Reference point - John Holligan and family.
John and his family were assisted immigrants. This means that their voyage was paid for. Bounty emigrant agents solicited emigrants to the colonies. The emigrants were provided a free passage, some local assistance upon arrival - in the form of employment advice and other transitional matters. The ultimate goal was to have as many people in the colony being productive to enable macro self sustainance.
In return, the agents were paid money by the governments for each person they supplied to the colony.
PORT PHILLIP SHIIPING REGISTER - which was maintained in Sydney as Port Philip was only a colony.
ARRIVALS—April 15,1844 Sea Queen, barque, 465 tons, Martin, master, from London 29th Nov, and Cork 4th Jan, with 219 immigrants. Passengers—Mr and Mrs Wickham, Mr Edminstone, and Dr Curtis, surgeon superintendent.
The ‘Port Phillip Gazette’ on Wednesday 17 April 1844, reported the vessel’s arrival in Port Phillip as follows:
The bounty emigrant ship SEA QUEEN arrived on Monday last, with 219 emigrants, under the superintendance of Dr Curtis JP, who is an old resident of this colony, having been formerly police magistrate at Wellington, in the middle district, and subsequently he had charge of the medical department at Norfolk Island. Two thirds of the emigrants are English, consisting principally of single men, of a robust and healthy appearance, the remainder are Irish, the whole of whom will, no doubt, meet with immediate arrangements, being of the class that are mostly required here.
A mutiny broke out on board the SEA QUEEN amongst the crew, when on the eve of leaving Ireland, which compelled her to put back to the Cove of Cork, where the chief mate was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment and hard labour, and the remainder of the crew to fourteen days imprisonment with the forfeiture of wages; she was also compelled to put back four times from stress of weather.
Five deaths have taken place during the passage, viz., one male adult, one female adult, and three children; there has also been an addition to the number of passengers by the birth of seven infants. Mr F. Wickham, for many years an eminent practitioner at Launceston in the legal profession, has arrived by this vessel, accompanied by his lady, with the intention of settling in this province, to practise as a barrister, having been admitted to the bar whilst in England.
A second report on the same voyage -
Emigrants on the Calcutta barque Sea Queen sailed to the Colony as part of 2000 adults being sent out by Emigration Agents Messrs Carter & Bonus of London, under a contract with Her Majesty's Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners, at a cost of £18-14-0 per statute adult.
The vessel made a protracted voyage to the Colony. After leaving London at the end of November she sailed for Cork, running into very stormy weather off the wild Cornish coast. After taking on Irish emigrants, the vessel set sail for Port Phillip, only to have the crew members mutiny on the first evening at sea. Putting the vessel back into the Cove of Cork, the Master firmly quelled therebellion. The First Mate was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment with hard labour, and therest of the crew t a fortnight in gaol and the forfeiture of their wages. When again ready to sail, on January 11, bad weather forced the barque back into port four times.
The 219 emigrants were very well-behaved and co-operative during the passage. Perhaps the summary justice handed out to the crew had made them cautious of committing any misdemeanor. The vessel had a comfortable height between decks, the water kept sweet, and provisions were good. While at anchor in Cork Harbour fresh supplies were brought on board daily, according to the provisions of the Emigration Charter. Although there were four deaths at sea, there was no outbreak of serious illness. THe Surgeon carried out his duties correctly, and his advice was particularly valued by his charges, for himself was an old Colonist, having lived in both Welington and on Norfolk Island.
At Port Phillip, the Immigration Board was concerned that the General Certificate from the Government Emigration Agent in London had been lost. As well, they were not happy with the baptismal and marriage certificates tendered by many immigrants, believing some to be forgeries. Some passengers had no certificates at all. One woman appeared much older than her baptismal certificate indicated. A 'strawplatter,' she was deaf and childlike, and was judged ineligible for the bounty on the grounds of her senility and trade. There were still far too many families with a number of young children arriving; it was very difficult for them to find work.
THE PORT PHILLIP PATRIOT.
Edition Date: June 3rd, 1841.
IMMIGRATION. Messrs Carter and Bonus, in conjunction with Messrs John Gore & Co, Mr Robert Brooks, and other merchants of London, interested in the colony, have established a new line of packets to sail regularly from London on the 1st, and Cork on the 12th of each month, alternatively for Port Phillip and Sydney.
The first vessel was to sail on the 1st of March for Port Phillip, and the second vessel on the 1st of April for Sydney. We are under the ncessity of rejoicing at every prospect afforded us of obtaining labour, but we must say the emigrants likely to be procured from Cork are not of the description which we should like to see arrive.
...anyone - except people from Cork!! A struggling colony and they are being picky!!
Carter and Bonus, and a number of other similar agents, advertised widely in England. To attract emigrants, they described the first class ships that these immigrants would call home for over 2 months.
From the Norwich Mercury May 7th 1836.
EMIGRATION TO AMERICA
The only regular line of British Packets from LONDON to NEW YORK sail on the 10th of every month. The first class and fast sailing ship ANDROMEDA, coppered and copper-fastened, burthen 600 tons, Edward Willis, commander, lying in the St Katherine's Docks, will sail punctually on the 10th of May and will call at Portsmouth for the convenience of embarking passengers on the 15th of May. This ship has a poop and great height between decks; her accommodation for Cabin and Second Cabin and Steerage passengers are of the first description and an experienced surgeon is engaged. For freight and passage apply to Captain Willis on board or to Carter & Bonus, 11 Leadenhall Street
EMIGRATION TO CANADA
The remarkably fine First Class Ship BRUNSWICK, 571 tons per register, 900 tons burthen, Capt Robert Blake, will sail from Yarmouth Roads direct to Quebec on Thursday the 19th of May. Passengers will be received on board on the 16th, 17th and 18th of May. This is the most complete Passage ship in the Trade, with great height and fitted up with every attention to the convenience of passengers. Application to be made, by letter post paid, to Carter & Bonus, No.11 Leadenhall St., London.
