Free Settler or Felon
Convict and Colonial History




Convict Ship Prince Regent I (2) - 1824


Embarked: 180 men
Voyage: 153 days
Deaths: 2
Surgeon's Journal: yes
Previous vessel: Countess of Harcourt arrived 12 July 1824
Next vessel: Almorah arrived 20th August 1824
Captain Alexander Wales
Surgeon Thomas Braidwood Wilson
Follow the Irish Convict Ship Trail
Prisoners and passengers of the Prince Regent identified in the Hunter Valley

The Prince Regent was built in Shields in 1810. This was the second of three voyages transporting convicts to New South Wales, the others being in 1820 and 1827.

The Convicts

Prisoners transported on the Prince Regent in 1824 were convicted in Ireland. The following men were mentioned in the Freemans' Journal in May 1823....

County Tipperary, Clonmel May 28...Fifty-seven prisoners were arraigned for alleged offences under the Insurrection Act, two of whom were convicted, and sentenced to transportation, for criminal absence from their dwellings - their names are Michael Ryan and Pat Crehane, from Owney and Arra Barony, and are represented as being very bad characters. [3]

...and in August 1823....

The sentence of death pronounced at our last Assizes on Richard Molony, Michael Ryan, Thomas Meade, William Casey, Jeremiah Conway and Thomas Moylan, for attacking and taking arms, from Mr. Harding's house; has been commuted to transportation for life - and on Thursday, an order was received by the High Sheriff to send them off forthwith, to be embarked on board the Hulk Surprise at Cove [2]

Military Guard

The Guard consisted of Captain R.P. Steward and Lieutenant William Serjeantson of His Majesty's 40th regiment, with 2 serjeants, 2 corporals, 2 drummers and 50 privates of the same corps; exclusive of Serjeant Jones and wife of the 48th regiment. [1] The 40th had been serving in Ireland.

Following is an excerpt from Historical Records of the 40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment By Raymond Henry Raymond Smythies listing the ships that brought detachments of the 40th regiment to New South Wales in 1823 and 1824..........

Early in March 1823, the commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Thornton received an intimation that it was intended to send the regiment to New South Wales. In the meantime it was ordered to proceed to Dublin, thence by sea to Liverpool, and after that by road to Chatham, in order to form guards for convict ships when required.

The head quarters reached Dublin on 15th March and occupied the Royal Barracks. On the 30th the whole regiment embarked at Pigeon House, in eight small vessels, and reached Liverpool the following day.

A twenty-eight days' march, including three Sundays, brought the regiment to Chatham. The Regiment marched in three divisions; the first arrived at Chatham on 21st April; the second, consisting of two companies, halted, and remained at Deptford; and the 3rd reached Chatham on 23rd April.

During the next year the 40th was sent out, in small detachments, as guards on board convict ships to Australia. This was after several years' rough service in Ireland, and but a short period of rest in England........

Embarked 25th April 1823 on ship Albion. Lieutenant Lowe
Embarked 5th July 1823 on ship Asia Captain Bishop
Embarked 10th July 1823 on ship Isabella. Lieutenant Millar
Embarked 18th July 1823 on ship Sir Godfrey Wilestoe. Captain Hibbert
Embarked 29 July 1823 on ship Guildford. Captain Thornhill
Embarked 31st July 1823 on ship Medina. Lieutenant Ganning
Embarked 5 August 1823 on ship Castle Forbes. Lt.- Col. Balfour
Embarked 29 December 1823 on ship Prince Regent. Captain Stewart
Embarked 5th February 1824 on ship Chapman. Captain Jebb
Embarked 25 February 1824 on ship Countess of Harcourt. Captain Morow
Embarked 14 June 1824 on ship Mangles. Lt.- Col Thornton
Embarked 14 June 1824 on ship Princess Charlotte. Lieut Neilley

Other ships bringing detachments of the 40th regiment included the Minerva and Ann and Amelia.

