomas Adams age 15 died on 17
October; Patrick Burke on 8th October; Robert
Polly age 19 on 11 October; James Crawley age
19 on 30th October; Michael Bercury on 15th
October.
The Java
arrived in Port Jackson on
18 November 1833.
The voyage had taken 117 days
The Guard consisted of 29 rank and file of
the 4th, 17th and 21st regiment, 5 women and 4
children under orders of Lieut. Wrixon, 21st
Regt. Passengers Mrs. Wrixon, Ensign Codd,
John Wrixon
The Java was planning to sail for Madras and Calcutta in
December 1833
The convict shipJohn
departed London on 22 July 1827 with 188 male prisoners and arrived in Port Jackson
on
25 November 1827.
The Guard comprised a detachment of the 40th regiment under
the orders of Lieut. Stopford, of the same corps.
One seaman died of typhus fever, two more were severely ill on
landing and four were in a sickly state. The Surgeon
Superintendent James McKerrow, in a supposed 'fit of lunacy',
threw himself overboard on the 16th of October and was
drowned.
Alexander McLeay held a Muster of the convicts on board on 28 November,
three days after the vessel arrived in Port Jackson. Seven men had been admitted to hospital, and
three had died on the journey out. 178 convicts were mustered.
Passengers Rev. E. Smith, wife
and family and John William Gosling Esq.,
James McKerrow was also
employed as surgeon on the convict ship Earl St. Vincent
in 1826 (VDL)
The
convict ship John, 440
tons
departed from Sheerness on 27 May 1829 and arrived in Port
Jackson on Sunday 13 September 1829
with 188 male prisoners. There were no deaths
on the voyage out.
Sunday 13th
September 1829 was a cloudy day with showers in Sydney. The wind was from
the west. Temperature 13C - 21C.
The
Guard on the John consisted of 29 rank and file of
different corps, who were accompanied by four
women and four children under the orders of
Lieut. Forbes of the 89th regiment. Passengers
included
Archdeacon William Broughton, Mrs.
Broughton and two children; and Samuel and
Mrs. Hutton, servants to the Archdeacon.
John Love was employed as
Surgeon Superintendent. He kept a
Medical and Surgical Journal
from 24 April to 24 September 1829.
John Love was also employed
as surgeon on the convict ships
Mellish 1830
(VDL),
Atlas 1833 (VDL) and
Backwell 1835
'The John remained in England for over three weeks
after embarking the convicts. According to James Lawrence,
it was a miserable time. During the three weeks about
thirty men were affected with diarrhoea. As well as that
they were cold. Some of them had worn flannels while on
board the Justitia Hulk at Woolwich, from which 80
were embarked on 12 January 1832. They had been stripped
of their flannels before being sent from the Justitia
to the John. The weather was then cold, and
notwithstanding every exertion made to promote warmth and
dryness by frequently using swing stoves in different
parts of the prison, it was some time before the John
could be brought to the same comfortable state as the
hulks which had long been inhabited. They
finally departed the Downs
on 7
February 1832.
The Guard consisted of 29 non-commissioned
officers and privates, 3 women and 1 child, under the
command of Lieut. George Baldwin of the 30th regiment.
Passengers included Mrs. Baldwin, Master Baldwin, Lieutenant
Ronald Campbell and Mr. John Campbell.
After a voyage of 122 days,
the John arrived in Port Jackson on Friday 8th June
1832. If the prisoners had been allowed on deck on the
following day (Saturday), they would have been greeted
with a clear, cool winter's day with winds from the
south-east.
James Lawrence was also
employed as surgeon on the convict ships
Ann & Amelia 1825
and
Lord Lyndoch 1836 (VDL)
The embarkation of the Guard consisting of Ensign Christie of
the 80th regiment, 30 rank & file of the 80th regiment, 6
women and 5 children on theJohn
took place on 17 September 1836 at Deptford. Passengers
included D.A.C.G. Goodsir, Mrs. Goodsir and Masster Goodsir.
