Free Settler or Felon
Convict and Colonial History




Convict Ship City of Edinburgh - 1832


Embarked 145 men (6 re-landed)
Voyage 101 days
Deaths 0
Surgeon's Journal - Yes
Tons: 366 Crew 28 men
Previous vessel: Southworth arrived 14 June 1832
Next vessel: Lady Harewood arrived 5 August 1832
Captain Giles Wade
Surgeon Anthony Donoghoe
Follow the Irish Convict Ship Trail
Prisoners and passengers of the City of Edinburgh identified in the Hunter Valley region


The City of Edinburgh was one of six convict ships departing Ireland in 1832. In all 1012 prisoners were transported from Ireland to New South Wales in 1832 - 276 women and 736 men.

Ireland

The City of Edinburgh arrived in Dublin from London on 15th February and in Cork on 26th February 1832.

The prisoners to be embarked came from counties throughout Ireland including Longford, Louth, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Cork, Kilkenny, Waterford, Dublin, Tyrone, Roscommon, Sligo, Antrim, Down, Kings Co., Kerry, Queens Co., Limerick, Leitrim, Londonderry and Tipperary. They were brought into Cork to await transportation. The convict establishment at Cork consisted of a convict depot and a hulk at Cove. Under arrangements made by Dr. Edward Trevor, female prisoners were held in the depot and male prisoners were sent directly to the hulk moored in the harbour. [1]

Six men were re-landed while still in Cork including Owen Donohue, John Fitzsimons, Michael Lynch, James Lyne and Joseph Sullivan. Cholera was rife in Cork as well as other parts of Ireland and England in 1832 and the surgeon would have been careful not to embark any prisoners showing suspicious symptoms.

As the City of Edinburgh sailed out of Cork Harbour on 18th March 1832 she took with her 139 male prisoners, most of whom would never see Ireland again.

Having been already embarked on the vessel many days previously, the prisoners may have been unaware of the celebrations taking place a few miles away in the city of Cork. Sunday 18th March 1832 was the very day that the liberator Daniel O'Connell made a public entry into the city of Cork. A splendid chair had even been manufactured at great expense especially for the occasion. In the Life and Times of Daniel O'Connell, Will Fagan wrote of the event.......

On the occasion of this visit to Cork, it was determined by the popular party, to give him a public entry, and grand entertainment. The public entry took place on a Sunday; it being the only day on which the Trades could attend. There never before was such a demonstration. You may think of the triumphs of the Roman Consuls, or the brilliancy of a Royal Procession - but for enthusiasm, and the exhibition of devotion to country, and to the individual, nothing ever before 1832, equalled the triumphal entry of O'Connell into Cork. It was not a very favourable day, and the Trades - all decorated with their respective emblems, and carrying banners, bearing various devices and inscriptions, had to wait for some hours, exposed to a bleak searching wind, for the Liberator's arrival at the appointed rendezvous, about three miles from Cork. At last he arrived in an open travelling carriage, amidst the most deafening shouts from the vast assemblage. On his arrival, the head of the procession moved on, passing him in military array. It had nearly reached Cork, before the last Trade filed off before him. The carriages of the principal citizens then followed. On his approach to the City, he was surrounded by at least half a million of people on horseback and foot - men, women, and children; and yet not an injury was suffered - not an accident occurred. It was a glorious day for Ireland [2]

For those prisoners on the City of Edinburgh sailing out of the harbour forever on 18th March, it was probably a day of sadness, remorse and, as debilitating sea sickness took hold, anxiety and fear.

Military Guard

The Guard consisted of 14 privates of 17th regt., 14 privates of the 4th regt and 1 serjeant of the 40th. under the orders of Lieut. Baylis.

Cabin and Steerage Passengers

Cabin passengers included Mrs. Baylis, four boys and three girls.

In the steerage Mary Crawley a free servant. Also the wife of a soldier of the 4th regiment and one woman and two children belonging to a soldier of the 40th regiment also came steerage.

Surgeon Anthony Donoghoe

This was Anthony Donoghoe's first voyage as Surgeon Superintendent of a convict ship. He kept a Medical Journal from 2 February to 11 July 1832.......Although the medical cases had been few there were a number of prisoners who made vague complaints of pain around the heart which he found on examination was pain around the abdomen arising from indigestion because of sea sickness. As well as illness, two or three cases of general debility, old age and the cases of the women and children belonging to the guard caused him to expend the supply of medical comforts by the time they had reached Sydney. [3]

Port Jackson

The City of Edinburgh arrived in Port Jackson on 27th June 1832.