Surgeon Thomas Braidwood Wilson

This was Thomas Braidwood Wilson's first voyage employed as surgeon superintendent on a convict ship. He kept a Medical Journal from 1 December 1823 to 21 July 1824.

Free Passengers

Free passengers on the Prince Regent included Frederick Boucher who established the Bank of Newcastle in 1828

Departure

The Prince Regent arrived at Deal from the River on 7th January and proceeded to Cork to embark prisoners from the Hulk. She departed Cork on 13th February 1824.

Rio De Janeiro

On the voyage Prince Regent called at Rio de Janeiro departing there on 26th April 1823.

Port Jackson

The Prince Regent arrived in Port Jackson Thursday 15 July 1824. Two convicts died on the passage out - James Bowles and Thomas Gentleman

Convict Muster

A Muster was held on board by the Colonial Secretary Frederick Goulburn. Convict indents include information such as Name, Age, Trade, When and Where Tried, Sentence, Native Place, Physical Description, Conduct on the voyage and to whom Assigned on arrival. There are occasional notes regarding date and place of deaths.

Assignment

The youngest prisoners were James McAuliffe (15), Patrick Walsh (14) and William McCourtney (15) who were all sent to the Carter's Barracks on arrival. John Murray a 78 year old steward from Roscommon who was hard of hearing was also sent to the Carter's Barracks as was Thomas Gorman who was noted to be of weak intellect. The indents record that the abovementioned prisoner William McCourtney was shot at Norfolk Island on 24 August 1833.

Some prisoners were assigned to Hunter Valley settlers Vicars Jacob and Standish Lawrence Harris. John Kirk who was a Parish Clerk was assigned to the Hyde Park Barracks.

Prisoners of the Prince Regent identified in the Hunter Valley :

Barry, Daniel

Bath, John

Burke, John

Byrne, Edward

Canny, Henry

Catherwood, John

Connors, James

Crampton, Thomas

Crosbie, Richard

Flannery, Denis

Flannery, John

Flinn, Patrick

Hayes, James

Hency, Bryan

Hennessey, John

Kennelly, Thomas

Mackay, Robert

Masterson, Terence

McCormack, Martin

McCormack, Patrick

McCourtney, William

McDonnell, John

McKinshey, Thomas

Mulholland, James

Murphy, James

Murphy, Michael

Murphy, Thomas

Phillips, William

Power, Patrick

Quinn, Thomas

Roney, Patrick

Ryan, John

Ryan, Michael

Sheehan, James

Sheehy, Edmond

Walsh, John

Walsh, Thomas

Wood, James

Notes and Links

1). Pat. Keenan and John Purcell were charged with having stolen the carriage of a jaunting car. From the evidence it appeared the prisoners had stolen the carriage in the day light from the door of the prosecutor Byrne, a jaunting car maker, and had offered it for sale. The Jury found the prisoners guilty and the Recorder sentenced them as being old offenders, to transportation for seven years. - Freeman's Journal 23 August 1823.

2). Political Prisoners and Protesters

References

[1] Sydney Gazette 22 July 1824

[2] Freeman's Journal 12 August 1823. (re-printed from the Limerick Chronicle)

[3] Freeman's Journal 21 May 1823.

[4] Ancestry.com. UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857. The National Archives. Kew, Richmond, Surrey.

[5] National Archives. Reference: ADM 101/61/2 Description: Medical and surgical journal of the Prince Regent convict ship, for 1 December 1823 to 21 July 1824 by [Thomas] Wilson MD, Surgeon and Superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed in a voyage to New South Wales.

Those treated by the surgeon on the passage out included:
John Millar, aged 37, Private of the 40th Regiment;
William Walker, [age not recorded], Private of the 40th Regiment;
James Bowles, aged 47, convict;
John Roche, aged 28, Convict;
Thomas White, aged 24;
John Milton, aged 26, private 40th Regiment;
Michael Bowe, aged 26, convict.