Scindian
History
United Kingdom civil ensignUnited Kingdom
NameScindian
NamesakeScindia
Launched1844
FateSank 3 November 1880
General characteristics
TypeConvict ship
Tonnage605nrt, 637grt, & 536(Under deck)[1]
Tons burthen535,(Old calculation) or 650(post-1836 Act)[2] (bm)
Length129 ft 1 in (39.3 m)[1]
Beam31 ft 7 in (9.6 m)[1]
Depth21 ft 2 in (6.5 m)[1]
Sail planBarque

Scindian is widely considered the first convict ship to transport convicts to Western Australia. She was launched in 1844 and sank in 1880.

Career

Scindian was constructed at Sunderland, England, in 1844 and named after the Indian Scindia dynasty. She appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1844 with J.Terry, master, J. Allan, owner, and trade London-India.[2] Lloyd's Register for 1850 showed her master as J. Cammell. Her owner was still Allan, but her trade was simply given as "London".

Scindian was driven ashore at the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Colony before 23 June 1849. She was refloated with the assistance of the steamship Phoenix.[3]

Scindian left Portsmouth on 4 March 1850 under the command of Captain James Cammell and surgeon-superintendent John Gibson, and docked at Fremantle on 1 June 1850 after a voyage of 89 days.[4] The vessel carried 275 people to Western Australia including 75 male convicts and 163 military pensioners. All the convicts survived the voyage.[5] Among the passengers were a number of officials including Comptroller General of Convicts Edmund Henderson and Superintendent of Convicts Thomas Hill Dixon. Also on board was 10-year-old George Throssell, a son of a pensioner, who later became the second Premier of Western Australia.

The arrival of the convicts was a surprise to many of the Swan River Colony settlers, as Western Australia had petitioned for convicts but had not yet received a reply when Scindian arrived. As no preparations had been made for their arrival, the colony had no jail capable of housing so many convicts. This had been anticipated, and only convicts with a record of good behaviour had been sent. The convicts were initially housed in the warehouse premises of the harbourmaster, which is now the Esplanade Hotel. Shortly after the arrival, work began on the building of a Convict Establishment prison, now Fremantle Prison. After the pensioners arrived, the governor of the colony inducted 100 of them into an armed constabulary force; one of their first tasks was building the prison. The second convict transport to Western Australia was Hashemy, which arrived on 25 October.[4]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1851 J.Cammell J. Allan London–Saint Helena LR
1855 J. Allan London LR
1860 Not listed in LR
1865 Not listed in LR
1870 Not listed in LR
1875 J.H. Allan London LR[1]
1880 Wilson & Co. London LR; annotation "Wrecked"[6]

Fate

Scindian sank off the cost of Rio Marina, Elba, Italy on 3 November 1880. Captain Lawrenson and five other men drowned; eight crewmen were rescued.[7]

List of Scindian passengers

Scindian is widely considered the first convict ship to arrive in Western Australia, because she was the first to arrive after Western Australia became a penal colony. A number of ships did bring Parkhurst apprentices to Western Australia between 1842 and 1849, and while these were not considered convict ships by the Western Australian authorities, they were classified as such in English records.

Passengers on Scindian included Thomas Hill Dixon, Edmund Henderson and George Throssell. A full list is provided below.

