Lalla Rookh was a barque of 372 (or 500?[1]) tons built by Edward Allen in St Helier, Jersey, in "1939", corrected to 1839. Her dimensions were 99.9 × 24.0 × 16.8 ft.[2]
She is advertised as follows, in the South Australian Record And Australasian Chronicle of 18 March 1840: "A regular trader. To be dispatched in March [1840] for South Australia, the splendid new ship Lalla Rookh. 500 tons burthen. Lying in the London Docks. Henry Kanney (sic), Commander".[1]
She departed Port Adelaide on 18 September 1840 for Encounter Bay, to refuel for the return journey to London, planned for December.[9] The ship left for London on 23 January 1841 with two passengers, and "a full cargo of colonial produce, consisting of 320 casks of oil, 326 bundles of whalebone, and 400 bales of wool", under Captain Kenney.[10]
On 9 July 1844 she arrived in London from Calcutta under Captain Kenney.[11]
On 10 April 1846 she came down the Thames River to Deal under Captain Martin,[17] leaving Deal for Hobart on 14 April 1846 under Captain Kenney.[18]
On 2 July 1847 she was seen en route from Hartlepool to Aden, under Captain Hains (sic);[19] alternatively reported destination Athens seen off the Isle of Wight on 5 July 1847, under Haines.[20]
On 12 September 1848 she returned to London from Penang under Captain Haines.[21]
Lalla Rookh was reported to have been driven ashore at Auckland, on a voyage from London and Wellington to Auckland on 17 April 1849, but refloated.[22][23][b]Lalla Rookh sailed from Auckland, New Zealand, on 23 May 1849 to Port Jackson, the harbour of the colony of New South Wales, arriving on 14 June 1849.[24]
On 5 October 1849 she departed Sydney for London under Captain Haines,[25][26] with passengers listed as Messrs L. Parker, E. Parker, Pitt, and Severne.[27] On 2 February 1850 she arrived at Gravesend from Sydney.[28]
In late August 1850 she was advertised as a packet ship, built as a 600-ton frigate, in London Docks, with cargo loaded and ready to depart for California, looking for passengers. Commander W. H. P. Haines was described as experienced in sailing the Pacific, and in possession of a first-class certificate from the Trinity Board.[30]
On 30 November 1850 she departed Leith, Scotland, for San Francisco under Captain Haines.[31]
A ship of this name under a British flag was reported driven ashore and feared wrecked at Gibraltar on 1 December 1852 (unconfirmed).[33]
The last mention of this ship in Australian waters is its departure from Sydney for San Francisco under Captain Haines on 4 May 1853, with five passengers listed and 95 in steerage.[34] She was advertised beforehand as having recently arrived from California, and well-equipped for passengers and light freight.[35] She evidently reached her destination, as there is a record of one of the passengers, a Dr Swain, having arrived there.[36]
^"Vessels entered outwards". The Colonist. Vol. VI, no. 444. New South Wales, Australia. 1 September 1840. p. 2. Retrieved 23 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Ship News". The Standard. No. 7840. London. 28 September 1849.
^"Shipping Intelligence: From Lloyd's List". Caledonian Mercury. No. 19924. Edinburgh, Scotland. 1 October 1849 – via British Library (microfilm 2357) via Gale via State Library of South Australia free home access. The Lalla Rookh, from London and Wellington, arrived at Auckland NZ on 17th April and on entering the harbour without a pilot, went on shore, but had been got off without sustaining material damage.
^"Ship News". The Times. No. 21308. London. 25 December 1852. col F, p. 7. Gibraltar, December 16th. The Lalla Rookh, for England, was driven on shore on the 1st inst. and it is feared will be a wreck.
^"Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. XXXII, no. 4654. New South Wales, Australia. 14 April 1852. p. 1. Retrieved 26 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
