WESTMINSTER 1848

from London 20 - 03 1848 via Plymouth - Captain Forbes Michie,
  arrived Port Adelaide on 5-07-1848

  
         SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER Newspaper (July 8, 1848) reported:
This arrival, on Wednesday last, has added 247 souls to our population, and we believe there has seldom been as instance where so many persons previously inexperienced in nautical affairs and their captain have been so well pleased with each other. The emigrants describe the conduct of the captain towards them as fatherly and indulgent; and the worthy commander assures us that they were orderly and well-behaved throughtout the voyage. The Surgeon-Super-Superintendent is also highly lauded, and the admirable condition and orderly conduct which distinguished the ship and her free passengers on arrival, confer the utmost credit on all concerned. There were no cabin passengers. The department from Plymouth having taken place on March 20th, 1848 the WESTMINSTER was only 107 days on the passage. She crossed the Line on May 1st and did not touch any port after leaving England.

Two adults and eight young children or infants died on the passage, and there were six births. There were eighty-one male and the same number of female adults.
The children numbered fifty male and thirty-five females. Part of them came from the midland counties, and part from Devon and Cornwall.

The following is a description of the adults: six carpenters, two blacksmiths, fourteen miners, forty-three labourers, four tailors, one silk-weaver, two shoemakers,
twenty-six domestic servants (male and female), one gardener, one groom, one gardener-groom, two shepherds, two masons, one pavior and one laundress.

  
Transcribed in Aug 2004 by Malcolm Frost.