298. Convict Ship.- [?Bacon (Thomas, Master of the “Joseph Somes” & “Lord Auckland” )] Personal logs of 3 voyages, including 2 voyages transporting convicts to Hobart, First Voyage, on “Joseph Somes”: Woolwich to Hobart and thence to Geelong, “Bass Strait towards Sydney”, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, “Strait of Malacca”, Bombay & London, 96pp., 10th November 1845 - 30th March 1847; Second Voyage, on “Joseph Somes”: Deptford via Cowes to Hobart and thence to Geelong, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bombay & London, 135pp., 19th April 1847 - 24th April 1849; Third Voyage, on “Lord Auckland”: Eastern London Dock to Ascension Island, Bombay, Calcutta, China, Singapore, Colombo [Sri Lanka], to London, 118pp., 15th July 1850 - 8th June 1852, ?autograph manuscript, together 349pp., printed title (not filled in), ruled in red, water-staining at beginning and end (first 31ff. & blank pp. at end only affected), slightly browned, original half morocco, rubbed, lacks most of spine, 4t, 1847-52.
est. £3000 – £5000
An illuminating record of a convict ship with references to the prisoners and weather observations.
First Voyage: “Monday Nov. 10th 1845. Joined the ‘Joseph Somes’ lying in the East India Dock fitting and preparing to be removed from to Deptford then to be fitted for the conveyance of Convicts to Van Diemen’s Land. 12th November. Embarked 108 convicts brought as yesterday from Millbank, making in all 250. On Saturday 13th signed the Bond for the Convicts at White Hall. 14th Jas. L. Clark Surgeon RN superceded Dr McLaren as Superintendent. Thursday 25th December. Punished Chas. Marshall and John Sullivan (Prisoners) the former with 42 and the latter with 12 lashes. Monday 5th January. Got off Fresh Beef and vegetables for Guard and Convicts and received also 6 tuns of water. Punished Timothy Wright and John Hanford with 18 lashes each, John Man with 12 lashes, and McIntosh with 8 lashes for being in the cable locker last night at 9 o clock attempting to cut through into the after hold. Monday 20th April. John Yates a Prisoner died aged 25 years his death was rather sudden & unexpected, he had only been a few days in the hospital. Tuesday 19th May. Thomas Cox a private soldier fell overboard from the forecastle, and tho the man in the pilot boat astern caught him was unable to retain his hold without being dragged out of the boat himself as the soldier was too drunk to make the least effort... . Friday 29th May. Disembarked the remainder of the convicts making in all 243 landed out of 250 embarked 7 having died on the passage.”