Free Settler or Felon
Convict and Colonial History




Convict Ship Lady Harewood - 1832


Embarked 200 men
Voyage: 143 days
Deaths 1
Surgeon's Journal - Yes
Tons: 432
Previous vessel: City of Edinburgh arrived 22 June 1832
Next vessel: Clyde arrived 27 August 1832
Captain Richard Stonehouse
Surgeon Superintendent John Inches
Prisoners and passengers of the Lady Harewood identified in the Hunter Valley

The Lady Harewood was built on the ThamesS in 1791. Convicts were transported on the Lady Harewood to Van Diemen's Land in 1829 and to New South Wales in 1831 and in 1832.

Embarkation

Prisoners on this voyage were tried in districts throughout England - Suffolk, London, Cambridge, Lancaster, Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Stafford, Essex, Southampton, Worcester, Wiltshire, Hereford, Warwick, Salop, Oxford and Leicester. There were also several who had been court-martialed at Jamaica CM, Gilbraltar CM, Corfu CM, and Portsmouth CM.

They were taken from county prisons to the hulks to await transportation. On 7th March 1832 two hundred prisoners who had been incarcerated in the York and Leviathan Hulks were embarked at Spithead.

Military Guard

The Guard consisted of Lieut. Donlan, 48th regt., and 26 rank and file of 4th regiment under command of Lieut. Lowth 38th regt., whose wife accompanied him on the voyage.

John Jackson Lowth was the third son of Rev. Robert Lowth and grandson of Bishop Lowth. John Jackson Lowth was appointed Ensign 3 July 1824; Lieutenant 11 September 1825; Captain 23 March 1832 and Major 12 June 1840. He served with the 38th throughout the Burmese War. (Hart's Annual Army List) On 12 August 1841 at Cork he married Catherine, youngest daughter of Richard Hull Lewis, Esq., of Kinsale, and widow of J. Sandys of Kinsale.(Annual Register) He fought gallantly at the Battle of Sebastopol however was severely wounded. Colonel John Jackson Lowth died of his wounds on 28 July 1855 age 51.

Surgeon John Inches

John Inches' Medical Journal included a list of food he received from Captain Stonehouse for the voyage - 16 bottles of port wine; six pounds of preserved meat; 34 pounds of Pearl Barley; 20 pounds of tea; 20 pounds of tea; 14 pounds of sago; 10 ounces of ginger; 37 pounds of rice; 52 pounds of sugar; and 27 bottles of lemon juice.

Some of those treated by the surgeon included:
John Hunt, aged 20, convict;
John Devit, aged 24, private of the guard, 4th Regiment;
John Kipper, aged 34, convict;
James Smith, aged 38, convict; disease or hurt, diarrhoea.
Tim McDougal, aged 24, convict;
John Mathews, aged 30, convict. [5]

Departure

They sailed for Port Jackson on 15 March, however were obliged to put back because of tempestuous weather after getting only part way down the Channel. They sailed again on 25th March 1832 not having had any illness amongst the convicts whilst at Spithead. [3] They were fortunate in this as cholera had swept through the prisons and hulks of England and Ireland causing many deaths.

The Voyage

The prisoners were mustered twice a week, and at the first signs of spongy gums (symptom of scurvy) lime juice was given out, however one prisoner died of scurvy as the ship lay in Sydney Harbour.

The Lady Harewood was the first of the convict ships that was fitted without midship berths, having hammocks instead which enabled the surgeon to keep a clear space between the main and fore hatch in the day time and allow free circulation of air on the prison deck. The surgeon noted that it was also of great service in bad weather as a number of the prisoners could walk about when the weather would not permit of them going on deck which greatly promoted the health of the prisoners in general.

Port Jackson

The Lady Harewood anchored off Shark Island, Port Jackson at 9p.m. on 5 August 1832 in accordance with recently established quarantine regulations. The following day they were brought into Sydney Cove, no infectious illness having been experienced since leaving Portsmouth.

Vessels entering Port Jackson at this time, the crews of which had been visited by disease within thirty days of making the port were ordered to bring up in Spring Cove and carry a quarantine flag at the main. Should they not have had disease on board, they were allowed to bring up at Shark Island, until visited by Medical officers. Any ships not following the regulations were liable to heavy penalties. [1]

Convict Muster

One hundred and ninety-nine convicts were mustered on board by the Colonial Secretary on 9th August 1832.