Jesse Morley was on the ship Sea Queen with the Holligans. Jesse bought his wife and 4 young children to Australia.
Upon arrival, he was solicited - as probably most or all bounty emigrants were - to write a letter to his family to entice them to migrate to the colony. The 3 page letters is opposite. The were termed bounty emigrants as Carter and Bonus were paid approximately 18 pounds per adult passenger delivered to the colony.
The company of Carter & Bonus situated at No. 11 Leadenhall Street, London, was the very well known and large premises of the British East India Company. This company ran India and other eastern countries on behalf of the English government, and its incarnations include the New Zealand Company (see Joseph Somes) and many of the same individuals were involved in the capitilisation of the new colonies.
And today.....
Address: 11 Leadenhall Street, London , EC3V 1LS is a Starbucks Coffee house.
Emigrants were also provided information prior to the voyage to prepare them for the new world.
The following excerpts are taken from The Immigrant's Guide to Australia, by John Capper which was published in Liverpool, England by George Phillip & Son in 1853 and is inexcess of 130 pages.
WHAT TO BRING ONBOARD THE SHIP
Each passenger, whether steerage or intermediate, is allowed to take baggage to the extent of fifteen or twenty cubic feet, free of expense, and which is quite sufficient for most persons. The regulation regarding passengers' luggage is, that only one box or bag be allowed in each sleeping berth, sufficient to contain a fort-nights clothing, at the end of which time they have access to their chests in the hold, replacing the clothes used by clean. In this way every emigrant should be provided with two chests, one large and one small, or one canvas bag, the large chest being painted, and having their names distinctly marked on them. The above measurement allowed, includes the cabin box, which must not be more than one foot six inches long, one foot ten inches broad, and one foot two inches deep. (A carpet bag is far more useful than a box.)
With the view of promoting order and health on board passenger ships the following rules have been put in order:
1. Every passenger to rise at 7 A.M. unless otherwise permitted by the surgeon, or, if no surgeon, the master.
2. Breakfast from 8 to 9A.M., dinner at 1 P.M., supper at 6P.M.
3. The passengers to be in their beds at 10 P.M.
4. Fires to be lighted by the passengers' cook at., and kept alight by him till 7P.M.,then to be extinguished,unless otherwise directed by the master or required for the use of the sick.
5. The master to determine the order in which the passengers shall be entitled to the use of the fires for cooking. The cook to take care that this order is preseved.
6. Three safety lamps to be lit at dusk, one to be kept burning all night in the main hatchway, the two others may be extinguished at 10P.M.
7. No naked light to be allowed at any time or on any account.
8. The passengers, when dressed, to roll up their beds,to sweep the decks (including the space under the bottom of the berths),and to throw the dirt overboard.
9. Breakfast not to commence till this is done.
10.The sweepers for the day to be taken in rotation from the males above 14, in the proportion of five for every one hundred passengers.
11.Duties of the sweepers to be to clean the ladders,hospitals,and round-houses,to sweep the decks after every meal, and to dry holystone and scrape them after breakfast.
12.But the occupant of each berth to see that his own berth is well brushed out, and single women are to keep their own compartment clean in ships where a seperate compartment is allotted to them.
13.The beds to be well shaken and aired on deck and the bottom boards, if not fixtures, to be removed and dry-scrubbed and taken on deck at least twice a week.
14.Two days in the week to be appointed by the master as washing days, but no clothes to be washed or dried between decks.
15.The coppers and cooking vessels to be cleaned every day.
16.The scuttles and stern ports, if any, to be kept open (weather permitting)from 7 A.M. to 10P.M., and the hatches at all hours.
17.Hospitals to be established, with an area, in ships carrying one hundred passengers, of not less than forty-eight superficial feet, with two or four bed-berths;and in ships carrying two hundred passengers, of not less than one hundred superficial feet, with six bed-berths.
18.On Sunday the passengers to be mustered at 10A.M.,when they will be expected to appear in clean and decent apparel. The day to be observed as religiously as circumstances will permit.
19.No spirits or gunpowder to be taken on board by any passenger. Any that may be discovered to be taken into the custody of the master till the expiration of the voyage.
20.No loose hay or straw to be allowed below.
21.No smoking to be allowed between decks.
22.All gambling,fighting, riotous or quarrelsome behaviour, swearing and violent language, to be at once put a stop to. Swords and other offensive weapons, as soon as the passengers embark, to be placed in the custody of the master.
23.No sailors to remain on the passenger deck among the passengers except on duty.
24.No passenger to go to the ship's cookhouse without special permission from the master, nor to remain in the forecastle among the sailors on any account.
And if you thought you would party on your cruise...
In each of the ships there is a matron's committee, composed of six females of an appropriate age, which is selected. They undertake the motherly duty of seeing that all the young females are in their sleeping apartments at a proper hour, and are earnestly solicited never to retire to rest leaving any young girl on the poop or deck of the ship.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
