Dick (1788 ship)

For other ships with the same name, see Dick (ship).

History
Great Britain
NameDick
Owner1788:Q. Dick
BuilderPeter Everitt Mestaer, King and Queen Dock, Rotherhithe, Thames
Launched23 February 1788
FateLast listed 1822
General characteristics
Tons burthen386,[1] or 398,[2] or 402, or 403 (bm)
PropulsionSail
Armament6 × 6-pounder guns

Dick was a merchant ship built in 1788 in Rotherhithe, on the River Thames, England. She initially sailed as a West Indiaman. Her role and whereabouts between 1796 and 1810 are obscure. Later, she made two voyages as a troop transport, one to Ceylon and one to New South Wales. She then made one voyage in 1820 transporting convicts to New South Wales. She was last listed in 1822.

View of ships in Sydney Harbour c1817. State Library of New South Wales

Career

Dick first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1789.[1]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1789 Flannery Q.Dick London–Tortola LR
1795 Flannery Q.Dick London–Tortola LR

Dick disappeared from LR in 1796 and reappeared only in 1812. She first appeared in the Register of Shipping (RS) in 1810 (RS only commenced publishing in 1800). The two sources did not agree on a number of details. The registers were only as accurate as owners chose to keep them.

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1810 Macdonald Ward London–Jamaica RS
1812 Macdonald Ward London–Jamaica RS
1812 Harrison T.Ward London LR; repairs 1812
1813 Harrison T.Ward London LR; repairs 1812
1814 D.Tyrer
W.Harrison 		T.Ward Liverpool–Cork
Cowes transport 		LR; repairs 1812
1816 W.Harrison T.Ward Cowes transport LR; repairs 1812

In 1813 the British East India Company (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.[3] Dick presumably brought a cargo from India back to Britain under such a license.

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1818 Harrison T.Ward London–West Indies
London–India 		LR; repairs 1812 & 1813

Although LR showed Dick sailing to India, she did not appear on the annual lists of licensed vessels trading with India. Instead, she initially sailed to New South Wales.

On 18 March 1817, Dick, Harrison, master, arrived at the Cove of Cork, bound for New South Wales. Dick left Cork, Ireland on 3 April 1817. On 10 May she was at Rio de Janeiro; she sailed again on 11 June. She arrived at Sydney on 3 September 1817. She brought troops in the form of a detachment of the 48th Regiment of Foot commanded by Major Cimitiere. Lieutenant Phillip Parker King was a passenger. Dick left Port Jackson on 5 October, bound for Madras.[4] On 24 December she arrived at Madras. She did not arrive back at Gravesend until 12 September 1818.

On 6 January 1818, Dick, Harrison, master, was at Deal, bound for Ceylon. On 1 February she was at the Cove of Cork. On 23 February she sailed for Ceylon, again serving as a transport.[5] (Sailing as a government transport obviated the need for an EIC license.) She arrived at Madeira on 4 March and sailed on 6 March. On 16 May she was at the Cape of Good Hope and sailed on the 28th. She arrived at Colombo on 28 July. She sailed on to Bengal. She sailed from Colombo on 23 January 1819, presumably having returned there from Bengal. She arrived at deal on 16 May from the Cape and Ceylon.

Convict voyage (1820–1821): Under the command of William Harrison and surgeon Robert Armstrong, Dick sailed from London, England on 4 November 1820 and arrived at Sydney on 12 March 1821.[6] She had embarked 140 male convicts and had no deaths en route.[7] The guard consisted of detachments of the 24th Regiment of Foot, under the command of Lieutenant Isaacson of the 47th Regiment of Foot.[8]

Dick, Harrison, master, arrived at Batavia on 21 June. On 8 August Dick, Harrison, master, was still at Batavia, loading. She had lost anchors and cables on her way there from New South Wales.[9] She arrived at St Helena on 31 December from Batavia. On 13 March 1822 Dick arrived at Gravesend, having lost an anchor between Deal and Margate.

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1822 W.Harrison T.Ward London–India LR; repairs 1812 & 1813

Dick was last listed in Lloyd's Register for 1822.

Citations

  1. ^ a b LR (1789), Seq.No.83.
  2. ^ Hackman (2001), p. 268.
  3. ^ Hackman (2001), p. 247.
  4. ^ "Arrival of Vessels at Port Jackson, and their Departure". Australian Town and Country Journal, Saturday 3 January 1891, p.16. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  5. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 5365. 2 March 1819. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735029. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  6. ^ Bateson (1959), pp. 294–295.
  7. ^ Bateson (1959), p. 328.
  8. ^ "Ship News". The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. 17 March 1820. p. 2. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  9. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 5651. 7 December 1821. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735031. Retrieved 19 November 2020.

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.