Forth (1826 ship)

For other ships with the same name, see Forth (disambiguation).

History
United Kingdom
NameForth
BuilderRobert Menzies & Sons, Leith[1]
Launched25 February 1826[1]
FateFoundered without a trace in 1835
General characteristics
Tons burthen369[2][1][3] (bm)
PropulsionSail

Forth was built in 1826 at Leith, Scotland. She made two voyages transporting convicts to New South Wales. After disembarking the convicts from her second voyage she sailed to Manila. She sailed from Manila in July 1835 and subsequently foundered without a trace.

Career

Forth first appeared in Lloyd's List (LR), in the issue for 1826.[2]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1826 Robertson Duncanson Lieth–Merimac LR

In 1813 the British East India Company (EIC) had lost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a licence from the EIC.[4] In the late 1820s, Forth, master, sailed between Great Britain and Mauritius.

On her first convict voyage, under the command of J. Robertson and surgeon J. Cook, she sailed from Cork, Ireland on 3 June 1830, and arrived at Port Jackson on 12 October 1830.[5] She had embarked 120 female convicts, all of whom survived the voyage.[6] Forth left Port Jackson on 20 February 1831 bound for London with a cargo of merchandise.[7] She arrived back at England on 13 July 1831.

Forth left London on 31 November 1831 and arrived in Launceston on 6 April 1832. She left Launceston 22 September and arrived back at Dover on 15 February 1833. In 1833–34 she made a second voyage to Van Diemen's Land, returning 24 July 1834.

In December 1834 it was reported in Tasmania that Captain Robertson had resigned the command of Forth to his first officer, Mr. Hutton.[8][a]

During her second convict voyage, under the command of Henry Hutton and surgeon Thomas Robertson, she sailed from Cork, Ireland on 21 October 1834, and arrived at Port Jackson on 3 February 1835.[10] She had embarked 196 male convicts, one of whom died on the voyage.[11] One officer and 29 other ranks from the 50th Regiment of Foot, plus a junior officer from another regiment, provided the guard. Forth left Port Jackson on 28 February 1835 bound for Manila in ballast.[12]

Fate

Forth departed from Manila on 17 July 1835 for London. She disappeared without a trace and was presumed to have foundered with the loss of all hands.[13][3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ This and some other press items,[9] are important in that they establish that it was this Forth, and not another convict transport Forth, that made the convict voyage below. Bateson, who has the most complete record of convict voyages, left the issue open.[10] Lloyd's Register was undergoing difficulties at the time and had not been updated.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Scottish Built Ships: Forth.
  2. ^ a b LR (1826), Supple.pages "F", Seq.no.F26.
  3. ^ a b Hackman (2001), p. 277.
  4. ^ Hackman (2001), p. 247.
  5. ^ Bateson (1959), pp. 298–299.
  6. ^ Bateson (1959), p. 332.
  7. ^ "Shipping Intelligence". The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, Tuesday 22 February 1831, p.2. 22 February 1831. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  8. ^ Launceston Advertiser 11 December 1834, Page 3, no title.
  9. ^ Sydney Herald, 26 January 1835, Page 2, "DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE".
  10. ^ a b Bateson (1959), pp. 302–303.
  11. ^ Bateson (1959), p. 334.
  12. ^ "Exports". The Sydney Monitor, Wednesday 11 March 1835, p.2. 22 February 1831. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  13. ^ "Ship News". The Times. No. 16097. London. 7 May 1836. col A, p. 7.

References

  • Bateson, Charles (1959). The Convict Ships. Brown, Son & Ferguson. OCLC 3778075.
  • Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.