Free Settler or Felon
Convict and Colonial History




Convict Ship Prince Regent I (3) - 1827


Embarked: 180 men
Voyage: 108 days
Deaths: 0
Surgeon's Journal: yes
Previous vessel: Harmony arrived 27 September 1827
Next vessel: Champion arrived 17 October 1827
Captain William Richards
Surgeon William Rae
Prisoners and passengers of Prince Regent identified in the Hunter Valley


The Prince Regent was built in Shields in 1810. This was the last of three voyages transporting convicts to New South Wales, the others being in 1820 and 1824.

Departure from England

The Prince Regent was the next convict ship to leave England for New South Wales after the departure of the Harmony a week previously. The Prince Regent departed London on 11th June 1827, passing nearby Cape Finestere on 20th June, near Madeira 25th June, calling at Tenerife on 2nd July, and passing Canary Island on 5th July.

Military Guard

The Guard comprised a detachment of 29 men 57th regiment under orders of Lieut. Campbell.

Passengers

Cabin Passengers included :

Sir Charles H. Darling....Charles Darling


1). Ensign Charles Henry Darling of 57th regiment, nephew to His Excellency, Governor Darling and later Governor of Victoria. He was about 18 years of age in 1827. Find out more about Sir Charles Henry Darling at Australian Dictionary of Biography

2). Major Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell with his wife and family. He was appointed to the position of Assistant Surveyor General of New South Wales. The following year he became Surveyor General, a position he held until his death. He was about 35 years of age in 1827.

3). Lieut. Hughes, Royal Staff Corps who was appointed surveyor of roads and bridges in 1828

4). P Elliott, assistant surveyor, who later worked under Sir Thomas L. Mitchell on the Victoria Pass Roadway;

5). William Rice.

Surgeon William Rae

William Rae was born in Dumfries-shire, the son of Matthew Rae of Park End Annandale, Dumfries shire. He was educated at Loch Maben and Dumfries and afterwards graduated M.D. at Edinburgh University. He was about forty-one years of age in 1827.

He was employed as surgeon on the convict ships Eliza in 1822 Isabella in 1823, Marquis of Huntley in 1826 and the Marquis of Hastings in 1828

William Rae kept a Medical Journal from 1 May to 15 October 1827...... At the end of the voyage he remarked that:

The prisoners generally conducted themselves well and by due enforcement of the rules and regulations laid down for their governance at the commencement of the voyage little trouble occurred to me during the remaining part of it. The provisions were all of the best quality. The Master of the ship was kind and humane and whilst in his power supplied me with milk, daily for one of my worst patients. From him and his Officers I received every support and assistance in the execution of my duty. [2]

The following men were treated by the surgeon on the passage out:

Pat Hammond, aged 19, private, 47th Regiment

Enock Lucock, aged 18, convict

Edward Wiltshire, aged 21, convict

John Laurence, aged 28, convict

Patrick Henry, aged 21, private, soldier

Joseph York, aged 22, convict

John Jenkins, aged 19, convict

James Maisey, aged 43, convict

Thomas Stroud, aged 25, convict

Samuel Asherd, aged 20, convict

Joseph Dyson, aged 20, convict

Matthew Hull, aged 30, convict

Edward Thorpe, aged 25, convict

Timothy Martin, aged 19, convict

Samuel Solomons, aged 20, convict

Thomas Fowler, aged 26, convict [3]

Arrival in Port Jackson

The Prince Regent arrived in Port Jackson on 27 September 1827.
A muster was held on board by Colonial Secretary Alexander McLeay on 3rd October 1827.

