THE ROYAL ADMIRAL 1792.

Copyright © Cathy Dunn 1996

Extracts from Ladies of the Royal Admiral 1792.

ISBN 0 958786 0 3.

Published January 1996

Milton NSW.

 

The Voyage to Port Jackson

 

The 914 ton ship Royal Admiral was completed in 1777 on the Thames. She was 120'2" long with a beam of 37'10". She was capable of good sailing, in fact sailed from England to Port Jackson, via the Cape of Good Hope in 139 days.

I have been unable to locate a sketch of the Royal Admiral. The Australian National Maritime Museum Archives search came up with nothing. Also a search in England came up with no success.

 

CREW OF THE ROYAL ADMIRAL 1792.

BOND, Essex Henry. Commander.

HARRIGAN, Edward. Chief Mate.

RHODE, Robert. 2^nd Mate.

HODGSON, John. 3^rd Mate.

ROSE, Adam. 4^th Mate.

MARSH, John. 5^th Mate.

CHALMONSLEY, Francis. 6^th Mate.

HOLIDAY, Richard. Purser.

SYME, John. Surgeon.

BLUNDEL, John. Carpenter.

STONE, John. Boatswain.

THOMPSON, Henry. Gunner.

DENHAM, George. Surgeon's Mate.

PASCALL, William Larkins. Midshipman.

TIMING, George. Midshipman.

HASELAR, Robert. Midshipman.

MELVILLE, Francis. Midshipman.

MOORE, Thomas. Midshipman.

FOX, Charles James. Midshipman.

MILLER, Gabnel. 2^nd Master.

CUMINGS, John. 2^nd Master.

FLETCHER, Abraham. 2^nd Master.

FAET ?, William. 2^nd Master.

MACLEAN, David. 2^nd Master.

ALLEN, John. 2^nd Master.

HACKING, Henry. 2^nd Master.

SULLIVAN, John. Capt. Steward.

RAMSEY, Robert. Ship's Steward.

AUSTIN, Richard. Capt. Cook.

BUNETT, Alexander. Ship's Cook.

LISTER, James. Caulker.

LANDMAN, Cedric. Sailmaker.

Crew members including Captain 32.

There were already 49 sailors on board up to April 23 1792. Another 48 sailors joined the ship betwwen April 24 and May 7 1792. Names of some of the Royal Admiral seaman.

Jeremiah Boyle. James Bradshaw. James Cannon. Daniel Cooper.

Thomas Dargin. Robert Genery. William Griffiths. William Flyn.

Joseph Hall. John Hing. Kirk. Thomas Marsh.

Richard Simpson. John Smith. William Smith. James Spence.

Daniel Sutherland. James Woodland.

 

NSW CORPS.

Whilst the Royal Admiral was docked at Gravesend 20 soldiers from the NSW Corps joined her on May 14. However records on exact numbers do vary - Collins p.199 gives 1 Serg. 1 Corp. 19 privates belonging to the NSW Corps as arriving on the Royal Admiral.

This group consisted of:-

James Archer - Corporal.

John Burt. Micheal Collins. Thomas Cumberlidge.

John Hammond. Henry Hughes. John Malone.

James Parr. John Robinson. Thomas Whittle - Sergeant.

William Wilkins. Donald Kennedy.

Donald Kennedy was a convict, it seems he was assigned to the Corp before arriving in Australia.

 

CONVICTS AND PASSENGERS.

The first of the female convicts boarded at Gravesend. on 4/5/1792, with the last of the female convicts on the 13/5/1792.

A total of 49 women convicts embarked on the Royal Admiral with 2 deaths - Sarah Thomas and Mary Springate - thus 47 disembarked at Sydney Cove (The Convict Ships 1787 - 1868 Charles Bateson). Whilst the log notes 51 female convicts embarking the ship at Gravesends from May 4 to May 13. The log records 297 male convicts embarking on the Ship all at Gravesend.

Passengers on the Royal Admiral as noted in the log.

May 10 Gravesend 3 women along with 2 children.

May 14 Gravesend 1 woman.

May 24 St Helena 3 men, 3 women and 2 children.

Among them were -Mr and Mrs John Jamieson - Superintendent of Convicts. Mr and Mrs Peat - Master Carpenter.Thomas Allen - Master Miller.

