Minstrel (1811 ship)

Minstrel was launched at Hull in 1811. She transported convicts to Australia in 1812 and again in 1825. Between these voyages she traded east of the Cape of Good Hope under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). In 1829 she brought immigrants from England to the Swan River Colony. She then traded widely, including across the Atlantic. Minstrel foundered in March 1851.

History
United Kingdom
Name: Minstrel
Builder: Barkworth, Paull, Kingston upon Hull[1]
Launched: 1810, or 5 February 1811[1]
Fate: Foundered 31 March 1851
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 351,[2] or 351​40⁄94,[1] or 354, or 357 (bm)
Length: 104 ft 5 in (31.8 m)[1]
Beam: 28 ft 6 in (8.7 m)[1]
Propulsion: Sail
Complement: 56 crew
Armament:
  • 1811:2 × 6-pounder guns + 8 ×12-pouder carronades
  • 16 guns

Career

Minstrel first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1811 with S.Dick, master, changing to J.Reed, Hall & Sons, owners, and trade Hull–London, changing to Hull–Lisbon.[2]

Under the command of John Reid, Minstrel left England on 4 June 1812 with 127 female convicts. She sailed together with Indefatigable and they reached Rio de Janeiro on 29 July. There they joined Archduke Charles, which was transporting convicts from Ireland, also for Port Jackson. The three vessels left Rio together on 11 August, but Archduke Charles parted the next day. Six days after they left Rio, a gale separated Minstrel and Indefatigable.

Minstrel arrived at Port Jackson on 25 October.[3] One female convict had died on the voyage,[4] and one may have been relanded before Minstrel left England.

Minstrel left Port Jackson on 14 January 1813 bound for Norfolk Island.[5]

Minstrel arrived from Port Dalrymple at Port Jackson on 4 April 1813 and left for England on 6 July.[5] She had brought 63 passengers from Norfolk Island as the government closed down the penal colony there.

In 1813 the EIC had lost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a license from the EIC.[6]

On 16 September 1815 Captain T.Harvard sailed Minstrell for India.[7]

In March 1817 Minstrel, H.Bristow, master, sailed from England for Fort William, India.[8]

On 17 July 1819 Captain H.Bristow sailed Minstrell from London for British Bencoolen under a license from the EIC.[9] LR for 1820 showed Minstrel with H.Bristow, master, Palmer & Co., owners, and trade London–India.[10]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1825 Arkel Brown & Co. London–Batavia LR
1830 Arkol Brown & Co. London–Swan River LR; small repairs 1825

In 1825 Captain Charles Arckoll sailed Minstrel on a second voyage transporting convicts to New South Wales. She left Portsmouth on 17 April 1825 and arrived at Sydney on 22 August.[11] She had embarked 121 female convicts and she suffered no convict deaths en route.[12]

Captain Arckoll sailed from England on 20 September 1829 with settlers for the Swan River Colony. Minstrel arrived there on 20 January. She landed 46 settlers.

New owners c.1833 transferred Minstrel's homeport to Newcastle. By 1839 her homeport was Hull.

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1835 Skipsey Smith & Son Newcastle–Petersburg LR; large repair 1833
1840 Jenkinson T.Ward Hull–Odessa LR; large repair 1833 & 1836
1845 Jenkinson T.Ward Hull LR; large repair 1833 & 1836, & small repair 1844
1850 Jenkinson T.Ward Hull–Quebec LR; large repair 1847

Fate

Her crew abandoned Minstrel on 31 March 1851 in the Atlantic Ocean. Nicholas (or Nicholas Biddle) rescued them.[13][14][15] Minstrel was on a voyage from Hull to Boston, Massachusetts.[16]

Citations
  1. Hackman (2001), p. 299.
  2. LR (1811), Supple.pages "M", Seq.№M22.
  3. Bateson (1959), pp. 290–291.
  4. Bateson (1959), p. 327.
  5. "Arrival of Vessels at Port Jackson, and their Departure". Australian Town and Country Journal, Saturday 3 January 1891, p.16. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  6. Hackman (2001), p. 247.
  7. LR (1816), "Licensed and Country Ships".
  8. LR (1818), "Licensed and Country Ships".
  9. LR (1820), "Licensed India ships".
  10. LR (1820), Seq.№M1091.
  11. Bateson (1959), pp. 296–297.
  12. Bateson (1959), p. 330.
  13. "Ship News". The Times (20776). London. 15 April 1851. col F, p. 7.
  14. "Ship News". The Standard (8321). London. 12 April 1851.
  15. "Ship News". Glasgow Herald (5031). London. 18 April 1851.
  16. "Loss of the Barque Minstrel, of Hull". The Standard (8327). London. 19 April 1851. p. 1.

References
  • Bateson, Charles (1959). The Convict Ships. Brown, Son & Ferguson. OCLC 3778075.
  • Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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