PIONEERS AND SETTLERS BOUND FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA

LADY MARY PELHAM 1836


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LADY MARY PELHAM arrived Nepean Bay (Kangaroo Island) July 30th, 1836 - 122 days.


Barque, 206 tons; from Liverpool with Captain Robert Ross and 29 passengers (29 adults). This was the second ship to bring passengers to South Australia, in 1836.


Named after the wife of the second Earl of Chichester
Built 1816 at Rotherhithe, County Surrey
Owner: Burthen, tonnage 206 tons, purchased by the S.A. Company from G.F. Angas on January 22nd, 1836 but registered in his name at London on February 3rd, 1836.

View Passenger List contained within "A Folder of Newspaper Clippings", available at the State Library of South Australia - SLSA Source 58

Both Sir George Kingston [Deputy-Surveyor, passenger on the CYGNET, 1836] and Robert Russell [mate on the DUKE OF YORK, 1836] published reports of this voyage.
Their reports are at variance [the latter says the date was July 28] Souls on board 29 - 6 passengers [employees of The South Australian Company] and a crew of 23 rated as emigrants


Cargo: Provisions and whaling stores

The Kingscote Cemetery website [ http://www.ozburials.com/CemsSA/kingscotep.htm ] records the following:
In memory, of those who died, en route to this settlement;
Mr EDMUNDS, 3rd mate and Mr THOMPSON, 1st mate, "Lady Mary Pelican" [actually Lady Mary PELHAM 1836]

Whale boats were hired and/or borrowed from the Kangaroo Island sealers and whalers to meet the newly arrived ships carrying emigrants to the colony.

  1. DUKE OF YORK from London with Captain Robert Clarke Morgan, arriving Nepean Bay (Kangaroo Island July 27th, 1836 - 42 passengers
  2. LADY MARY PELHAM from Liverpool with Captain Robert Ross and 29 passengers (29 adults), arriving Nepean Bay (Kangaroo Island July 30th, 1836)
        Whale boats [un-named] were used to look for deserters from the crew of the LADY MARY PELHAM on August 20, 1836;
        and were also used to take Samuel Stephens to the LADY MARY PELHAM;
  3. JOHN PIRIE from London with Captain George Martin, arriving Nepean Bay (Kangaroo Island Aug 16th, 1836) - 28 passengers
        Whale boats [un-named] were used to meet the JOHN PIRIE on August 16, 1836;
  4. RAPID from London with Captain William Light, arrived Nepean Bay (Kangaroo Island Aug 20th, 1836 24 passengers.
        Whale boats [un-named] were used to meet the RAPID on August 21, 1836.
A Whale boat [un-named] were used to visit Salt Lagoon with Samuel Stephens [passenger onboard the DUKE OF YORK] and Captain George Martin [Master of the JOHN PIRIE] on August 18, 1836.

These boats were used extensively during the first months of life in South Australia.
A Mr Thompson was paid £1.15 on August 23, 1836 for the hire of his boat.
Walker's Whaleboat could often be seen in St Vincent Gulf in 1837.
Bradley's Whaleboat frequently sailed between Kangaroo Island and Holdfast Bay in 1837.
Stephen's Whaleboat (this might have been the one hired by Samuel Stephens from William Wright) was used to ferry Mr. H. French,
the owner of the grounded WILLIAM HUTT, from the ship to the shore at Nepean Bay on January 15, 1837.

LADY MARY PELHAM departed South Australia on September 20th 1836, arriving Hobart Sept. 26-27, 1836.
In ballast to refresh and proceed to South Seas whale fishery
Fate: Believed to have been lost while whaling in 1839

SOURCES
Compilation of a list of passengers carried on the vessels which arrived in South Australia in the early period of its history is fraught with difficulties. The absence of records is accounted for no doubt, by accidental destruction by fire of official papers.
* Although this information has been compiled in good faith, please refer to primary sources for confirmation and further research
The South Australian Company's papers, deposited in the South Australian Archives have made it possible to compile an authentic list of persons who embarked for South Australia in the Company's vessels.
Passenger and crew details were extracted from the periodical Newsletter No. 15 "Before the Buffalo";
The Story of South Australia 1800-1836 by H.J. Finnis, President, The Pioneers' Association of South Australia 1964.
(Published by The Pioneers' Association of South Australia, Murray House, 77 Grenfell St, Adelaide, South Australia).

Special thanks to the following for providing some additional information.
Perth Dead Persons' Society [Perth DPS] - http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/default.html
http://members.tripod.com/~GEKKOS/ships/whalers.htm
http://historysouthaustralia.net/Ships.htm