One hundred male convicts were embarked at Woolwich on 19th
September. The remainder of 160 were received at Sheerness on 22 September,
making in all 303 persons. The ship was delayed a week at Falmouth. As she
lay windbound in the harbour, a mutiny broke out among the seamen in which
21 of the crew were implicated, 11 of these were landed and committed to the
town prison for one month. Their names were Robert Gowlett,45; Robert
Colman, 25; Thomas Rosevear, 23; Peter Poor, 25; John Job, 37; Thomas
Freeman, 22; Joseph Winlay, 33; George Jamieson 35; James Jones, 25; John
Robins, 28 and William Ralph, 17.
TheJohn
departed Falmouth harbour on Friday 21st October 1836 and arrived in
Port Jackson on 7
February 1837,
a voyage of 130 days.
Charles Inches
was employed as Surgeon Superintendent. He kept a
Medical and Surgical Journal from 7
September 1836 to 18 February 1837. 260 convicts were embarked under his
care, five of them died on the passage out - Samuel Halford aged 22;
Louie Gomme(?Gumbes) a negro; James Sinclair age 22; George Beamish age
44; Peter McQuade age 15.
Charles Inches had previously been employed as
surgeon on the convict ships
William Glen Anderson 1831 (VDL) Portland 1833
and
Westmoreland 1835
In Sydney on 21st July, Charles Inches embarked on the
Medora bound for London which was wrecked near Babia the
following September. Other passengers on the Medora
included the three
Misses Potter
Macqueen
and Master Macqueen, Miss Arked and Mr. Gilbert Smith. Charles
Inches died on 22 November 1851 in Glasgow.
The
Guard for the convict ship John Barry consisting of 31 non commissioned officers and privates of the 59th regt., under orders
of Lieut. Lucas of the 59th,
were embarked at Deptford on 1 April 1819. Afterwards the ship was to
proceed to Portsmouth to take on board the convicts.
They left Deptford
on 8 April 1819 and arrived at Spithead on 16 April. On 20 April sixty
male convicts were embarked from the Laurel and eighty from the
Leviathon
Hulks in Portsmouth harbour. Others who had been held on the
Captivity hulk and were embarked on 20 April included William
Mattingly, Joseph Mason, William Baldock, Richard Evans, George Wood,
Robert Parsons, John Moon, Robert Thrower, William Smith; John Pidgeon
who had all been tried at the
Old Bailey
on December 1818. Emanuel Myers, William Lewis, George Thompson,
Edward Hawkins
and John Jackson were tried at the Old Bailey on 17 February were also
embarked on the John Barry.
The
convicts were mustered on 21st April and James Bowman
set about organising the prisoners for the long journey ahead. This was
James Bowman's third journey as Surgeon Superintendent and he was well
aware of the necessary steps to ensure as smooth a voyage as possible.
Men were appointed to the various duties necessary for them to attend
during the voyage. Three cooks, three hospital men, one to wash for the
hospital; one boatswain of the prison and two boatswain mates; eight
deck clearers, four swabbers, four sweepers, two to fill the cisterns
with water, one to have charge of the windsales; two barbers, twenty
four hatchmen for the prison, four to be on duty at a time and relieved
every two hours, these men to be answerable for anything that may occur
in the prison day or night, and report to sentries in the hatchways
every half hour. Three teachers were appointed to attend to the school.
The convicts were to sleep four in each berth, six to mess together and
one to be caterer of the mess and receive the provisions. Two delegates
from the convicts to see the ship's steward serve the provisions, to be
answerable for the quantities issued, and to be changed every day. The
beds, blankets and clothing were marked according to each man's number
on the embarkation list.
On
22 April the day was fine and the beds were brought on deck at 7am. The
lower deck and berths were cleaned and fumigated and all convicts were
on deck during the day. Two more convicts were sent on board from the
Leviathan hulk by an order from the Secretary of State Office.
On
24 April fresh beef and vegetables were received on board and on the 27
April the weather was fine so the berths were cleaned and
fumigated and the convicts washed their clothes. On the 28th April,
additional supplies were provided from the victualling office at
Portsmouth and on the 29th a bag containing dispatches for Governor
Macquarie was sent on board together with letters from the post office.
