PIONEERS AND SETTLERS BOUND FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIAHERO 1838Hero from Sydney, arrived Pt Adelaide April 2nd 1838 - general cargo (principally furniture) - no mention of passengers HERO from Pt Adelaide arrived Encounter Bay June 18th 1838 Hero from Encounter Bay arrived Pt Adelaide Oct 22nd 1838 |
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William HOWLETTBill Howlett, of Flagstaff Hill SA, has provided the following:Lloyds of London records state that William HOWLETT, at the young age of 13 years was permitted to join his father on a voyage from London to Calcutta in 1829. However, at Calcutta, William "signed off" the La RECHERCHE and joined the crew of a Brig named the HERO. It can only be assumed that the father and son relationship on board was unacceptable, or perhaps a more lucrative offer was received from the Hero's captain. Thus William advanced as a sailor until in 1835, when the Hero, in port in Devon England, was requisitioned by the English government for convict transportation to Sydney Australia and the crew were dismissed to be replaced by a Mariner group, who also acted as guards. These naval marines, on arrival at Sydney, were to stay in the colony with the convicts. The Captain and his crew were to return to England and were discharged on the Brig's arrival. |
So the Hero's captain, W.W. Hughes, requested his sailors, still in port in Devon England, to obtain passage to Australia by whatever available means, in order to join him for the return voyage. The known sailors on the Hero in 1838 were: - William Jolly - 1st Officer Samual Jackson William Howlett (18) Edward Hogben George Hogben Charles Maidment Walter Maidment Isaac White All the crew decided to return to Australia by personal means. As free citizens, such passage was almost impossible, so William HOWLETT and at least 5 other sailors applied to the newly formed South Australia Company in London. He requested permission to emigrate and was accepted. Whilst his fellow sailors arrived thus:- Captain Walter W. Hughes - Delhi arriving 20.12.1839 Charles Maidment Charles Kerr 28.12.1839 Edward Hogben - Resource 1839 William Jolly - Recovery 1839 Samual Jackson - Cygnet 1841 Isaac White - arrival date not known David Harvey - Arab 1843 Source: Bill Howlett, Flagstaff Hill SA |
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Now we have an interesting conumdrum: The following is recorded in the Register of Free Passenges to South Australia: HOWLETT, William 22 Applic.0295,Embark.112 Adult=1M; labourer engaged by SA Company, Address on Application: Acton Middlesex. He is recorded as being onboard the EMMA which arrived Holdfast Bay - Adelaide on October 5th 1836. 1. Records in the South Australian Archives [Ship Manifest] indicate that another William Howlett left England in 1839 on the sailing ship ANNA ROBERTSON and arrived in Adelaide on 20th September, 1839. 2. I believe that the William Howlett who applied for free passage on May 24, 1839 - Applic.5002 aged 19, gardener, no Embark.Number issued, is the same as follows: BISA records a William HOWLETT - par: Chas and Temperance nee CHANNEL born 24.5.1820 Ampton SFK END d: 20.1.1884 Woodchester SA arr: 1839 FAIRFIELD occ: Publican res: Tiers ret: Meth m: 14.4.1841 Adelaide SA Mary nee HOGBEN par: Wm and Sara Eliz nee Divers born 1821 Dover KEN END d: 29.9.1919 Morwell VIc ch: Chas Wm (1842-), Henry (1844-1915), Sara E. (1845-), John (1846-), Jas (1848-), Ellen (1848-1928), Susannah (1851-), William (1853-), Fredk (1856-), Alfred. This William Howlett would have been aged 19 when he arrived in South Australia in 1839. Perhaps we may not ever know which William Howlett was the crew member of the HERO. Thanks Bill Howlett, of Flagstaff Hill SA, for providing the above information. |
