Free Settler or Felon
Convict and Colonial History




Convict Ship Neva - 1833


Embarked: 170 men
Voyage: 115 days
Deaths: 1
Surgeon's Journal: yes
Previous vessel: Java arrived 18 November 1833
Next vessel: Lloyds arrived 18 December 1833
Captain Benjamin Peck
Surgeon Morgan Price
Prisoners and passengers of the Neva identified in the Hunter Valley


The Neva was built at Hull in 1814.[2] She made two voyages to Australia with convicts, this voyage in 1833 and again in 1835.

The Neva, in 1833, had £2,700/. laid out on her, under the inspection of King's officers, in dock, in the Thames; one may, therefore, say she was rebuilt. She then conveyed convicts to Australia with the same master and mate, and returned with a valuable cargo from Singapore, in 1834, in perfect safety, and without the smallest damage.[3]

Military Guard

The guard consisted of 26 rank and file of the 21st regt., etc., under the orders of Lieutenant McEdwin (or Meldrum?) of the 2nd or Queen's Own and Ensign Buchier of the 17th Regiment.

Convicts Embarked

On the 11th July the Neva proceeded to Sheerness and on the following day one hundred convicts were embarked from the hulks - Cumberland, Euryalus and Retribution ; many of these were old men.

The Neva then sailed to Plymouth arriving on the 18th July. The remaining 70 convicts were embarked from the Captivity hulk.

Departure

On 19th and 20th July the Neva weighed anchor and sailed for New South Wales.


Conditions on Convict Ships

The Voyage

Cholera had broken out while the ship was still at Deptford and was still prevalent in the early part of the voyage, however there was only one death amongst the prisoners who was elderly and addicted to drinking according to the surgeon and despite every care died of apoplexy. Grave fears were held for another man with a case of ischuria however by the end of the voyage this man had recovered.

Morgan Price commented on the good health of the convicts.......

Upon the whole the Guard, Ships Company and Convicts during the voyage enjoyed good health which I attribute in a considerable degree to the free ventilation of the ship, frequent fumigation and the employment of the solution of chloride of lime; and during the voyage when the weather was favourable the whole of the convicts admitted on deck. The utmost attention was paid to personal cleanliness and the convicts had access to the forecastle. The bathing tub was placed for the purpose of washing and during warm weather 1/4 of the men bathed every morning. [1]

Port Jackson

The Neva arrived in Port Jackson on 21 November 1833.

Convicts Landed

The prisoners were landed at the Dockyard at Sydney on Saturday 7th December 1833.

Departure From The Colony

The Neva departed Port Jackson bound for Manilla in January 1834.

Notes and Links

1). Morgan Price was employed as surgeon on the following convict ships:
Martha to NSW in 1818
Countess of Harcourt to VDL in 1821

Brampton to NSW in 1823

Almorah to NSW in 1824
Clyde to VDL in 1830
Neva to NSW in 1833
Hector to VDL in 1835

2). Ship's carpenter was John Thornton

3). Prisoners and passengers of the Neva identified in the Hunter Valley

4). The Neva was engaged to transport convicts again in 1834 and was wrecked north of King Island in May 1835. (Select here to find out more)

5). William Charles Wilkes, convict, journalist, editor arrived on the Neva having been convicted of stealing from a dwelling house and sentenced to transportation for life. In 1841 Wilkes was assigned to James Burnett's expedition to trace the Dividing Range north and proceed to Moreton Bay. He was editor for the Moreton Bay Courier in 1848-56 Australian Dictionary of Biography

6). Convict ships bringing detachments of the 21st regiment (Royal Scotch Fusiliers) and Officer in command of the Guard -

Mary departed London 4 September 1832 - Captain Daniels 21st regt.,

Roslin Castle departed Cork 8 October 1832 - Lieuts. Bayley and Pieter L. Campbell. 21st

Andromeda departed Portsmouth 17 November 1832 - Lieuts. Lonsdale and Armstrong 21st regt.,

Mangles departed London 14 December 1832 London

Asia departed the Downs 21 February 1833 - Lieuts. Kelly and Wilson of 6th regt.,

Lord Lyndoch departed Sheerness June 1833 - Lieut-Col. Leahy. Headquarters of 21st

Royal Admiral departed Dublin 4 June 1833 - Lieut. Ainslie 21st regt.,

Aurora departed Portsmouth 4 July 1833 Major Delisle 4th regt.,

Java departed Cork 24 July 1833 - Lieut. Wrixon, 21st regt.,

Neva departed Plymouth 29 July 1833 - Lieut. McEdwin 1st or Queens Own regt.,

Lloyds departed the Downs 25 August 1833 - Lieut. McKnight 21st regt.,

Fairlie departed England 27 October 1833

Bengal Merchant departed 28 March 1838 - Lieut. Dear of 21st regt.,

References

[1] Ancestry.com. UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857. Medical Journal of Morgan Price on the voyage of the Neva in 1833. The National Archives. Kew, Richmond, Surrey.

[2] Bateson, Charles Library of Australian History (1983). The convict ships, 1787-1868 (Australian ed). Library of Australian History, Sydney : pp.352-353, 388

[3] Lady's Magazine