Convicts

Convicts
NameConvict numberAge when sentencedCrimeTrial placeTrial dateSentence
William Bailey7521House breakingCentral Criminal Court184814 years
James Baker4848Stealing fowlsExeter184714 years
George Barker3923Pick pocketYorkshire Assizes6 March 184715 years
James Baxter3225Violence & striking superior officer (Army)Corfu184714 years
Francis Best7332House breakingWorcester184715 years
John Bradbury6624RapeChester184820 years
Samuel Brakes2635BurglaryPeterborough184815 years
William Branson333Sheep stealingLeicester184815 years
Arthur Bristow5131Grievous bodily harmKingston upon Thames184815 years
Reginald Bristow5027Grievous bodily harmKingston upon Thames184815 years
Joseph Brown4541Stealing oats & draperyBoston SessionsJune 184714 years
Charles Burgess3834House breakingMaidstone184614 years
Solomon Burkett1946BurglaryPeterborough184815 years
William Carter825Horse stealingWorcester184715 years
James Cox5338Stealing a watchDorset184715 years
John Davies5232RapeSwansea184815 years
Robert Dawes3528Sheep stealingSwaffham184714 years
Samuel Diggle5839BurglaryLiverpool20 March 184715 years
John Dobson3631Pick pocketStafford184714 years
William Drake4225House breaking & stealing moneyNewport184715 years
Robert Eley1423Stealing a copper funnelDurham184814 years
Thomas Faulds2223Robbery with violenceGlasgow184714 years
Thomas Fletcher1824Robbery with violenceLancaster184815 years
Thomas Hargreaves3130Stealing crockeryPortsmouth184714 years
Thomas Hart5523BurglaryCambridge17 March 184815 years
James Hatton6929RapeLiverpool184720 years
Thomas Hirst1026House breakingYork184715 years
Robert Holder4026RobberyPortsmouth184715 years
Samuel Jackson1636Robbery with violenceChester015 years
Luke Jeffry5626Stealing moneyCambridge184815 years
John Jermyn624RapeNorwich184815 years
William Johnson7030Firing stacksStafford184720 years
Richard Jones4138Warehouse breakingReading184715 years
Allan Lancaster5735Breaking out of gaol & stealingKnutsford184814 years
John Larcombe430House breakingDorchester184815 years
William Loveridge3429ArsonAylesbury184815 years
Alexander Matthieson4428House breakingGlasgow184721 years
James Morris4943Counterfeiting coinCentral Criminal Court184715 years
John Morris6724RapeWinchester184815 years
George Oliver6528Robbery with violenceChester184815 years
James Osborne6223House breakingWorcester184815 years
John Osborne7230Horse stealingSleaford6 January 184815 years
John Patience230BurglaryDorset184814 years
George Phillips3033Absent & violence to superior officer (Army)Bury184714 years
Matthew Porteous2053TheftEdinburgh28 February 184814 years
George Postins1717House breakingWorcester020 years
Charles Pye5928BurglaryChelmsford184715 years
James Rackham4348Receiving stolen goodsChelmsford184814 years
Thomas Rutledge Raine6324Pick pocketYork6 March 184715 years
John Raison6424Assault & robberyLincoln6 March 184715 years
John Rampling4627Striking superior officers (Army)Newcastle184714 years
George Richardson7139Attempting to strike superior officer (Army)BARBADOS184814 years
Thomas Robinson6824BurglaryMaidstone184714 years
Thomas Rodrigues2427ManslaughterLiverpool184715 years
Samuel Scattergood136Sheep stealingLeicester9 March 184815 years
James Smith926House breakingWorcester184815 years
John Smith3319ArsonChelmsford184815 years
Samuel Smith3728House breakingWarwick184815 years
William Smith1325House breakingWorcester184815 years
Edward Spillett1232ManslaughterMaidstone184815 years
Martin Stone2524Horse stealingDorchester184715 years
Thomas Stubbs2120House breakingChester29 March 184814 years
James Sweeney1558Uttering counterfeit coinCaernarvon184715 years
Seymour Taylor2835Stealing an oak beamIpswich184715 years
James Tetlow2356ManslaughterLiverpool184815 years
Alexander Thomas6122ManslaughterSwansea184815 years
George Thompson726ManslaughterNewcastle184815 years
Thomas Trott1128Stealing & assaultLincoln Assizes184715 years
Frederick Ward2930StealingBirmingham184715 years
George Watkins2732Stealing clothesDurham184814 years
Thomas Welsby526RobberyLiverpool184815 years
Francis Westmoreland4746Sheep stealingStafford184715 years
Esau Wetherall5435Horse stealingTaunton184715 years
George Wilson7423ArsonChelmsford184815 years
John Wilson6041Robbery with violenceNewcastle184815 years

