Bussorah Merchant (1818 ship)

Design

Bussorah Merchant was built in 1818 at Calcutta, from teak. She was 531 tons (bm) and had three masts. She was felted and doubled in 1833, had repairs to topsides and decks in 1846, and was sheathed with yellow metal in 1849. Later repairs were undertaken in 1852, when she was again sheathed with yellow metal, fastened with iron bolts.

Career

Bussorah Merchant made one trip to Bengal for the British East India Company. Captain Francis Goddard Stewart left the City Canal on 24 May 1825 and on 20 June was at the Lower Hope (Reach 10 on the Thames River). She reached Madeira on 10 July, reached Kedgeree on 14 November, and arrived at Calcuta on 21 November. On this voyage she was carrying a detachment of the 38th Regiment of Foot. On 6 November there was a court martial at Fort William, of Lieutenant Francis Bernard of that regiment for insubordination during the journey towards Captain Greene, commanding officer of the regiment. The court martial found Bernard guilty of most of the charges and sentenced him to be reprimanded, and the loss of two years rank in the Army and to be placed at the bottom of the list of lieutenants in his regiment. On 26 January 1826 Bussorah Merchant left for England, stopping at Madras, which she left on 23 March. On 23 April, an altercation broke out between Lieutenant edward Kenny of the 89th Regiment of Foot and Mr. Robert Charlton, the ship's surgeon. The altercation resulted in Lieutenant Kenny shooting and killing Mr. Charlton. Bussorah Merchant arrived at London on 9 July. There Lieutenant Kenny was tried at the Old Bailey on 25 October. The court found Lieutenant Kenny guilty of manslaughter and fined him £10.

On her first convict voyage, under the command of James Baigrie and surgeon Robert Dunn, Bussorah Merchant departed London on 27 March 1828, with 170 male convicts. She arrived in Sydney on 26 July 1828. There were four convict deaths en route. The ship was quarantined upon arrival at Spring Cove (near Manly). This was the first time this location was used for quarantine purposes. This was not the first time a ship was quarantined in Australia, that had occurred 10 years earlier. The area of Jeffrey Street in Kirribilli was the first site in Australia to be used for quarantine purposes in 1814 with the Surry.

On her second convict voyage, under the command of George Johnston and surgeon William Henderson, she departed The Downs on 6 October 1829 with 200 male convicts. She arrived in Hobart on 18 January 1830 and had two deaths en route.

On her third convict voyage, under the command of John Moncrief and surgeon James Gilbert, she departed Dublin on 16 August 1831, with 198 male convicts. She arrived in Sydney on 14 December 1831. There were no convict deaths en route.

She later plied the London-Australian route, and was owned by Duncan Dunbar and Company.

The Maritime Museum of Tasmania cites the Bussorah Merchant's voyage from Ireland to Hobart in 1837 as an example of ignorance of good hygiene. On that voyage four women and 64 out of 133 children died, most of measles and smallpox.

On her subsequent voyage Bussorah Merchant left Bristol 15 April 1839 with 236 emigrants to Australia, 84 of them children, of whom only two died during the voyage. She arrived at Port Jackson 3 December 1839.

On 2 February 1845 Bussorah Merchant left England with Bishop Epalle, Vicar Apostolic of Melanesia and Micronesia. He brought with him seven priests and six brothers to establish the first Catholic missions in Western Oceania. Bussorah Merchant arrived at Cape Town on 1 May and stayed there for three days. She then delivered her passengers to Sydney, where she arrived on 21 June.

Fate

Bussorah Merchant was last listed in 1865.