HMS Cambrian 1850

[t_creaney]

I am hoping for some help with the following dilemma.

John Frederick Boyland was baptised at Chelsea in 1826, date of birth 13 Dec 1823. Parents John & Eleanor.

In 1843 his mother was convicted of a crime and made a statement that her son John was on a Man o’ War. This set me looking for naval records.

Found a record of John Boyland, served from Sept 1841, aged stated as 19, discharged April 1852. Part of his service showed that he was on the Cambrian between August 1847 & November 1850.

A John Boland was married in Melbourne 7th March 1850, various later records show that he was born in Chelsea.

So, is John of the naval record the same person as John in Australia?

I tried tracking the movements of the Cambrian and came up with this - it left Portsmouth in October 1847 en route to the East Indies, in 1848 it was in Hong Kong and in Nov 1850 it reached Madras, India, where John Boyland was discharged to join another ship. But nothing as to where it was in March 1850. Could it have been at Melbourne?

I would like to resolve this, prove or disprove. Thanks in advance.

tc

[km1971]

The ships log for March 1850 is in the National Archives (not online). They also have details of money sent home by the crew.

Ken

[hanes teulu]

The Times, 17 Jun 1850
NAVAL INTELLIGENCE - HONG KONG, Apr 24th - The China Squadron

The Cambrian, 40, Captain Morris, and the Fury steam sloop, Commander Wilcox, are in the way to Singapore from Colombo with detachments of the Ceylon Rifles on board to reinforce the garrison of Hong Kong.

Yet to find a specific March reference.

[t_creaney]

Ken.... I saw that earlier, I am doing this as part of a volunteer project so trying to do it from my own subscriptions & what other help I can get. I don't want to have to pay for extras & the NA could be expensive. But as a last resort.

Hanes.... I didn't check the Times, but did lots of other papers. From that April report it doesn't look like they could have been in Oz on 7th March.

Thanks both.

tc