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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: redmr2red on Friday 08 December 06 06:36 GMT (UK)
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Does anyone have a computer link to the passenger list on board the HMS Calcutta under Lieutenant Governer David Collins in 1803.
At Sorrento there was an unsuccessful settlement of 460 people, of whom 299 were convicts, 43 were women and 33 were children, including six convicts 12 years and younger.
It appears my G/G/Grandfather John Broadhurst Boothman b. 1779 was one of the convicts on board. :)
Cheers, Kevin
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Hi Kevin,
I am sure you will get the answer you need from the wonderful users of this site but just in case you don't, join AUS-Tasmania-L@rootsweb.com , the mailing list for Tasmania and someone on there is bound to know the answer, the members there are also wonderfully helpful and absolute bains of information.
My connection to the Calcutta is thru George Kearley, a Royal Marine. But it is so long since I delved into that line that I can't remember about passenger lists.
All the best
kiwigal
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The convicts ended up in Tasmania so there would be much information on same at the Tasmanaian Archives. They have quite an amount of online data
http://www.archives.tas.gov.au/
Your man comes up in the search of the convict index - he probably gets mentions elsewhere
His marriage & children are in the Colonial Family Links data base - the information on this data base is taken from the BDM data in Tasmania to 1900
Trish
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Hi Kevin
Keith Clarke's "Convicts of the Port Phillip District" will more than likely have information on the Calcutta onvicts. I'll check it tomorrow.
Also a book by Richard Cotter - "No place for a colony: Sullivan Bay, Sorrento and the Collins Settlement" may give you some insight into their time there.
Might also be worth dropping a line to the Nepean Historical Society
http://www.nepeanhistoricalsociety.asn.au/
regards
Genni
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Hi Kevin & Genni
The trip was of interest to me because on board was the Rev Robert Knopwood - whose adopted daughter married into my husbands convict family. Knopwood kept a diary and that which survived (including the trip) has been transcribed.
The Diary of the Reverend Robert Knopwood 1803-1838
First Chaplain of Van Dieman's Land
Edited by Mary Nicholls
Tasmanian Historical Research Association 1977
(I have a list from the book of the Officers on board - but not the convicts)
Trish
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I've done a google search, without luck and thought someone might know of an on-line list somewhere.
Thanks Kiwigal, I have joined the AUS-Tasmania-L[at]rootsweb.com email list and asked the question.
Trish I have searched the Tasmanian archives (excellent Site) and have all that information. Also I would very much like to read the Diary of the Reverend Robert Knopwood. Is it still available?
Thanks Genni, I appreciate your assistance. I might visit the Nepean Historical Society over the Xmas break and see what they have, I'm about one and a half hours away.
Cheers Kevin
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Hi Kevin
I got hold of the book via an interlibrary loan - I think the copy came from Canberra - but there are others around Australia - if your local library doesn't have a copy the loan system should find you one
The loans only last 2 weeks - I fear I did little else during that time except read and document what I read. I do have a book I bought about Knopwood - I will check the refences to see if there is any mention of a passenger list.
Does not seem to be alot in the footnotes references - there is a chapter on the trip to Port Phillip & another on the time spent there - "Knopwood: A biography" by Geoffrey Stephens - might be easier to come by than the diary.
Trish
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Hi Kevin
If you manage to come down my way over christmas Rosebud Library has a copies of Knopwood's diary, as well as the other books I mentioned.
Cheers
Genni
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You are very special to have links to thet tiny attempt at settlement. It was ,I think, from this group that William Buckley escaped and made one of the original 'Epic Journeys' when he walked from Sorrento to Corio. Am I right?
I remember, about 28 years ago, visiting the graves on the clifftop at Sorrento of some of those who perished in that short-lived attempt at settlement. In those days, it was quite open to wandering visitors, no fence. no resriction, just the headstones on the windy clifftop. Amazing, and still with me. It was an extraordinary story for Victorians.
Sue
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Yep, William Buckley was one of the convicts from this settlement. One of the free settlers was an 11 year old boy called John Pascoe Fawkner - who grew up to be one of Melbourne's most foremost businessmen, and an MP.
When Buckley resurfaced thirty years later, Fawkner was a prominent businessman and politician, and actually refused a request to give Buckley a full pardon.
My gggggg grandfather, James Clissold, was a Marine on the Sorrento expedition. Every Clissold in Victoria (and there's so many entire school classes and cricket teams have been comprised of Clissolds) is descended from him.
Kez :)
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Hi Kevin
No list but have you seen this document at
http://image.sl.nsw.gov.au/Ebind/cy1151/a1492/a1492057.html
Very interesting for background info
Bob
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Thanks Bob, that document is excellent. ;D
It gives an insight into what is must have been like. I was hoping for more mention of what the convicts did. I need to read it again more slowly, there is lots to take in.
Cheers, Kevin
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Hi Kevin
Have you seen this site?
http://www.easycms.com.au/?q=node/100
Bob
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Hear's another Kevin
http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~tcowley/Ships.htm#Calcutta
Bob
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Thanks Bob, both excellent references.
