Indispensable (1791)

The Indispensable, also known as Indispensible, was a 351 ton sailing ship built in France.

She was taken up for service with the British East India Company between 1793-1797.^[1]

She sailed to Port Jackson in May 1794 departing for Bengal in July 1794.

On her first convict voyage under the command of William Wilkinson, she sailed from England in October 1795, with 133 female convicts. She arrived at Port Jackson on 30 April 1796. Two female convicts died on the voyage. Indispensable left Port Jackson bound for China.^[2]

Serving as a privateer under William Wilkinson, with 14 guns and a crew of 32, she arrived at Rio Janeiro on 20 January 1798. She captured the Spanish ship La Union of 10 guns on 19 February 1798 and conveyed her prize to the Cape of Good Hope. She sailed to Sydney and while sailing south of Van Diemens Land, she lost two boats and one man overboard. The same storm stove in two boats and carried away several spars.

In late September 1798, Indispensable left to do some whaling and returned on 27 October 1798, and left again shortly afterwards on a second whaling voyage before returning on 29 December 1798, with 54 tons of sperm whale oil from whaling within a range of 125 miles (201 km) above and below Sydney, and within 90 miles (140 km) of the coast. The Indispensable underwent a refit and repair while in Port Jackson. Indispensable undertook numerous whaling voyages before returning to England.

On her second convict voyage to Australia, under Henry Best, she sailed from England on 2 March 1809, with 62 female convicts. She arrived at Port Jackson on 18 August. One female convict died on the voyage. Indispensable left Port Jackson for whaling, returning on 18 September with a cargo of oil and leaving on 16 October for more whaling.^[2]

Citations

References

• Bateson, Charles, The Convict Ships, 1787–1868, Sydney, 1974. ISBN 0-85174-195-9