Both Peat and Allen had signed agreements to work in the Colonies, these been signed on 14/5/1792. Therefore I feel they joined the Royal Admiral at St Helena which was the Trading Depot/Station for the East India Company.

The Captain did not record the number of exact children as research has shown that there were possible 5 children who boarded the Royal Admiral in England. Even the number of women (free, convict's wives and convicts) show inconsistency.

A busy day it was on the 14^th May for the Royal Admiral -

* Captain Bond along with owner Mr Larkin came on board and paid the Ship.

• Also ousted the long boat and received 7 packages for private trade.
• Received on board the live stock and sundry stores also 20 King Soldiers (NSW Corps) and 1 female Jackson.
• PM - the ship was now in the channel.

On May 15 Thomas Dargin (Seaman who would desert the ship at Sydney Cove) received 3 months pay which places him on board the ship whilst it was in Bernard Dock on the Thames undergoing an overhaul for the voyage.

The convicts - both male and female mixed together on the voyage, as there are many entries in the log refering to "The soldiers under arms and all convicts on deck". Howver there ia no mentioned of the passengers onboard.

 

CAPTAIN ESSEX HENRY BOND.

Essex Henry Bond was born September 1762, the son of George Bond of Merton and Farnham Surrey by his wife Eleanor (daughter of Sir Thomas Chitty Kit, Lord Mayor London 1760).

Essex Henry Bond entered the service of the East India Company and became a Commander of a company's ship after making several voyages as a Mate.Essex Henry Bond's first command appears to have been the Royal admiral on its 5^th voyage to China, leaving the "Downs" on 17/4/1790 and arriving home in England 29/6/1791.

Whilst on the voyage back, the Ship made a routine call to East India's trading station at St Helena, whilst there Captain Bond married Mary Young (daughter of Stephen Young and his wife Penelope Issack) on 1/5/1791. Some of their sons also served with the East India Company.

The next voyage of the Royal Admiral was of course to NSW leaving 30/5/1792 returning home on 20/8/1793 via China.The object of this voyage was to transport both male and female convicts to Port Jackson and from there proceed to China to load tea for the voyage back home.Captain Bond made one more voyage in charge of the Royal Admiral sailing to Calcutta and India 1/5/1794 - April 1796.

The Royal Adrimal arrived on its maiden Australian voyage on Sunday October 7 1792, landing the first of her convicts on the following day. There a total of 47 or 49 female convict aboard when arriving at Sydney Cove.

The ship arrived with Fever and there many deaths during the voyage and also whilst docked in Sydney Cove. 2 female convicts died aboard ship and there 5 births during her journey. The births include Eleanor Springate who was born on board the Royal admiral whilst she was docked in Port Jackson.

 

BIRTHS ON THE ROYAL ADMIRAL.

June 26 1792 Charlotte Loveridge.Mo. Mary Loveridge Convict. Lat 11.36N long 8.21W.Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa.

Sept 3 1792 Female Loveridge.Mo. Priscilla Loveridge Convict.Lat 38.50S Long 29.56E.South Atlantic Ocean.

Sept 6 1792 David Thomas.Mo. Sarah Thomas Convict. Lat 40S Long 75.12E.
David Thomas died Sept 25 1792. Lat 43.54S Long 125.32E. Infant David would have been care for by other women convicts as his Mother died September 18, Lat 41.30S Long 92.12E.

 

Sept 19 1792 Stillborn infant. Mo. Elizabeth Mathews.

Baptised and buried at Sea. Lat 41.39E Long 95.23E.

 

September 19 1792. All Children born on board were baptised by Captain Bond.
Charlotte Loveridge.
Female Loveridge.
David Thomas.
Mathews Stillborn.

 

Oct 10 1792 Eleanor Springate. Mo. Mary Springate Convict. Born on the ship whilst dock in Sydney Cove. Ref: Cobely. This birth is not mention in the Log of the Royal Admiral however the death of Mother Mary does appear in the Log. Mary Springate d. 12/10/1792 on board the Royal Admiral. Eleanor Springate was bap. 14/10/1792, d. 19/10/1792 Sydney Cove.

 

DEATHS ON THE ROYAL ADMIRAL.

June 3 1792 T. Kirk.Seaman, Drowned (fell overboard).Lat 46.26N.

July 2 1792 Thomas Smalley.Convict.Lat 5.48N.

July 19 1792 William Barlow.Convict.Lat 22.29S.