Convicts Disembarked

The men were landed on Saturday 18th August 1832 and marched up to the Hyde Park Barracks. They were reportedly a robust healthy set of men and remarkably clean. On the following Monday they were forwarded to their respective assignees. [2]

Notes and Links

1). An extensive collection of vine cuttings from the vineyards of France were sent back to Australia by James Busby on the Lady Harewood. (Sydney Herald 13 August 1832)

2). John Inches was also surgeon on the convict ships Lloyds in 1833 Mary in 1835 and the Norfolk in 1837

3). Return of Corporal Punishments... inflicted by Sentence of the Bench at Paterson, from 1st September to 1st October 1833 inclusive, in the presence of P.N. Anley J.P... Frederick Hemmendin, per Lady Harewood, absconding. Sentenced to 50 lashes. Back much cut.

4). Novel Case - George Pitman a seaman of the convict ship Lady Harewood, appeared on a warrant, charged by R.W. Stonehouse Esq., Commander of that vessel, with assaulting ...Hall, a prisoner of the Crown, transported to this colony by the said vessel; the said prisoner having given him no provocation, and the said assault being forbidden by the regulations, made for the government of transport ships.

Hall, the prisoner, referred to deposed that he had occasion to go to the ship's head, when the defendant, without any provocation, struck him with a rope's end. He was tarring the rope and on defendant's passing struck him with all his might. John Inches, Esq., R.N. Surgeon Superintendent of the Lady Harewood, stated that the man Hall came to him on the quarter deck, and complained of having been struck by the defendant; in consequence of which he went forward and told Pitman that such conduct was improper; if any prisoner misconducted himself it was his duty to complain to him; but no seaman was allowed to take the law in his own hands by striking a prisoner. The sailor at first denied having struck him at all, and the acknowledged to having done so lightly. He therefore ordered the man down into the sick bay, where, on his being stripped a deep wale appeared on the small of his back.

The defendant stated in his defence that the rope had a round turn found the fore topmast yard, and in handing it down it struck the man accidentally. Captain Stone house gave the defendant a good character for general conduct; and the Bench ordered him to enter into his own recognizances to keep the peace for twelve months. Pitman said he was unable to pay the bail bond and other expenses, and the Captain being appealed to by the Bench refused to assist him, alleging that, as he had broken his contract by striking a prisoner, he did not consider him entitled to any remuneration for his labours in working the vessel to this port.
(Sydney Gazette 23 August 1832) (The convict mentioned above was Evitas Hall, an ostler from Worcester. He later joined the notorious bushranger gang led by McDonald)


5). Convict Ships bringing detachments of the 4th (King's Own) Regiment..........

Jane departed Cork 29 April 1831. Commander of the Guard Captain George Mason

Surry departed Portsmouth 17 July 1831. Commander of the Guard Captain Charles Waldron 38th regt.

Asia departed Cork 6 August 1831. Commander of the Guard Captain Richard Chetwode

Norfolk departed 15 October 1831. Commander of the Guard Lieut. David William Lardy 4th regt.

Captain Cook departed Dublin 5 November 1831. Commander of the Guard Lieut. Gibbons 49th regt.

Portland departed Portsmouth 27 November 1831.

Isabella departed Cork 27 November 1831. Commander of the Guard Captain William Clarke 4th regt.

Bussorah Merchant departed Dublin 14 December 1831. Commander of the Guard Lieut. William Lonsdale 4th regt.

John departed the Downs 7 February 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut. George Baldwin 31st regt.,

Lady Harewood departed Portsmouth 15 March 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut. Lowth 38th regt.,

City of Edinburgh departed Cork 18 March 1832 . Commander of the Guard Lieut. Bayliss

Clyde departed Portsmouth 9 May 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut-Colonel Mackenzie

Eliza departed Cork 10 May 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut. Hewson

Planter departed Portsmouth 16 June 1832 under command of Lieuts. Bullin and Irvine of 38th regt.

Hercules departed the Downs 19 June 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut. Gibson 4th regt.

Dunvegan Castle departed Dublin 1 July 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut. Thomas Faunce 4th regt.

Parmelia departed Sheerness 28 July 1832 under Command of Captain Young 38th regt.

Waterloo departed Sheerness 12 March 1833 under Command of Captain Mondilhan 54th regt.

References

[1] Sydney Herald 9 August 1832

[2] Sydney Monitor 22 August 1832

[3] Journal of John Inches. Ancestry.com. UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857. Original data:The National Archives. Kew, Richmond, Surrey.

[4] Bateson, Charles, Library of Australian History (1983). The Convict Ships, 1787-1868 (Australian ed). Library of Australian History, Sydney : pp.350-51.

[5] National Archives. Reference: ADM 101/41/5 Description: Medical and surgical journal of HM male convict ship Lady Harewood from 20 February to 17 August 1832 by John Inches, surgeon and superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed in a voyage to Sydney.