Pensioner guards

Pensioner guards
NameAgeNotes
Samuel Annearprivate, sapper and miner
wife
Mary J. Annear2child, died on board
three other children
John Atkinsonprivate, 2nd Queen's Dragoon Guards
Ann Atkinsonwife
two children
George Bagg32private, Royal Marines
Catharine Bagg31wife
Sarah Bagg3child
Robert Bakerprivate, 34th Regiment
wife and three children
John Barrett46private, 61st Regiment
Alice Barrettwife
Catharine Barrett2child
Mary A. Barrett9 monthschild
James Bondprivate, 17th Regiment
Henry Burton44corporal, 54th Regiment
Harriet Burton43wife
Samuel Butterworthacting corporal, Royal Artillery
Catherine Butterworthwife
three children
James Caldwellcorporal, 57th Regiment
wife
Charles Clarkprivate, 40th Regiment
George Clarkprivate, 9th Regiment
one child
John Coylesergeant, 27th Regiment
wife and one child
Henry Davey35private, Royal Marines
Jane Davey24wife
infantchild
John Dayprivate, 31st Regiment
wife and child
John Dulstonprivate, 80th Regiment
wife
Samuel Fairbrotherprivate, 29th Regiment
William Finlay40private, 97th Regiment
Marjory Finlaywife
three children, including William Finlay jr
Joseph Foot47private, 76th Regiment
Catherine Foot42wife
four children
Scindian Gibson Footchild, born at sea
Patrick Gallagherprivate, 7th Battalion Royal Artillery
wife
Andrew Gordoncorporal, 40th Regiment
Mary Ann Gordonwife
Thomas Hammondprivate, 80th Regiment
John Harris38private, 97th Regiment
Charlotte Harriswife
William Harrischild
Henry Herbert50private, Royal African Corp
Ann Herbertwife
Henry Herbertchild
Joseph Herbertchild
one other child (Agnes Herbert Daughter)
John Hubble33private, 32nd Regiment
Jane Hubble20wife
William Hubble37private, 32nd Regiment
James Hunt46private, Royal Marines
wife and child
James Jonesprivate, 38th Regiment, sapper and miner
John Kingdon41private, 43rd Regiment
wife and five children
John Kirwan42sergeant, 30th Regiment
Jane Kirwanwife
five children
Robert Lindsay45private, 2nd Queen's Regiment
Julia Lindsaywife
Julia Lindsay2child
Thomas McMullen42private, 4th Battalion Royal Artillery
Ann McMullenwife
two children
Henry Morganprivate, 10th Battalion Royal Artillery
wife and three children
James Murphyprivate, 19th Regiment
Ann Murphywife
four children
Peter Murphyprivate, 31st Regiment
wife and three children
Joseph Nichols52drummer
wife
John Nicholsonprivate, 1st Regiment
William Oak35private, 46th Regiment
Daniel O'Connellprivate, 6th Regiment
wife
Sarah O'Connell2child
one other child
John O'Connorprivate, British East India Company
Sarah O'Connorwife
two children
Moses O'Keefe48private, 44th Regiment
Norah O'Keefewife
Dennis O'Keefechild
John Payne48private, 40th Regiment
Michael Reddinsergeant, 61st Regiment
Jane Reddinwife
four children
Richard Roffeyprivate, 59th Regiment
James Rourkeprivate, 27th Regiment
Anna Rourkewife
James Rourke1child
four other children
John Skillenprivate, 2nd Regiment
wife and child
James Stark32private, 9th Regiment
James Stevens49private, British East India Company
Johanna Stevenswife
Michael Stokes50private, British East India Company (Artillery)
wife and child
Samuel Sutton39private, Royal Marines
Ann Suttonwife
Frances Sutton2child
one other child
James Taylorprivate, 2nd Regiment
(George) Michael Throssell42private, 7th Dragoon Guards
Jane Ann Throssellwife
Thomas Throssell14child
George Lionel Throssell10child
one other child
Peter Towers39private, Royal Marines
wife
Emanuel Unwinsapper, Royal Engineers
John Watkins33private, 94th Regiment
Elizabeth Watkinswife
two children
William Wattssergeant, 21st Regiment
wife and child
John Winfield44private, Grenadier Guards
wife and child

Other passengers

Other passengers
NameAgeNotes
John Carrwarder
wife
Thomas Hill DixonSuperintendent of Convicts
common law wife and two children
servant
John Gibsonsurgeon superintendent
Edmund HendersonComptroller General of Convicts
wife and child
two servants
James Manning36Clerk of Works
Jane Manningwife
James Manningchild
one other child
servant employed by James MANNING
corporal, Royal Engineers
private, sapper, Royal Engineers
private, sapper, Royal Engineers
private, sapper, Royal Engineers

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 LR (1775), Seq.№S366.
  2. 1 2 LR (1844), Seq.№S263.
  3. "Shipping Intelligence". Caledonian Mercury. No. 19920. Edinburgh. 17 September 1849.
  4. 1 2 Bateson 1959, pp. 324–325.
  5. Bateson 1959, p. 341.
  6. LR (1880), Seq.№S71.
  7. "Disasters at Sea". Times of London. 8 November 1880. Retrieved 4 June 2016 via Newspapers.com.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.