Tellicherry 1806

Master Walter Young. Surgeon Edward Hilditch

The convict ship Theresa left Deptford on 28 September 1838 for Woolwich and received 200 male prisoners the following day and 66 more on 2nd October.

They departed Portsmouth with 264 male prisoners on 10 October 1838, did not touch anywhere, arriving at Port Jackson on 31 January 1839 after a passage of 112 days.

Two convicts died on the passage out, both were worn out, debilitated men.

Surgeon Edward Hilditch, R.N., kept a Medical and Surgical Journal from 8 September 1838 to 7 February 1839. He reported that the convicts were generally healthy but emaciated, especially those from the Fortitude hulk at Chatham. With few exceptions, their health improved on the voyage and they were landed in good health.  There were a few cases of scurvy at the end of the voyage, one of which was severe and accompanied by gastric irritability and febrile action. The others would not have been placed in the sick list only that they might be sent to the hospital on the ship's arrival.

On the voyage, the prisoners were divided into three divisions and sent on deck to wash one division at a time in the mornings. Breakfast was at 8am followed by cleaning and inspection of the lower deck. Dinner was at 1pm and supper at 5pm. Two divisions of prisoners were always on deck during the day when the weather permitted. They were made to exercise in various ways such as dancing, boxing or running round the deck. At sunset they were sent below and the prison secured. The bedding was aired twice a week and the lower deck fumigated with chloride of lime at the same time. The same measures were used with the soldier's barracks. In wet weather bedding was put under a tarpaulin in the long boat.

Officers of the Guard - Captain Lettsom and Ensign Cookney of the 80th regiment. + 31 rank and file of the 51st and 30th regiments.

Edward Hilditch was also surgeon on the convict ship Susan in 1837 (VDL)

Convicts arriving on the Theresa in 1839

Master Thomas O Harrison. Surgeon Henry Gordon Brock

The convict ship Thomas Harrison departed Cork on 19 February 1836 and arrived at Port Jackson on 9 June 1836 with 112 female prisoners, 29 children and 11 free women, wives of prisoners and 24 children. 

Henry Gordon Brock was employed as Surgeon Superintendent. He kept a Medical Journal from 24 January 1836 to 23 June 1836. He wrote in the General Remarks at the end of the voyage:

Symptoms of measles made their full appearance amongst the free women early in March and spread from them to the convict children, notwithstanding the precautions adopted for its prevention by a constant attention to cleanliness, ventilation, fumigation and the separation of those affected from the rest, as far as circumstances would allow. One of the children taken off by this disease died in the inflammatory stage in consequence of the mother refusing to allow the application of blisters on the child and the adoption of other active remedies until it was too late. The other three deaths were occasioned by diarrhoea consequent upon the attack of the measles.  Having in previous journals fully detailed my sentiments respecting the conveyance of convicts, nothing further to add from the experience of the present voyage.

Henry Brock was also surgeon on the convict ships Marmion 1828 (VDL)  Surry 1829 (VDL)  William Metcalfe 1834 (VDL)

Captain Wallace (Wallis)

From The National Archives of Ireland web site: -

Before the convict depot was opened in Cork in 1817, there were several scandals relating to those brought from Dublin in sloops or brigs to await embarkation. Because of delays, transportees sometimes had to wait on board these vessels for extended periods in appalling conditions. In 1815, Governor Macquarie complained of the high mortality rate on the Three Bees and the Catherine. The Inspector General of Prisons, Foster Archer, attributed this to the fact that the convicts had to remain in dock at Dublin for six weeks awaiting suitable winds. They received neither clothing nor bedding, which were considered an unnecessary expense due to the shortness of the journey to Cork. Because only a few were allowed on deck at once, they spent most of the time in irons in the hold in very unhealthy conditions. The journey itself was made in two days, but the sloop was again detained in Cork harbour before the convicts were removed to the ship. Archer insisted that in this case it was the long detention in port which probably caused the high mortality. To support his case, he told of returned convicts who had informed him that the period spent in the harbour was more distressing than the voyage and that they underwent more suffering and sickness in the passage from Dublin to Cork than in that from Cork to Botany Bay.

Two hundred and nineteen male prisoners were embarked on the convict ship Three Bees.  The guard for the convicts consisted of Lieutenants Miller and Morrison and Ensigns Wilson and Skelton of 46th regiment, and 43 non-commissioned officers and privates. 