July 29 1792 Thomas Marsh.Seaman, Fever.d. Lat 33.09S Long 15.46W.

bur. 1700hrs (5pm) at sea.
July 30 1792 Lat 33.57S Long 12.22W.

Aug 3 1792 Andrew Cherrington. Convict. Lat 32.33S Long 00.45E.

Aug 10 1792 Henry Green. Convict. Died and buried Simonds Bay The Cape.

Sept 15 1792 Issac Moyes. Convict. Lat 40.0S Long 75.12E.

Sept 15 1792 Johnathon Bower. Convict. Lat 40.45S Long 79.41E.

Sept 18 1792 James Stapleton. Convict. Lat 41.30S Long 92.12E.

Sept 18 1792 Sarah Thomas. Convict d. from childbirth. Lat 41.30S Long 92.12E.

Sept 19 1792 Child stillborn.

Mo. Elizabeth Mathews Convict. Lat 41.39S Long 95.23E.

Sept 25 1792 David Thomas (infant).

Mo. Sarah Thomas Convict.Lat 43.54S Long 125.32E.Great Australia Bight.

Oct 2 1792 Francis Reid. Convict. Lat 41.03S Long 151.09E.Tasman Sea - Bass Strait.

Oct 8 1792 Samuel Sutherland. Convict. On ship docked in Port Jackson.

Oct 12 1792 Mary Springate. Convict.On ship docked in Port Jackson.

d. resulting from childbirth. cBuried Sydney Cove 13/10/1792.

Birth of daughter Eleanor not mentioned in Log.

Deaths:-

Male Convicts 9 - Log records 9, whilst Collins notes 10. Female Convicts 2. Children 2. Seamen 2.

 

 

PORT JACKSON.

On board the Royal Admiral all passengers (free and convict) experienced fever and sickness. Log of the Royal Admiral - Saturday July 28^th 1792 Sick List - 9 seaman, 39 male convicts and 2 female convicts. Arriving at Port Jackson to be faced with the acclimatization to an Australian Summer.

The Royal Admiral did bring with her to NSW fever, noting the large number of deaths both in Women and children soon after arrival.

Collins refers to the arrival of the Royal Admiral - The sick, to the number of 80, were all immediately disembarked. The remainder of her convicts were sent to be employed at Parramatta and adjoining settlements.

The log gives details of disembarkment:-

October 8 - 182 convict men and women landed.

October 9 - Remainer of convicts landed

October 25 - 22 Convicts sent on shore

Noting that Samuel Sutherland (convict) died on board ship at Port Jackson on October 8. Also Mary Springate (convict) died October 12 1792 on ship docked in Port Jackson. Death resulting from childbirth. Mary was buried Sydney Cove 13/10/1792.

Of the Convicts embarked on that ship (Royal Admiral) ten men and two women died on passage, and four children were born, one of whom died. Seventy two men, eleven women and five children have landed sick (Phillip to Dundas HRNSW).

Captain Bond in Command also brought goods to the Colonies to trade. His agent John Macarthur sold Porter and other goods at the trading stores at both Sydney Cove and Parramatta (Collins p.202/248). Porter is a heavy dark brown beer made with malt.

The only addition made to weekly rations because of the Royal Admiral arrival was the allowance of 6 ounces of oil to each person. This oil was issued in lieu of butter. Major Grose directed the officers commanding companies of the NSW Corps to purchase for each company from the Royal Admiral a 25 gallon of spirits (Collins p.202).

When the Royal Admiral left Port Jackson she left behind Quarter Master - Hacking, who had been here before on the "Sirus" and six sailors (Collins p.205).

These six sailors include:-
1. Thomas Dargin - who later married Mary Loveridge, convict of the Royal Admiral. He had received 6 lashes for quitting the ship without leave on 29/10/1792.
2. John Smith.

3. William Smith.

4. James Bradshaw.

5. George Thompson

They were replaced with 6 seamen from the "Atlantic".
Free men in the Colony (HRNSW Vol 2) as on 8/12/1792:-

Parramatta and Toonagabbie. 2.

Norfolk Island. 1.

Sydney. 7.

Do these numbers include the Seamen who ran ship from the Royal Admiral?

George Thompson, a contemporary observer who sailed on the Royal Admiral (Gunner) used lime in the construction of his house. A quantity of lime was brought out from England on the Royal Admiral - HRNSW Vol 2. p. 794.