There is mention in the surgeon's journal of Lieutenant Stuart, aged 22, of the 44th Regiment. He was put on the sick list a day before arriving in Sydney and said to be suffering from depression of mental spirits. He was sent to the Liverpool Asylum on arrival.

Convict Muster

The Colonial Secretary conducted a muster on board on 2nd July 1832. There had been no deaths on the voyage out.

The Muster revealed that many of the prisoners had been employed as ploughmen, spadesmen, gardeners and labourers in Ireland. There were also a few soldiers who had been court-martialled for mutiny or desertion.

Many of the prisoners were convicted of various forms of stealing; there were also those who had committed more serious and violent crimes - arson, perjury abduction and manslaughter. There were several cases of violent assault, making unlawful oaths and of carrying fire arms.

Twenty four year old James Dwyer ended his days at the hands of an executioner just seven months after arrival having been found guilty of the murder of Henry Dawkins at Bathurst.

The youngest prisoner on this voyage was John Carty who was only eleven years old.

Notes and Links

1). Anthony Donoghoe was also surgeon on the convict ship Parmelia in 1834 Hive in 1835 and the Calcutta in 1837

2). Hunter Valley convicts and passengers arriving on the City of Edinburgh in 1832

3). Political Prisoners

4). Calendar of convictions in Castlebar Gaol Summer Assizes 1831.........

Michael Gallagher - sheep stealing - seven years transportation
John Malley jun. and James Malley - sheep stealing - seven years transportation
Thomas McHugh and Patrick Lenaghan - cow stealing seven years transportation
Patrick Quin, Anthony Barret and Patrick Mulloy - burglary and robbery death recorded.
Laurence Loughlin - robbing - transported for life William Foy, Thomas Maughan, Patrick Conry, Martin Conry, James Conolly, Peter Ferick McNamara, John Foy, Edward Walsh and James Walsh - administering illegal oaths - transported for life.
- Connaught Telegraph 10 August 1831

5). Convict Ships bringing detachments of the 4th (King's Own) Regiment

Jane departed Cork 29 April 1831. Commander of the Guard Captain George Mason

Surry departed Portsmouth 17 July 1831. Commander of the Guard Captain Charles Waldron 38th regt.

Asia departed Cork 6 August 1831. Commander of the Guard Captain Richard Chetwode

Norfolk departed 15 October 1831. Commander of the Guard Lieut. David William Lardy 4th regt.

Captain Cook departed Dublin 5 November 1831. Commander of the Guard Lieut. Gibbons 49th regt.

Portland departed Portsmouth 27 November 1831.

Isabella departed Cork 27 November 1831. Commander of the Guard Captain William Clarke 4th regt.

Bussorah Merchant departed Dublin 14 December 1831. Commander of the Guard Lieut. William Lonsdale 4th regt.

John departed the Downs 7 February 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut. George Baldwin 31st regt.,

Lady Harewood departed Portsmouth 15 March 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut. Lowth 38th regt.,

City of Edinburgh departed Cork 18 March 1832 . Commander of the Guard Lieut. Bayliss

Clyde departed Portsmouth 9 May 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut-Colonel Mackenzie

Eliza departed Cork 10 May 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut. Hewson

Planter departed Portsmouth 16 June 1832 under command of Lieuts. Bullin and Irvine of 38th regt.

Hercules departed the Downs 19 June 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut. Gibson 4th regt.

Dunvegan Castle departed Dublin 1 July 1832. Commander of the Guard Lieut. Thomas Faunce 4th regt.

Parmelia departed Sheerness 28 July 1832 under Command of Captain Young 38th regt.

Waterloo departed Sheerness 12 March 1833 under Command of Captain Mondilhan 54th regt.


6). 4th (or The King's own) Regiment of Foot

References

[1] National Archives Ireland. Chief Secretary's Office Registered Papers

[2] Life and Times of Daniel O'Connell

[3] Ancestry.com. UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857. Medical Journal of Anthony Donoghoe on the voyage of the convict ship City of Edinburgh in 1832. Original data: The National Archives. Kew, Richmond, Surrey.

[4] Bateson, Charles and Library of Australian History (1983). The Convict Ships, 1787-1868 (Australian ed). Library of Australian History, Sydney : pp.350-51.