Bound for South Australia 1836Work Onboard the Ships

Week 7

Poor Jack" (sailor) engraved by A.H.Payne after a picture by Simonsen, published in Payne's Book of Art .. Galleries of Munich, 1849.

Overview Between February and July 1836 nine ships left Britain bound for the newly created province of South Australia. On-board the ships were passengers who over many long months braved the perils of the ocean, including some of the most treacherous seas in the world to begin a new life on the other side of the world.

This resource uses the stories from these nine ships as recorded by the passengers and crew in their personal journals.

Contents

• Introduction• Journal entries• Inquiry Questions• Relevant images • Glossary of terms

IntroductionMany of this week’s diary entries make reference to work onboard. This week we look at the different jobs that were required to enable these ships to set sail. There were always jobs to be done, some of which were paid and others unpaid. Captain Morgan makes reference to workers who were refusing to continue with their jobs as they were not happy with the conditions and wanted to receive payment for their work. These men had agreed to contracts prior to setting sail, so were not in a position to dispute their situation. What is your opinion on this matter?

Journal entries Monday 4 April 1836

John Pirie journal writer, on board the John Pirie wrote.

This Morng Lloyd’s Surveyor, and two other Gentlemen,came on board, to look at the Damage, our Vessel hadreceived in the late tremendious Gale’s, and found thatamongst other disasters, the Fore-top-Mast was Sprung,and in the Afternoon sent Workmen to commence repairs __At 2, P,M, we were very much surprised, at receivinga visit from Sl Stephens Esqr C.M. who had left theDuke of York in Tor Bay, which is not more than5 Miles distant from this place and where She has beenall the late bad Weather, but has broke her Windlass , andlost an Anchor, _________ The Weather is very fine toDay, with a gentle Air of Wind, from the Northward ___

Monday 4 April 1836

Captain Robert Morgan, on board the Duke of York wrote:

At dawn of day I gave orders to the chief officer to getup the seacond anchor he returned said the peoplewished to speak with me after reading the word ofGod as usall and commending my all to the Godof all grace I then went out to the people theytold me they whould not go out of the portwithout monthly wages I said they aught to haveconsidered this before they signed articles Iasked them if they whould move the ship ina safe place or a safe harbour they refusedto sail out of torbay Mr Stevens read the articles to themMr Stevens and myself went on shore for advicefrom the agent came on board and offeredthe people fivety pounds if they would procedand if Whales came in the way to heave all

lumber over board that whould stop us Whale ing for that was thier princable grevance but they refused and whould not remove the shipto a safe harbour Mr Stevens went on shorewent to Dartmouth and returned with Captn

Talbert of the royal navy and Mr InkstonLoyds agent he had on his uniform with hismen with brace of pistols he called for meto bring the articles and call the mens namesover I did so he asked the men if they signedthese articles which they replyd they didhe questioned them if they had any complaintsto make of my conduct towards them theysaid no they where satisfied with the ship andofficers said the desipleing was good Captn

Talbert took Prichard the ringleader on shore with himall the rest on board with the exception of Riley agreedto go to thier duty – …

Wednesday 6 April 1836

Captain George Martin, on board the John Pirie wrote.

Letter from Martin to AngasDartmouth, April 6th 1836To / G.F. Angas Esqr

…

The following day being Sunday, I requested all the Passengerswith some of the crew, to come on shore to church, to render thanksfor our safe delivery from the dangers we had escaped; when to mygreat surprice one of them (Steven Session) has absconded & I havenot seen or heard of him since, he being completely terified to deathat the sea, & which I dont wonder at, I am sorry that he is gon, ashe was one of the best of the company’s servants on board, one of thecrew has also run away, the name of wood, but as he was a uselessfellow I have not made any serch for him, but has shipt another inhis place, the carpenter & the cook I am afraid they will not be sufiscantlyrecovered to take to sea with me, therefor beg you will not Pay

the Carpenters note that I gave in London, and indeed it would bea great benifet to the company to get clear of hime, for he is a very useless and good for nothing fellow, & not by any means worth halfhis Wages –; should you see Mr Simpson Father of my second mate, yougive very great hopes of the Prospects of his son, who I am happy to sayis a very praysworthy & promising young man, and in fact the best Ihave in the Vessel, & I shall loose no oppertunity in putting him forward,On Monday I had a survey , the result of which I hereby incloseyou a Copy, & am getting every thing repaird as fast as possible, & I expect

I shall be all ready by next monday, I with pleasure beg to inform youthat I have received every possible assistance & attention from Mr

Hingston of this place; and very Difrent from that received fromMr Fox at Falmouth, who was only by chance shewn to me oncein passing, though I made it a rule to call at the Office every day we layd in that Port –I was greatly surprised at meeting Mr Stephens in the street,& he was eaqually surprised at meeting me, he informed me the unpleasantsituation they were placed in respecting the crew on board of the Dukeof York, I emidiately went with him & Mr Hingston on board, having

first got the The Commander of the preventetive service to follow us, with his boats crew armed, and after having calld the men Aft , questioningthem if they would get the Vessel underweigh, one of them being aspokesman or ringleader, answared for the whol, & sayd they would notwithout being put on Monthly Wages, finding it useless to contend withthem, I persuaded Captn Morgan, to Make an example of himin the first place, to the utmost extent of the law, to see how thatwould work with the rest, & which I am happy to say had the desiredeffect, for Captn Morgan acordingly gave him in charge of the NavalOfficer, who very kindly offerd every assistance, & he was taken beforea Majistrate, I attended with Mr Stephens & the mate; where hewas sentenced to 21 days hard labour in Exceter Prison, two of thecrew having run away, the remainder very peasably went to theirduty….

Thursday 7 April 1836

Boyle Travers Finniss, on board the Cygnet wrote:

7th. Still beating off Portland! Wind N.W.Remark 1. Nearly 3 weeks at sea between decks, still lumbered up, also the deck, Kingston complaining of the dirt below. I suggested that with troops, the men were ordered to parade with bare feet. He immediately determined to act upon this, and gave an order accordingly, Adams did not think proper to obey, but after some warning did so. The married passengers Chapman, Bristow, Hoare, Brown etc did not appear.

Inquiry Questions

• What were some of the occupations of people onboard these vessels?

• What jobs were needed for a vessel to ‘set sail?’ (think beyond the workers onboard)

• What may have been the reasons workers absconded from a vessel?

Images

"The House of Correction &c. for the County of Devon" engraved after a picture by G.B.Campion, published in History of Devonshire ..., 1830

"Cape Verd Islands" drawn and engraved by J.Bartholomew, published by A. Fullarton & Co. in a gazetteer, about 1856

Glossary of Terms Aft• The stern or rear of a shipArticles• When seafarers joined a ship they signed the articles. The captain signed them as well and they formed a

contract that set out conditions of employment including how much crew would be paid, what food they would be given, and what hours they would be expected to work. The articles would also say that if a ship was in danger, the normal expectations of work would be set aside and the captain could call on his crew for whatever was needed to save the ship. The articles could form the basis for shipboard discipline, giving the captain authority to punish seafarers who broke them.

Commander of the preventetive service• The preventative service was the establishment of coastguards at numerous stations along the coast of the

United Kingdom for the prevention of smuggling. It reported to Customs, which also had control of the revenue cutters which cruised off-shore. Commander of the preventetive service

Survey• To survey a ship is to inspect and determine the structural condition of it. Windlass• A machine with a horizontal axle for hauling or hoisting: in this case it refers to the device used to hoist the

anchor on the John Pirie. A windlass is different from a capstan, which has a vertical axle

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