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Lady Mary Pelham (1816 ship)

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History
NameLady Mary Pelham
BuilderJohn Pelham of Rotherhithe
Launched1816
Out of service31 August 1849
FateRan aground (wrecked)
Notes
  • Sister to
  • Marchioness of Salisbury
General characteristics
Class and typeFalmouth Packet
Tons burthen206 tons
Length84'2" (25.7m)
Beam24' (7.3m)
Sail planbrig, later barque

Lady Mary Pelham (1816–1849) was a brig working as a Falmouth packet which, after modification to barque 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 Ship

She was copper sheathed and copper fastened; originally configured as a brig, but modified to barque by the addition of another mast. Her carrying capacity was 206 tons, Length 84 ft. 2 in. (25.7 m.), beam 24 ft. (7.3 m.).

The first 20 years

Her first captain, Jainer Hay, took charge of her on 10 January 1816. Henry Cary, R.N. was appointed in 1820.[1] From 1822 under Anselm Hatch, she carried Irish migrants to New York.[2]

In Australia

Lady Mary Pelham was chartered by George Fife Angas for the South Australian Company, left Portsmouth for Adelaide 30 March 1836 under Captain Robert Ross, 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.[3]

She was purchased by S.G. Henty & Co. of Portland, Victoria and refitted in Hobart Town as a whaler. as a whaler; her first captain was John Mills,[4] 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.[5] He gave up command of Lady Mary Pelham in 1847 to Rosevear; Henty sold her that same year.[6] She underwent repairs in Launceston and put in the charge of Captain Thomas Wing.[7]

Her demise

She 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 able to be salvaged. Her back was broken and by mid-October she had completely broken up by wave action.[8]

In Art and Public Monuments

  • A watercolor by Nicolas S. Cammillieri Lady Mary Pelham, 1818, is held by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.[9]
  • 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).[10]

References

  1. ^ "National Maritime Museum Cornwall - Falmouth, Cornwall". nmmc.co.uk.
  2. ^ "Enhanced British Parliamentary Papers On Ireland". dippam.ac.uk.
  3. ^ Leadbeater, Maureen, Adelaide Cooperative History
  4. ^ http://home.iprimus.com.au/bobdalrymple/Brabyn/JohnBrabynMills.htm
  5. ^ "Beginning of Portland". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 22 October 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Shipping Intelligence". The Melbourne Argus (Vic. : 1846 - 1848). Vic.: National Library of Australia. 15 June 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  7. ^ http://mariners.records.nsw.gov.au/1849/05/160lad.htm
  8. ^ "Shipping Intelligence". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956). Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 7 September 1849. p. 2. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Projects". advancekingscote.com.

Sources

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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