Convict Ship St. Vincent - 1837
Embarked: 193 men
Voyage: 114 days
Deaths: 3
Surgeon's Journal: yes
Previous vessel: Earl Grey arrived 31 December 1836
Next vessel: John arrived 7 February 1837
Master James Muddle
Surgeon Andrew Henderson
Follow the Irish Convict Ship Trail
Prisoners and passengers of the St. Vincent identified in the Hunter Valley
The St. Vincent was built in 1829. She transported prisoners from Ireland to New South Wales in 1837.
Prisoners were escorted from county gaols to Cork and Dublin by military escorts. The Blackburn Standard reported on 24th August 1836.....
Conveyance of prisoners has much improved this year both in security and despatch. Under the well-timed arrangements made by the military authorities, who have relief escorts ready to the hour at the various stages, no delay occurs in transferring a very troublesome and dangerous charge from one to the other. The convicts which left this city (Limerick) on Monday, arrived in Cork next morning, and were put on board the hulk Surprise the same day.
The crimes committed by the convicts of the St. Vincent included picking pockets, stealing clothing, stealing livestock, larceny, perjury, assault, desertion, manslaughter, bigamy, swindling, rape and murder. One man James McLouglin a former solder was sentenced to 7 years transportation for suffering a prisoner to escape from the gaol. There were several who were transported for firearm and white boy offences. [2]
Surgeon Andrew Henderson
Andrew Henderson kept a Medical Journal from 13 July 1836 to 18 January 1837.Andrew Henderson was an experienced surgeon having also served on the convicts ships Florentia in 1830, Royal Admiral in 1833 and the Aurora in 1835 (VDL). He remarked in his journal that in general the health and appearance of the convicts on embarkation was good and continued to be so for the rest of the voyage. He had never on any of his other voyages expended so little medicine.
Embarkation
Two hundred and twenty-four male convicts were ordered to be embarked on the St. Vincent however there were not enough to complete that number in the hulks at Kingstown and so the remainder were taken from Cork. Between the 30th August and the 6th September one hundred and twenty convicts were embarked from the Essex Hulk and Dublin. Two were returned and the vessel sailed for Cork with 118 prisoners. At Cork on 10th September seventy-three men were embarked from the Surpise Hulk making a total of one hundred and ninety one men. [1]Free Passengers
Ten free settlers, sons of convicts who already resided in New South Wales, were given a passage by the State Government. (One was 12 year old John Healy).Military Guard
The Military Guard consisted of Lieut. Donald Stewart of the 3rd East Kent Regiment, Lieut. Sculley 80th regiment and 30 rank and file 28th and 80th regiments, six women and seven children. They embarked at Deptford on 8th August 1836 before the St. Vincent departed for Dublin.Departure
The St. Vincent departed Cork on 13 September 1836. After a voyage of 115 days, they anchored at Port Jackson on 5th January 1837 having made no stops on the voyage. Three prisoners died on the passage out.Notes and Links
1). A plan of the vessel St. Vincent - Port Cities, London2). Prisoners and passengers of the St. Vincent identified in the Hunter Valley
3). Kilkenny Assizes - William Quinlan was placed at the bar charged with stealing a were, the property of Martin Brennan at Bawnmore, on the 12th April last. The prisoner pleaded guilty, but subsequently withdrew that plea, and said he'd go to trial. The jury found a verdict of guilty. The prisoner said he was drunk when he took the sheep, but acknowledged that he was sober when he sold it. He was sentenced to transportation for life. - Freeman's Journal 19 July 1836
4). County of Antrim Assizes. The court opened this morning at ten o'clock. After a petit jury had been sworn, the following trials were proceeded with: Thomas Spence, James Marshall and William Marshall were indicted for a burglary in the house of David Cameron, at Dromore, on 31 April last, and taking several articles there from. Spence, guilty, the others not guilty - sentence of death recorded against him. James Marshall and William Marshall, for receiving a gun the property of David Cameron, sen., and a body coat, the property of David Cameron jun, on 3rd April last, at Dromore. Guilty; James to be imprisoned for twelve months, and William to be transported for seven years. Freeman's Journal 19 July 1836
5). Detachments of the 80th regiment arrived the Lady Kennaway, Lloyds, Norfolk, Bengal Merchant, Asia, Captain Cook, Earl Grey, St. Vincent, John, Prince George, Mangles, Heber, Theresa, Calcutta, Eden, Emma Eugenia and Blundell.
6). Political Prisoners
7). Maritime Museum of Tasmania
References
[1] Medical Journal of Andrew Henderson, Ancestry.com. UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857. The National Archives. Kew, Richmond, Surrey.[2] Convict Indents. State Archives NSW; Series: NRS 12189; Item: [X640]; Microfiche: 726
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