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Scarborough, First Fleet to Australia 1788

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Contents

Preface

Scarborough was a transport ship of 430 tons, built at Scarborough in 1782 she formed part of the First Fleet, which commenced European settlement of Australia in 1788 the First Fleet sailed from Portsmouth in England in May 1787 and comprised eleven ships (2 naval vessels, 3 store ships and six transports) the Scarborough was one of the transports being the second largest vessel in the fleet Scarborough carried 208 male convicts, who travelled by wagon to Portsmouth for loading, many coming from the Ceres and Censor Hulks the First Fleet arrived at Port Jackson Sydney on 26 January 1788

About

The Scarborough was originally built for merchant purposes transporting timber from the Baltic and North America, and was chartered by the British East India Company to take tea to Britain from the West Indies. When she was chartered by William Richards (a London Ship broker) to transport convicts as part of the First Fleet, the decision was made after consultation with Royal Marine Officers Watkin Tench and David Collins – who would later sil with the first Fleet to Australia. Tench was a captin of marines and Collins was to be a Judge Advocate in the new colony of Australia. The Scarborough was the Second largest transport of the fleet- with the Alexander being the largest.

Before sailing the Scarborough was refitted for the purpose of convict transportation under the supervision of a Naval Agent George Teer. Adjustments included increasing the hight between decks to 6 feet and 2 inches (amidships) and 6 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 11 inches, on the fore and aft. To improve the flow of air in the convict quarters, two windsails were brought on board. Builkheads were created to separate the convict quarters from the marine and crew quarters, as well as a designated space for treating illness and another for stores.

The refits were of an incredibly high standard for the time, and included the installation of an Osbridge machine, which was a fairly new invention and a water filtration machine. Teer is quoted as saying in 1786 after the fit out was completed, that it was completed with provisions and accommodations better than any other set of transports he had any direction in.

Voyage

When the Scarborough departed – there was a crew of 35 men which included the Master John Marshall (1748-1819), a Surgeon (Dennis Considen), three mates, a boatswain, 50 officers and other ranks of the New South Wales Marine Corps, and 208 male convicts. During the journey the Captain Marshall was informed of a planned mutiny and was given the names of the two ringleaders. Philip Farrell and Thomas Griffiths were transferred to the Sirius and received 24 lashes and then transferred to the Prince of Wales (an all-female ship). At the same time, Marshall is recorded as having treated the convicts well and taken pride in the lack of mortality on his own ship during the journey. This would not be the same in the second voyage, where the Scarborough became known as a “Death Ship’, which was largely due to over crowding, with 253 convicts with the majority having poor health before the ship set sail, and where mutinies were high risk and to be diffused and resulted in convicts being put in irons through the journey. [1] The journey over by all accounts was as pleasant as it could be under the circumstances. Arthur Phillip RN (1738-1814) was generous in the treatment of the convict and removed their irons and allowed them freedom of movement on the upper deck throughout the day and some were privileged to receive freedom of movement in the evening. Convict quarters were regularly scrubbed and fumigated. There were also stops along the journey to access fresh meat and vegetables and the mortality rate was low.[2] She arrived at Port Jackson, Sydney, on 26 January 1788.

Sources

Passenger Lists


Further Reading




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