Chapter 3.
The Convict Ship "Sydney Cove".
In early times in Sydney, there were some very enterprising convicts who, after they had served
their terms of imprisonment in New South Wales, went into the shipping business. There were
seals on all of the islands, all waiting to be killed for their skins, and there were plenty of casks
of whale oil, ready to be sent back to England, and there was plenty of sandalwood growing on the
islands in the Pacific Ocean. So these men formed a Company which they called Kable & Co.
They were James Underwood, Henry Kable and Simeon Lord. They owned quite a number of small sailing ships, and they had bands of sealers on the various Bass Strait and other islands,
killing seals for their skins.
Then they did something bigger. They bought a small ship, the "Sydney Cove", with one cabin and two decks, of 282 tons, in England, She had been built at Rotterdam in Holland in1803. By
the time she was repaired and fitted out, she had cost them over £7,000, and they had to borrow a lot of money to get her. They did not want to let the world know that they had been convicts
when they applied to the Transport Commissioners for a contract to convey convict prisoners
to New South Wales, so the contract was made out in the names of their agents, St. Barbe, Green and
Bignell. And the Government agreed to employ this little ship to carry female convicts with their
escort of soldiers for the N.S.W. Corps, who would remain there on duty afterwards.
By 2nd August, Lord Spencer had heard of the 'Sydney Cove" and her captain, William Edwards.
We have a photocopy of the huge Charter Party document; signed by the Agents and the Commissioners.
I cannot include all the clauses in this little story, but I shall mention a few.
England had been at war with France under Napoleon for the last ten years, and Lord Nelson had
just defeated the combined French and Spanish Fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. But
there were still plenty of warships still floating around, and also plenty of pirates. Sometimes
these pirates captured convict ships and they had sold the convicts as slaves in Brazil or the
American States. A convict ship like the "Sydney Cove", containing100 women and girls, would
have brought them a fortune. So this ship had to carry "Six Twelve Pounder Carronades. Thirty
Pounds ot Powder and Shot for each gun, a Stand of Arms, a Cutlass and a Boarding Pike
for each of the Ship's Company".
The "Sydney Cove" was to carry all female convicts, and, below decks, it was all fitted out into separate cages in ease of trouble, so that the escort of soldiers could handle trouble more
easily. A strong bulkhead had to be built on the deck, if required, to allow for convicts coming up from below to be held securely. This was not a sight seeing voyage for the girls. Small
parties were brought up on deck in fine weather to air their bedding and to let the fleas, lice,
bed bugs and other favorites to jump off in the sunlight. The ship had to carry enough coal for cooking
meals for the prisoners for at least six months, and bread had to be baked every day. Water was
carried in casks and an 0sbridge's machine for sweetening water had to be supplied.
The ship might be required to sail in a convoy under the Protection of a Man of War until well down into the Atlantic 0cean , and its Master would then be allowed to make his own course without
stopping at any place unless it became absolutely necessary to do so. The ship had to carry a surgeon,
with his complete set of instruments. Then there was a long list of Regulations which
had to be observed on their arrival at Sydney, particularly about liquor and smuggling.
The "Sydney Cove" was at Deptford on the Thames, and she was sent down to Portsmouth to receive the women and girls. The High
Sheriff of Devon was sent a letter on 3rd November, 1806 for the removal of Maria Smith and Ann Parker, and it reads:
"Whitehall, 3rd November.,1806
Sir,
The Ship Sydney Cove which is appointed to convey Convicts to New South Wales is lying at Portsmouth in readiness to receive the Female Convicts named in the margin; (Maria Smith Ann Parker alias Ann Willcocks). I am therefore to desire that you will, on or before the 13th instant cause such Convicts to be removed from the gaol at Exeter on board that Ship, if their health should be
such as to allow of their Sentences to be carried into Execution; and that each Convict shall be cleanly and properly clothed, as also be provided with the additional Articles of Wearing Apparel under-mentioned, and accompanied with a Surgeon's Certificate of their being free from any infectious Distemper, and in other Respects in a good State of Health, otherwise they will not be received on board, but will be returned to the Person who brings them.
I am,
SIR
Your most obedient humble Servant
Spencer.
The High Sheriff of Devon.
One Jacket or Gown. .
One Petticoat.
Two spare Shifts.
Two spare Handkerchiefs.
Two spare Pair of stockings.
One spare pair of shoes."
Lord Spencer was the Secretary of State. There is no mention of underclothing, but the Ship's Charter Party contained a list of
articles which had to be carried for the Comfort, Sickness,
Fumigating, Hospital Furniture and clothing for these women and girls - jackets with sleeves, petticoats, shifts, stockings,
neck handkerchiefs, caps and shoes.
Some of the convict women had suffered from "the itch", which was a polite name for scabies, but eventually they were permitted
to join the rest, as the following letter to the Transport Service
from Lord Spencer, on 28th November, 1806, reads:
"A representation having been made to Lord Spencer by the
Sheriffs of London that Four Female Convicts which had been
rejected to be received on board the Sydney Cove on account of their
having the Itch, are now fit to be sent to New South Wales; I am
directed by Lord Spencer to desire that orders may be given for
permitting those Convicts to be received on board the said Ship.
I am at the same time to desire that Bridget Wallan Female Convict
from Liverpool who had been rejected for the like cause but now
reported to be perfectly recovered, may be received on board the
Sydney Cove."
We have no good record of the voyage of the "Sydney Cove". After she had embarked 109 female convicts and four boys, she
sailed down to Falmouth, probably to join a convoy under the protection of a warship. She left Falmouth on 11th January, 1807
and sailed down into the Atlantic. If she was discharged from a convoy, she sailed on alone and did not call anywhere or see another
ship until she sailed into Port Jackson on 18th June, 1807 after a record voyage of only 158 days. Three of her convicts
died on the voyage.
She had several passengers, as well as the crew and the escort from the N.S.W. Corps. Her
principal passengers were Joseph Underwood, a brother of her part owner, James Underwood, with
their mother and his wife, Charlotte, and their two sons. A daughter, Elizabeth, was born on the voyage, and she died in
Sydney on 25th 0ctober, 1807. Other passengers were Peter B. F.
Mills of the Royal Navy, who became the Harbour Master at Port Dalrymple, Samuel Foster and several other settlers.
The owners of the "Sydney Cove" were to receive £2,961 for the use of their Ship. But, the Charter Party reads:
"It is agreed that the Commissioners shall be allowed to retain out of the Freight of this ship the sum of one Hundred Pounds for the Passage to New South Wales, of four persons to be embarked on Account of the Owners."
Not long after the arrival of the "Sydney Cove", the Governor, Captain William Bligh, whom, you will remember, was Captain of H.M.S. "Bounty" in his earlier days, when the ship's crew, under Fletcher Christian, mutinied on him, found out about who really owned the "Sydney Cove". Those three ex-convicts, Lord, Kable and Underwood had bought the ship in England. They even offered it to the English Government as a convict ship to take a load to Sydney. Governor Bligh was astounded at their cheek in so doing. Simeon Lord wrote him a long letter, trying to explain how they were just traders, but Bligh was so wild about it that he had the three of them brought up before the Magistrates. I have yet to find out exactly with what they were charged, but the Magistrates fined each of them £100 and put each of them in gaol for one month.