On the 30th April about noon the ship got under weigh and proceeded to
sea through the Needles. Many of the men were sea sick during the next
week. They were mustered at the end of the week and given a pint of wine
each by Dr. Bowman.
The John Barry arrived
Port Jackson on Sunday 26th
September 1819 with 142 male prisoners.
Commissioner John Thomas Bigge arrived as a passenger on the
John Barry.
He visited Newcastle to
conduct enquiries in January 1820.
On 16 May 1821, the
John Barry
sailed from Deptford for Cork to take
on prisoners for Port Jackson. Mr Elyard, Surgeon and
Superintendent of the John Bull, his wife and five
children, were passengers for Cork, also, Mr Mitchell,
Assistant Surgeon of the 48th Regiment, Robert Fopp, Henry
Hughes and his wife, were passengers for N.S.W., by order
of the government. They anchored in the Cove of Cork on 22
May
Passengers
travelling on the
John Barry
included Assistant Surgeon
James Mitchell
48th regiment, Mr. Doyle and his niece.
Daniel McNamara was employed as Surgeon Superintendent. He
kept a
Medical and Surgical Journal
from 16 May to 10 November 1821
This was to be an unusual voyage in that surgeon Daniel
McNamara had great confidence that the prisoners were
mostly of good character. Despite several reports of plots
of mutiny and escape, the surgeon dismissed them all,
fully confident that the prisoners, who regularly attended
his sermons, would not entertain mutiny. Each time there
was a mutiny, the guard was found to be at fault. McNamara
considered them to be the dregs of the military. Despite
this confidence in the prisoners he nevertheless took
precautions, and there were 64 cases of punishment, mostly
by handcuffing but also by returning to double irons or
stopping wine allowance. There were no floggings on this
voyage.
On 30 May 1821, the guard, consisting of Lieut. McConchy
and 29 men of the 1st Regiment (Royal Scots), with four
women and two children, embarked on the John Barry.
Ninety male convicts were received and a bed, blanket and
pillow were issued to each, however bad weather prevented
more convicts embarking the following day. Another ninety
men were embarked on 1st June. The surgeon commented that
the prisoners were well behaved and that he had found them
at prayers in the prison. The prison was fitted up as a
chapel for Sunday prayers and some of the sermons of the
Rev. George Burder were delivered. When the surgeon
delivered Rev. Burder's sermon on the Prodigal Son, some
of the prisoners hung their heads and wept. Bibles,
testaments and prayer books supplied by the Ladies Bible
Society were distributed. Paper, quills, school books and
slates were received for the use of the prisoners. Fires
were kept going in stoves all day.
The prisoners were given a good report by surgeon
McNamara, however he regretted the behaviour of the guard,
one of whom was flogged for disobeying orders and others
became drunk and threatened to fire into the prisoners.
After being inspected by Dr. Trevor, Inspector of Prisons
at Cork, they sailed at 5am on Saturday 16 June 1821. Most
of the prisoners were soon suffering with sea sickness.
There were reports of the prisoners seizing the ship,
however Daniel McNamara dismissed it as just talk, 'to be
expected among persons of idle and vicious habits'.
However, precautions must have been taken, as several days
later, the prisoners petitioned the doctor stating they
had no thoughts of mutiny. McNamara re-assured the
prisoners that though precautionary measures had been
taken, he believed the reports false and unfounded.
The men were put into three divisions of 60 men each and
allowed on deck. School books and paper handed out and
those unable to read placed in messes with convicts
willing to teach them and the surgeon later remarked that
the school was doing well
By the 30th June they were near Madeira. Prisoners were
well behaved and paid great attention to the routines of
cleaning the decks and prison. The Surgeon commented that
'there were very few of what are esteemed bad characters
in a convict ship amongst them'.