Cheers, Kevin
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Here it is Kevin, I knew I had seen it somewhere.
http://www.blaxland.com/ozships/page.htm
Go to contents then to arrivals then search for Calcutta.
Bob
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Thanks Bob, I have seen that entry before and dismissed it, because it is very confusing. Now, I'm sure it's the same Ship, and list of Convicts on the Calcutta as John Boothman is there as well.
This Web Site states the Calcutta's destination was Sydney, yet everything I've read says Lieutenant Governor David Collins job was to establish a colony at Port Phillip. The storeship Ocean sailed direct to Port Phillip, and arrived there 6th or 7th October, the Calcutta arrived two days later.
So 26th December destination Sydney is .... Huh?????
When Collins abandoned Port Phillip in May 1804 he then set sail with his marines and prisoners for Van Dieman’s Land, presumably in the Calcutta. No mention is made of that on this Web Site.
However, many thanks it now gives me a list of the convicts on board, which is what I was looking for.
Cheers, Kevin
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When Collins abandoned Port Phillip in May 1804 he then set sail with his marines and prisoners for Van Dieman’s Land, presumably in the Calcutta.
Most of the settlers were tranferred to VDL on the 'Lady Nelson' and the 'Ocean' on January 30th 1804. The remainder left Port Phillip in May.
Hobart Town was found in February 1804.
So your ancestor is one of the unique people who had a hand in establishing Victoria's first colony and Tasmania's first colony.
Regards
Genni
PS - The 'Calcutta' would have left Port Phillip and continued on to Sydney in 1803.
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We see William Buckley with your John Boothmanon the original arrival list.
Gone and Away by departure time!!
Sue
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Many thanks Genni, I'm slowly getting my head around it.
Not only was John Broadhurst Boothman a part of the Port Phillip settlement and Hobart Town, but he got a ride on the "Lady Nelson" which (with the "Investigator" under the command of Matthew Flinders) explored much of the coastline of Australia.
There are so many discrepancies on the www. It seem that the Tasmanian Archives Web Site does not even have a listing for the Lady Nelson for 1804, the first being 1812. However it then lists them arriving on 1st ?? January 1804 aboard the "Calcutta" including John Broadhurst Boothman.
And Sue, I'm glad my John boothman did not go with William Buckley, otherwise I would not be here ;D
Kevin
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There is a book I read quite some time back called, "Buckley's hope" by Craig Robertson.
Gives a huge amount of detail on the settlement at Sorrento and if I recall he provides references. Most is about Buckleys life.
I was able to get this book at my local library which is in the Monash group. I am sure you could arrange to get it through Library exchange.
hope this helps. :D
Margaret
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Hi Kevin, If you are interested in the Lady Nelson, you might want to check out the Irene Schaffer website
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~schafferi/
Irene (that's not me) concentrates on our convict ancestors and her site makes for very interesting reading, and she has a particular interest in the Lady Nelson.
Happy searching.
Regards, Irene
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Finally found an on-line URL with all the information I was after.
It pays to keep searching ;D ;D ;D
http://ink.news.com.au/mercury/
Scroll down to the Frank Bolt Diary Series and there in August you'll find a complete list of everyone who was onboard the "Calcutta"
The other months are worth reading also as it describes events taking place in Hobart/Tasmania from 1st Sept 1803 to 31st August 1804.
Cheers, Kevin
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Hi Kevin
Definitely interesting reading (and I'm not up to August yet :) ) - thanks for the link
Trish
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Hi Kevin,
it is worth getting the book "Convicts Unbound" by Tipping
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There is a monument to the settlers and Calcutta personnel on Point Nepean Road beach side (on the Sorrento side of the carpark near the visitors centre at Sullivans Bay) which has names of convicts, marines and family members of the Sorrento settlement. (its a 2 sided monument)
Pretty picnic spots nearby. Beach worth a look too.
The Tasmanian based convict descendants society has lists on their site of the convicts (at least)
The signage for the monument site is easy to miss (plenty of ti-tree) so you need to check it out on a street directory or google maps to get your bearings (nearby intersections) and drive slowly!
As the survivors of the settlement moved to Tassie they are some of the first settlers there too- so if you have early Tasmanian origins you may have Calcutta connections, as I do.
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There was a group that was celebrating the centenary of the first settlement, they met in 2004 and unfortunately I was unable to attend. I had a computer crash and lost all details of the group, does anyone know if there is an ongoing group of Sullivan Bay First Settlers?
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Correction, they met in 2003!
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Hi Calcuttaman this group will be of interest to you.
http://www.htfs.org.au/settlers1804.htm
My GGGGG Grandfather was Richard Kemp also a Calcutta Convict.He was a servant to the Reverand Richard Knopwood.
Johngirl
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Hi Johngirl,
I was a member of the Hobart First Settlers group when Freda Grey was involved.
Thanks for the info - it is an amazing topic