HMS Calcutta 1803-1804

[redmr2red]

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

[Kiwigal]

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

[trish251]

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

[gennig]

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

[trish251]

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

[redmr2red]

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

[trish251]

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

[gennig]

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

[sparrett]

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