On the 18th July the surgeon heard of another plot to
seize the ship involving some of the convicts and some of
the guard He did not believe the convicts would be
involved but did believe that the guard would, and
expressed a very low opinion of the guard, 'the very
refuse of the first battalion of their regiment (1st or
Royal Scots)'. He did not believe many of the convicts
knew of the plot. He felt confident that his measures of
changing the divisions of convicts regularly and only
allowing them on deck 60 at a time would lessen the chance
of collusion. In addition most had leg irons on. One of
the soldiers James Murphy was placed in the prison with
the convicts after injudicious language by his wife and
reports that he was connected with the planned mutiny.
The surgeon's journal contained the report of an incident
that occurred on 8th August - at about half past
seven in the evening a musket shot was heard on deck,
quickly followed by two more and then more shots from the
soldier's quarters into the prison. The Surgeon, the
Master and the Officer of the Guard, finding no
disturbance on deck called for firing to stop but by then
about a dozen shots had been fired into the prison. On
opening the door to the prison, the prisoners were found
to be in their beds and three of them wounded. Patrick
Duffy and Thomas Coyle were severely wounded. The surgeon
determined that they were lying in their beds, which were
opposite the main hatchway, when they received the wounds.
The sentry who first fired his musket was Patrick Leary,
claiming that noise was made in the prison and he ordered
them to be quiet before shooting. It was suspected that
Leary was drunk and he was later arrested at the surgeon's
insistence.
The following day, 20th August they arrived in Rio de
Janiero where they took on fresh provisions and water,
departing from there on 29th August. They experienced bad
weather on 9th September and sermons were postponed during
a gale when water washed over the deck and entered the
hatchways.
On 1st November at daylight, they sighted land near the
Derwent river in Van Diemen's Land and by Sunday 3rd
November they were off the coast near Jervis Bay. After
Sunday sermons had been delivered the surgeon advised the
prisoners to future good behaviour and promised to pardon
all of the offences committed on board.
They anchored at Port Jackson on 7 November 1821,
the same day the Royal George commanded by Captain
Powditch arrived in Sydney Cove with the new Governor Sir
Thomas Brisbane.
Governor Macquarie had departed on 1st November for a tour
of inspection to Newcastle and Port Macquarie and so was
not on hand to address the prisoners as he often did.
Lieut-Governor Erskine inspected the men. There were no
deaths on the voyage and one hundred and eighty prisoners
and guard were landed on 10 November 1821, all in good
health. The Surgeon reported to the Lieutenant Governor
the incident of 18 August, the guards good behaviour
since, his promise to the prisoners to not forward any
complaints against them and the fortunate recovery of the
wounded men. His intention of prosecuting Leary was put
aside on the prospect of gaining some indulgence for the
wounded men and other considerations.
Some of the convicts transported on the convict
ship John Barry had been tried and convicted
at the Old Bailey, imprisoned in Newgate and sent to the
hulks before being embarked on the John Barry.
Select here to find
out what it may have been like to be imprisoned in Newgate in 1835.
The John Barry departed
Torbay on 21 September 1835 with 321 male prisoners.
On Friday 30th October perhaps after they left Tenerife they
became becalmed. They met with the missionary vessel Louvre
with the Rev. Howard Malcom of the Missionary Society on
board, also becalmed. Rev. Malcom later recorded the encounter
in his journal: -
'Friday,30 October - The monotony of a calm (for the N.
E. trade wind has already failed us,) has been agreeably
relieved yesterday and to-day by the neighbourhood of two
ships, much larger than our own:—one English, and the other
American. The English ship, (the John Barry, of London,) is
full of convicts for Sydney, in New South Wales: we understood
the captain when he spoke us, that there were 200 of them.
They swarmed on the whole deck, and in the rigging, while men
under arms stood sentry over them. There were probably some
troops also on board, as there were several officers on the
quarter-deck, and a fine band of music. This was politely
mustered yesterday, when we were as near as we could safely
sail, and played for an hour or two, very delightfully. As the
music swelled and died away in heaving and exquisite
cadences—how gay—now plaintive, and now rising into martial
pomp, it not only refreshed, and soothed, and exhilarated, but
awakened trains of not unprofitable thought. They belonged to
our fatherland—they came from the noblest nation earth ever
saw —they were but lately arrayed against us in horrid
war—they bore to a distant home, a motley crew of refined and
vulgar, educated, and ignorant, now reduced by sin to common
convicts, and perpetual banishment. And was God acknowledged
among them? Did any of them go to Him in their distresses?