The Three Bees and the Catherine were to sail from Cork for Falmouth on the first fair wind, there to join the convoy for South America, however the voyage was delayed somewhat when a tremendous gale from the south-east accompanied with heavy rain blew up on the night of the 19th October. The Morning Post reported that the rain and wind continued the entire night and into the following day. The Cornwall Gazette reported that they had finally anchored at Falmouth by 30th October, however they did not sail from Falmouth until 8th December 1813. While at Falmouth the convicts were presented with Bibles by the British and Foreign Bible Society. They expressed their gratitude in a letter which the surgeon of the Three Bees later presented to the society. Read the letter written by convicts on board the Three Bees on 25 November 1813

It was the height of the Napoleonic wars when the Three Bees and Catherine departed Falmouth and they were to sail in convoy and under the protection of the armed frigates Niger and Tagus.  They parted company from the Niger and the Tagus about a month later when those vessel entered into a battle with the French frigate Ceres. Captain Rainier of the Niger later wrote of the encounter -

The Niger, in company with the Tagus frigate, Captain Pipon, on 6th January near Cape de Verde, had fallen in with the Ceres French frigate, of 44 guns and 324 men, commanded by Baron de Bougainville. The Ceres was one month from Brest on her first cruise. She was manoeuvred in a masterly style during a chase of 238 miles, when the Tagus, being to windward, opened fire, which was briskly returned; but the Enemy's main top-mast being shot away, rendered her escape impossible. The Tagus, Niger, and their prize the Ceres, sailed on to Rio Janeiro arriving there on the 2nd February.

The Three Bees and the Catherine, both also armed, continued on their journey to New South Wales.

The Three Bees arrived in Port Jackson on 6th May 1814  with 209 male prisoners, ten having died on the passage out. Governor Macquarie wrote of the state of the Three Bees convicts in correspondence to Earl Bathurst dated 24 May 1814 - out of those landed, it has been necessary to Send fifty-five to the Hospital many of them being much affected with Scurvy and others labouring under various complaints. On enquiring into the cause of this mortality and sickness, it appeared that many of them had been embarked in a bad state of health, and not a few infirm from lameness and old age.

The Prisoners were landed on 11th May, and although not in so healthy state as might have been hoped after the kind and humane treatment by Capt. Wallace and the ship's surgeon, every man landed expressed gratitude for the indulgences during the voyage.

The Three Bees was totally destroyed by fire on Friday 20 May 1814. Select here to read an article in the Sydney Gazette

Captain Wallis was also master of the convict ship Isabella in 1822

Convicts arriving on the Three Bees in 1814

Master Dugald McDougall . Surgeon Robert Armstrong

From Charles Bateson's Convict Ships - The Tottenham was built at Stockholm in 1802 by Thomas Haw for the London shipowner, Robert Wigram. Exclusive of her equipment, she cost fourteen pounds per ton, her builder receiving a payment of £7,238. She measured 102ft 6ins on the keel and 31ft in breadth. Her tonnage when built was 517 tons, but when she arrived at Port Jackson in 1818 she was officially recorded as being of 557 tons, and paid harbour due on this tonnage. She was then a three-decker of the second class, and ship-rigged.

W.B. Cramp wrote in an account of his voyages - At length I was engaged by Messrs Robinson to join his Majesty's Ship Tottenham, bound to New South Wales with 200 convicts. On June 8th (1817) I joined her. After receiving all the ship's and government stores on board, we proceeded to Woolwich, and received on board 50 of our number, and in the afternoon of the same day we made sail, and on a sudden struck on a reef at low water; we were lying high and dry; every means was used to get her off, but without success, till we sent our convicts up to the hulks, and discharged our stores into the different crafts sent for that purpose, and by that means lightened her so, that at the flood she drifted ; she was so materially damaged, it was deemed necessary she should return back to Deptford to Dock. I had not waited long in London until I joined the Lady Castlereagh....... (*Note - the Lady Castlereagh departed England 22 December 1817)

According to Joseph Godber's letter to his wife Rebecca, the Tottenham sailed from Sheerness on Sunday 11th January 1818 and went as far as Deal before returning to Sheerness on 24th January in consequence of a misfortune befalling the ship.

The Tottenham departed Spithead on 27th March 1818, however three days later it was found that the upper pintle of her rudder was broken off and she put into Plymouth for repairs. She sailed from there for New South Wales on April 17.

By June scurvy had broken out and on the 18th June 1818 surgeon Armstrong wrote - In consequence of scurvy having appeared to an undesirable extent amongst the prisoners and calculating upon the length of the voyage and the probability of the disease gaining ground stated to the Master the necessity of touching at Rio de Janeiro or some other port for the purpose of obtaining a supply of fresh provisions for the prisoners and Guard. By the time she put into Rio on June 24 there had been 36 cases of scurvy, of which 16 were still under treatment. The Tottenham remained at Rio until July 16, but when she arrived at Sydney on 14 October 1818, of the two hundred prisoners who had embarked a total of ten men had lost their lives.

