Lady Mary Pelham (1816 ship)

History
United Kingdom
Name: Lady Mary Pelham
Namesake: Mary Pelham, Countess of Chichester, sister to Emily Cecil, Marchioness of Salisbury
Builder: John Pelham of Rotherhithe
Launched: 1816
Fate: Wrecked 31 August 1849
General characteristics
Class and type: Falmouth Packet
Tons burthen: 193,[1] or 206, or 207[2] {bm)
Length: 84 ft 2 in (25.7 m)
Beam: 24 ft 0 in (7.3 m)
Sail plan: Brig, later barque

Lady Mary Pelham was a brig launched in 1816 that initially worked as a Falmouth packet. After her modification to a barque she became part of the South Australia Company's fleet of 1836. She later served as a whaler and transport between Van Diemens Land and Portland, Victoria.

The first 20 years

Lady Mary Pelham first appeared in Lloyd's Register with Hay as master and owner, and trade Falmouth packet.[1] Her first captain, Jainer Hay, took charge of her on 10 January 1816.

Henry Cary, R.N., became master in 1820.[3] From 1822 under Anselm Hatch, she carried Irish migrants to New York City.[4]

Lady Mary Pelham sailed from Rio de Janeiro on 5 December 1832 direct for Britain. She was carrying 800,000 dollars transhipped from HMS Clio. Clio had received the money, which was for merchants' account, from HMS Samarang, which had brought it from Peru. Lady Mary Pejham arrived in Britain around 8 February 1833.

In Australia

Lloyd's Register for 1806 showed Lady Mary Pelham with R. Ross, master, the South Australian Company as owner, and with trade London–Australia. She had undergone a large repair in 1830.[2]

George Fife Angas chartered Lady Mary Pelham. She left Portsmouth for Adelaide 30 March 1836 under Captain Robert Ross, and was the third of the fleet to leave. Her only full fare-paying passengers were Cornelius Birdseye and Mrs Birdseye. There were also five assisted emigrants, several of whom were also working as crew members. Her first mate, James Doine Thompson, died at sea.[5]

S.G. Henty & Co. of Portland, Victoria, purchased her and refitted her in Hobart Town as a whaler. As a whaler, her first captain was John Mills [6] followed in 1841 by John Harper, then in 1844 by William Dutton (1811–1878), sometimes referred to as "William Pelham Dutton". Dutton killed 100 whales in his career, the last being in 1866, and is considered one of the founders of Portland.[7] He gave up command of Lady Mary Pelham in 1847 to Rosevear; Henty sold her that same year.[8] She underwent repairs in Launceston and put in the charge of Captain Thomas Wing.[9]

Loss

Lady Mary Pelham was wrecked on 31 August 1849 at Port Fairy, Victoria, or Belfast as it was then officially named. She was anchored off the port awaiting a favourable wind when a fierce gale broke her chains. Captain Wing deliberately beached her, with the result that no lives were lost and most of her cargo was salvaged. Her back was broken and by mid-October wave action had completely broken her up.[10]

In art and public monuments

  • The National Maritime Museum Cornwall holds a watercolor by Nicolas S. Cammillieri of Lady Mary Pelham, 1818.[11]
  • A group of monuments overlooking Reeve's Point, Kangaroo Island, marks the spot where passengers disembarked from the first four ships (Duke of York, Lady Mary Pelham, Rapid and Cygnet).[12]

References

  1. 1 2 Lloyd's Register (1816), Supple. pages "L", Seq.№L66.
  2. 1 2 Lloyd's Register (1836), Seq.№L57.
  3. ↑ "National Maritime Museum Cornwall – Falmouth, Cornwall". nmmc.co.uk.
  4. ↑ "Enhanced British Parliamentary Papers On Ireland". dippam.ac.uk.
  5. ↑ Leadbeater, Maureen, Adelaide Cooperative History
  6. ↑ http://home.iprimus.com.au/bobdalrymple/Brabyn/JohnBrabynMills.htm
  7. ↑ "Beginning of Portland". The Argus. Melbourne. 22 October 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 31 March 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ "Shipping Intelligence". The Melbourne Argus. 15 June 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 31 March 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  10. ↑ "Shipping Intelligence". The Argus. Melbourne. 7 September 1849. p. 2. Retrieved 31 March 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ http://www.nmmc.co.uk/index.php?/camillieri_pictures/the_pictures/lady_mary_pelham/
    There is considerable controversy about the identity of this artist. The Maritime Museum, Cornwall attributes the series to a Nicholas Cammillieri (ca.1773–1880); the Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts to the French Nicholas Cammillieri (1768–1828), whose son Nicholas S. Cammillieri (ca.1798–1856) was also a painter of maritime subjects.
  12. ↑ "Projects". advancekingscote.com.

Sources

  • "» Lady Mary Pelham » Bound for South Australia". boundforsouthaustralia.net.au.

Further reading

  • Learmonth, Noel F. The Portland Bay Settlement: Being the History of Portland from 1800 to 1851 Portland, Victoria 1933
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