Would they in exile finish an. inglorious life, and meet the
second death? Or, will some faithful preacher find them there,
under whose admonitions they may recover earthly honour, and
find eternal life?'
The John Barry arrived in Port Jackson on 17 January 1836 with 318
male prisoners, three having died on the journey out - J.H.
Ward (possibly Edward Ward) age 18 died after eating too much;
Morgan Davies age 52, died after suffering paralysis and
debility and William Lees aged 65 died after falling down the
hatchway.
The Guard consisted of Lieutenant-Colonel French, Lieutenant
McDonnell and Ensign Smart of H.M. 28th Regiment,
Vincent Chiodette, Bandmaster, Mrs. Chiodette, and thirty rank and
file of the 28th regiment, seven women and three children. On
Wednesday 20 January the Head Quarters and Band of the 28th
regiment came ashore and were escorted to the Barracks by the
Band of the 17th regiment. The Band of the 28th was said to be
of a superior description.
The image on the left is of a soldier of the 28th regiment.
Ł15,300 in specie was brought out on the John Barry as
well as a lanthorn (lantern) for Newcastle Heads (Nobbys)
Surgeon Superintendent
Campbell France kept a
Medical and Surgical Journal
from 21 October 1838 to 26 March 1839 while on the voyage
of the convict shipJohn Barry
to New South Wales
A guard of 31 soldiers and officers of the 50th and 51st
regiments, accompanied by 6 women, 7 children and 3
government passengers, embarked at Deptford on 31 October
1838.
Cabin passengers
included Lieut.
Somerset, 51st regt., Ensign Grimes 50th regt., Mr. Colin
Spaldin of the Engineers department. Steerage
passengers rank and file of the 50th and
51st regt., 7 women and 7 children
In November 320 convicts were received on board at
Woolwich and Sheerness. All appeared healthy although the
convicts 'had impaired constitutions induced by their
previous habits, irregularities, dissipation or from other
causes'
The
John Barry
departed Sheerness on 17th November 1838.
There was no general sickness of any consequence and the
sicknesses that did occur were mild although 201 names
were entered on the sick list during the voyage.
The first part of the voyage was cold and wet with adverse
winds, the thermometer ranged from 50 to 60.
Catarrhs and bowel illnesses prevailing in the Channel and
Bay of Biscay, were attributed to the cold weather, change
of diet and sea sickness.
In the tropics there were frequent calms and variable
winds, with little of the usual trade winds. The
thermometer ranged from 80 to 86 and febrile cases caused
by the heat were numerous. Surgeon France treated them
with purgatives, antiphlogistic and diaphoretic remedies,
tonic and improved diet.
The Southern hemisphere was generally cold but dry, the
thermometer ranged from 45 to 55 In the Southern
hemisphere, about latitude 44, fever and rheumatic
complaints prevailed.
The John Barryarrived in Port Jackson on Friday
22 March 1839
with 319 men, one, Andrew Blythe had died
from diarrhoea and general debility.
The prisoners were reported
to be in a healthy state on arrival.
On the 16 May
1821, the John Barry sailed from
Deptford for Cork to take on prisoners for
Port Jackson. William Elyard, with his wife
Sarah and five children, were
passengers on the John Barry,
travelling to Cork to take over his duties as
surgeon on the John Bull..
Read
more about William Elyard at...Australian
Dictionary of Biography Online
One of
the seamen of the John Bull was attacked with
small pox as the vessel lay at Cork. He was
removed and the ship was fumigated and the
ports were open day and night.