Convicts of Prince Regent identified in the Hunter Valley:

Acton, Thomas

Adams, John

Aldis, Henry

Beaumont, Israel

Brahney, Thomas

Brawley, James

Brown, William

Burley, William

Burns, Henry

Butler, John

Butler, Reuben

Craven, Uriah

Currey, William

Dansill, Henry

Davis, John

Donald, Page

Donovan, Timothy

Druitt, Daniel

Ellison, Roger

Ely, James

Evans, Charles

Fowler, William

Francisco, Antonio

Haden, James

Hodgetts, Charles

Hudson, John

Jenkins, William

Kenyon, William

Lane, Henry

Llewelyn, Daniel

Meek, John Andrew

Morgan, Thomas

Newsome, James

Parr, John

Parr, Joseph

Pickering, Richard

Pointer, Richard

Roberts, William

Rowland, John

Rushworth, John

Sefton, David

Stringer, John

Stroud, Thomas

Toule, James

Turner, John

Walker, James

Williams, William

Wiltshire, Edward

Wormersley, Boyfield

Wright, Edmund

Wyburn, James

Young, Edward

Notes and Links

1). Seventeen convict ships arrived in New South Wales in 1827 - Grenada, Brothers, (F) Albion, Midas, Mariner, Countess of Harcourt, Guildford, Marquis of Hastings, Princess Charlotte, Manlius, Cambridge, Harmony, Prince Regent, Champion, Eliza, John and the Louisa

2). Return of Convicts of the Prince Regent assigned between 1st January 1832 and 31st March 1832 (Sydney Gazette 14 June 1832; 5 July 1832).....

Thomas Belcher - Shoemaker assigned to James Blackett at Ultimo

William Burley- Quarryman assigned to Benjamin Sullivan at Hunter's River

George Burnett - Seaman assigned to J. Blaxland at Newington

Edward Plowman - Upholsterer assigned to H.L. Miller at Sydney

John Prosser - Carpet weaver assigned to Simeon Lord at Sydney


3). Vessels bringing detachments of the 57th Regiment -

Asia 1825 departed Cork 29 October 1824 - Captain Richard Heaviside

Asia (III) 1825 departed Portsmouth 5 January 1825 - Lieutenant Thomas Bainbridge

Royal Charlotte 1825 departed Portsmouth 5 January 1825 - Major Edmund Lockyer

Hooghley 1825 departed Cork 5 January 1825 Cork - Captain Patrick Logan

Norfolk 1825 departed Portsmouth 17 April 1825 - Captain James Brown

Minstrel 1825 departed Portsmouth 17 April 1825 - Lieutenant Henry John Tudor Shadforth

Lonach 1825 departed Cork 16 May 1825 - Lieutenant John William Donelan

Sir Godfrey Webster departed Cork 11 July 1825 - Lieutenant John Ovens

Medway 1825 departed the Downs 2 August 1825 Downs - Lieutenant William Bates

Henry Porcher 1825 departed Dublin 5 August 1825 Dublin - Captain Vance Young Donaldson

Marquis of Hastings 1826 departed Portsmouth 22 August 1825 - Ensign Stewart

Mangles 1826 departed Cork 23 October 1825 - Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Shadforth

Sesostris 1826 departed Portsmouth 30 November 1825 - Major John Campbell

Prince Regent 1827 departed London 11 June 1827 - Lieutenant Campbell

Morley 1828 departed Dublin 3 November 1827 - Captain Robert Hunt

Borodino 1828 departed Cork 11 February 1828 Cork - Captain Philip Aubyn

Mangles 1828 departed Dublin 23 February 1828 Dublin- Lieut. Hill and Adjutant Lieut. Kidd

Bussorah Merchant 1828 departed London 27 March 1828 - Captain Burton Daveney (+ 1 soldier)

Marquis of Hastings 1828 departed Portsmouth 1828 30 June 1828 - Colonel Allen

Asia 1828 departed London 23 November 1828 - Lieutenant George Edwards

References

[1] Bateson, Charles Library of Australian History (1983). The convict ships, 1787 - 1868 (Australian ed). Library of Australian History, Sydney : pp.346-347, 385

[2] Ancestry.com. UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857. Medical Journal of William Rae on the voyage of the Prince Regent in 1827. The National Archives. Kew, Richmond, Surrey.

[3] National Archives - Reference: ADM 101/61/3 Description: Medical and surgical journal of the convict ship Prince Regent for 1 May to 15 October 1827 by William Rae, surgeon and superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed in a voyage to New South Wales.