This was Robert Armstrong's first voyage as Surgeon Superintendent and he proved to be a humane and level-headed man. He was later employed as surgeon on the convict ships Daphne 1819  Dick 1821  Countess of Harcourt 1822

He handled the difficult conditions on the long voyage in a common-sense and capable way. There were rumours of mutiny which Armstrong recorded in his journal but they came to nothing and there was no corporal punishment meted out. The only serious event occurred on July 26 when a sentry fired a shot into one of the stanchions after prisoners attempted to put out his light. No shots were aimed at the convicts and later, Governor Macquarie after an investigation and perusal of the Medical Journal, gave his full approval of the conduct of Robert Armstrong

Governor Macquarie recorded in his journal on Monday 8th February 1819 that it blew a very hard Gale all this Day from the South East – which Drove some of the Ships in the Cove from their anchors however the Tottenham Transport got on shore with out being damaged or injured. The Tottenham departed Sydney a few days later under the command of the Chief Officer however it was reported in the Sydney Gazette that she took several days getting out of the Heads due to bad weather and baffling winds.

Captain of the Tottenham, Dugald McDougall died on 10th February 1819 in Sydney aged 39. His funeral took place on the 11th February and was attended by the Governor and all the Officers of the Garrison

Convicts arriving on the Tottenham in 1818

 Asiatic Journal

Master Casey Bell. Surgeon Henry Ryan

The convict ship Tyne arrived in Port Jackson from Ireland on 4 January 1819 with 179 male prisoners.  Henry Ryan was employed as Surgeon Superintendent. He kept a Medical Journal from 16 July 1818 to 13 January 1819.

He reported that the prisoners were remarkably healthy. Several of the men a few days after they came on board were attacked with slight inflammatory affections of their bowels which was soon removed by bleeding; the cause of these attacks was attributed to the sudden change of diet from jail allowance of bread and milk, to their full allowance of  one pound of beef, one pound of bread and a sufficient quantity of vegetables with oatmeal for their breakfast. Surgeon Ryan wrote that several of the convicts were of the poorest order, therefore the change was greater and more likely to produce sickness. Attention was paid to cleanliness and allowing the convicts on deck every day. Special attention was given to the very old men on board and port wine, Donkins' Preserved Meat and tea were frequently served to them.

From their very first days on board they were allowed on deck the whole of the day except when the weather was bad. Wash days were Wednesdays and Saturdays and muster days Sundays and Thursdays and the surgeon rarely had occasion to find fault with the cleanliness of the prisoners. Fires were kept on the prison deck and 'Devils' burnt. The boys attended a school for one hour every day. The only death on board, Owen Ingoldsby was a very old and debilitated man who came on board from the hospital.

Passengers included D.A.C.G. Hull and family

The Sydney Gazette reported on Saturday 16th January - On Wednesday morning last, at ten o'clock, His Excellency; the Governor inspected the prisoners who were that morning landed, having arrived in the General Stuart and Tyne; all of whom were in a perfectly healthy state, denoting the humane and judicious attention they had received upon their voyage. His Excellency, on the muster of the General Stuart’s people, enquired whether they had any complaints against the Surgeon Superintendent, under whose guidance they had been especially placed; or against the Officer of the military guard; or against the Commander of the ship, or his Officers; which demand was answered by a universal cry of "no, no, no, none, none whatever." We are sorry to add, however, that several of the men were distinguished from the others for a most daring and insulting demeanour towards the Commander of the guard, and the detachment under his orders; for which they were directed to be placed in the gaol gang during His Excellency’s pleasure, with the assurance that their removal from thence would depend upon a reformed conduct. The inspection of the Tyne's prisoners was accompanied by no such complaint; the men were reported to have generally well conducted themselves; and were appropriated, as were all the others with the exception already noticed, to suitable situations.

Convicts arriving on the Tyne in 1819

Master John Smith. Surgeon James Dickson

The convict ship Vittoria departed Devonport 1st September 1828 and arrived in Port Jackson 17 January 1829 with 151 male convicts. Surgeon James Dickson kept a medical Journal from 1st August 1827 to 30 July 1829.

One hundred and sixty prisoners were sent from Woolwich and Devonport to embark on the Vittoria  The ship departed Devonport for Port Jackson under E.N.E winds and a fine day on 1 September 1828. She touched at Teneriffe where water was procured and left there on the 24 September 1828.

After departing from Teneriffe some prisoners began to suffer from fevers and then dysentery, mostly in convicts who had previously suffered other diseases and was attributed by their change of diet and climate. Surgeon Dickson treated them with rhubarb and opiates.

The surgeon reported that about the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope when the weather began to cool, symptoms of scorbutus exhibited themselves notwithstanding every attention paid to the soaking of provisions, exercise, clothing, ventilation, cleanliness towards the termination of the voyage. This dreadful malady had increased to an alarming extent and from the long passage all the medical comforts, lemon juice were expended. Immediately upon the arrival at Port Jackson, all the sick were sent on shore to the hospital.

The Guard consisted of a detachment of 30 men of the 63rd regiment, under orders of Lieut. Philip Aubyn. They embarked at Deptford on the 1st August 1829. Four Commissariat clerks came passengers

James Dickson was also employed as surgeon on the Convict Ships Countess of Harcourt 1824  Woodford 1826 (VDL) Florentia 1828  and Norfolk 1829.

Twenty one convict ships arrived in New South Wales in 1829