On the
14th July 80 female convicts and some children
were embarked and on the 16th July the brig
Park brought 22 women and children, relatives
of convicts going out to their relations in
Sydney. Dr. Trevor vaccinated some of the
children - Mary
Kelly, aged 5; John Brennan, aged 9; Elizabeth
wade, aged 2; Letitia Murphy, aged 1 and ˝;
Isabella Paterson, aged 6 months; Mary Ann
Kilrea, aged 4; Rose Hinds, aged 7; Biddy
Donnell, aged 2; Mary Brady, aged 20; Jane
Moore, aged 19
Dr Trevor
sent oatmeal on board for the convicts
breakfast to be boiled into stirabout
with water and sugar however the women they
refused to eat it and threw it away. On
surgeon Elyard representing the situation to
the Doctor he said it was good enough for
them. The women were also given bibles,
testaments and prayer books.
On the 23 July the John Bull
weighed anchor and dropped down to man of wars
bay and the following day John Lowry and his
wife and five children embarked
At 3am on 25th July they
got under way and stood out to sea The pilot
was discharged three hours later and they were
on their way. During the following days many
of the women suffered with sea sickness,
however after recovering they became insolent,
riotous and aggressive and the surgeon
struggled to deal with them throughout the
voyage. As can be seen from the examples
below, he punished them by confining them in
the coal hole, putting a wooden collar on
their neck or confining them in hospital.
29 July 1821; At 8pm when
mustering the convicts to their beds I
detected Mary Hinds with a lighted rag and a
nutmeg grater used to carry fire below for the
purpose of smoking after being locked up-of
course took it away and reprimanded her.
31 July 1821; at 7pm Jane
Mitchell, convict, having been turbulent and
riotous and when desired to desist being
insolent was confined in the coal hole until
8pm at which time she was released.
1 August 1821; At 8am got all
the convicts on deck with their beds, attended
serving breakfast, at which time Mary O’Neil
being quarrelsome with her messmates, throwing
their allowance of tea water overboard and
being insolent to the Captain. I thought it
requisite to punish her by confinement in the
Coal Hole.
2 August 1821; At half
past 2pm punished Mary Downs by confining her
in the hospital with a collar on her neck for
assaulting Matilda Brown and for making a
second attack upon her in the presence of
myself the Captain, Officers, convicts and
ships company on the quarterdeck although
advised to desist.
3 August 1821; At sunset
in consequence of Jane Hamilton being
quarrelsome and abusive to Maria Wade whom she
threatened with revenge and being insolent
when ordered to desist, I confined her in the
hospital all night and darkened the place by
putting on the gratings and tarpaulins on fore
hatchways as well as to prevent any
communication with the seamen. Folio 6:
They anchored in
Port Praya, St Jago
on 18th August. Here they were able to
purchase fresh beef (two bullocks),
vegetables, water and fruit. On 23rd August
while still at Port Praya the weather turned
bad with gales causing the ship to pitch
heavily and to drive her towards the rocks. At
midnight with the wind still blowing hard the
ship got into the surf near the rocks and the
captain had oars put in the boats in case of
the ship striking. By the following day the
winds had abated and they got under weigh. The
surgeon recorded his relief at leaving Porta
Praya St. Jago and its rocks behind.
They reached Trinidad on 25 September
1821
On the 13th December 1821 they mad King Island
in Bass's straights and on the14 December at
10.30 am a heavy sea struck the ship right
aft. Surgeon Elyard described the fear and
chaos that ensued
- the water stove in all the windows and
filled the cabins, state rooms, and convicts'
prisons with water. The convicts were very
much alarmed and screamed out. My own family
sleeping in the after cabin were completely
soaked in their hammocks and on their
screaming out, I attempted to get out of bed
when the water from the Captain's cabin rushed
into my State Room window into the bed where
my wife and infant child lay and knocked me
backwards. On the heel of the ship the water
retreating I jumped out of bed and was jammed
up by the broken frames of the stern windows
and our chests all floating, the water being
at this time above my knees. As soon As I
could obtain a light and the confusion had a
little subsided I obtained two men and two
boys with buckets to bail the water out of the
state and after cabins, which occupied us all
for two hours, having nothing dry, our shoes
and boots carried by the retiring sea out of
the stern windows, hats, clothes, chests and
every thing floating about, and everything
quite wet and having only my shirt on which
was very wet, after securing everything as
well as we could I went to bed again, having
had the stern ports or windows secured by the
carpenters. On16 December all the
convicts and passengers were ordered to rinse
and dry their clothes also to wash their beds
blankets and pillows as they hoped to arrive
in Sydney Cove the following morning.
They anchored in Sydney Cove, on Tuesday 18th
December 1821 and naval officer Captain Piper
came on board to receive all letters and
dispatches for the Governor. On 20 December
Major Goulburn, Colonial Secretary inspected
the convicts, passengers and free settlers and
children on board and Major Weymyss served out
slops to the convicts. The following day
Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane came on board to
inspect the convicts and their children and
provisions were served out to the convicts
going to the Parramatta factory. They were
then disembarked from the ship into schooners
appointed to take them up river to the
factory. On
going away they all returned their thanks to
the surgeon and captain for their leniency and
attention to them, many of them kissing our
hands as they went over the sides.
The John Renwick
departed the Downs on 2nd May 1838 and arrived in Port Jackson on
Monday
27th August 1838. One hundred and seventy two female prisoners, twenty three convict children, five free
women and nineteen free children arrived on the
John Renwick.
Andrew Smith R. N., was
employed as surgeon superintendent.
One of the female prisoners died on the passage out from
scurvy and debility and there was one birth.
Passengers included Mr. and Mrs. Beverley and Major Marley, who was
appointed to supersede Major Jackson as barrack master. Major Marley was
formerly barrack master at Glasgow. Mrs. Marley, three daughters and two
sons also arrived on the John Renwick.
The following article was included in
Parbury's oriental herald and colonial intelligencer,
however
the Sydney Gazette of the 4th September reported that
Captain Byron stated that the female convicts by the
John Renwick
were orderly and clean when visited by Lady Gipps the previous Saturday
The
John Renwick was one of two convict ships bringing female
prisoners to New South Wales in 1838, the other one being the
Diamond. A total of 333 female prisoners arrived in the
colony in 1838.
(Miss Julia St. Clair
Newman was 19 when she was transported to VDL on the Nautilus in 1838 after
being convicted of robbery at the
Old Bailey. Her mother Margaret was sentenced to 7 years
transportation at the same time. They were from a privileged
background, had travelled abroad, and held the public interest
for months in England before being transported, and again when
Julia reached Australia. She was said to be dressed in silk
and only required to do light sewing while held in the female
factory. She was assigned to W. Powell in Launceston in 1841
and violently assaulted by a ticket of leave man in 1842. She
married John Jepson in 1844 in Tasmania and received a
conditional pardon in 1847)
The Kains
departed London on 8th July 1830 under Captain Goodwin and arrived in Port
Jackson on 11 March
1831.
She brought 118 female prisoners, 2
having died on the voyage.
Convicts of the Katherine Stewart Forbes mentioned in Surgeon McTernan's journal included Richard Hales
(Hailes), Samuel Stains, Charles Tennant, John Martin, William Curtis,
John Smith, Samuel Lee (Lea), Edward Botfield (Bosfield), Robert
Gaye (Gage), William Roebuck (Rowbuck), George Stotter, William
Nicholls, Philip Dignum, George Emberson, John Ware, William Hodges,
Charles Hardingham, John Daltry, John Vincent
Surgeon Patrick McTernon was presented with a grateful
address by prisoners on arrival in the colony.
The Guard consisted of 1 sergeant., 1 corporal and
18 privates of 17th Regiment.
The King William departed England on
28 April 1840 and arrived on the 17 August 1840, a voyage of 111
days
180 male prisoners arrived on the King William under the care of
Surgeon Superintendent Campbell France. There were no deaths on the
voyage out.
The Guard consisted of Lieut. Montgomery of the 80th regiment, Ensign
J.G.B. Aplin, 28th regiment and 29 rank and file of the 80th and 96th
regiments, four women and seven children.
Campbell France was also employed as surgeon on the convict ships
