Matilda (1779 ship)
| Career (France) |  |
|---|---|
| Launched: | 1779 |
| Career (Great Britain) |  |
| Name: | Matilda |
| Fate: | Wrecked in 1792. |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 460 (bm) |
| Sail plan: | Ship rig |
Matilda was built in France and launched in 1779. She became a whaling ship for the British Company Calvert & Co., making a whaling voyage while under the command of Matthew Weather head to New South Wales and the Pacific in 1790. Then in 1791, either owned or leased by Samuel Enderby & Sons, she transported convicts from England to Australia.[1]
She departed Portsmouth on 27 March 1791, with 250 male convicts as part of the third fleet. Nineteen officers and men of the New South Wales Corps provided the guards. Matilda arrived on 1 August 1791 in Port Jackson, New South Wales. Twenty-five convicts died during the voyage, and the ship required repairs.
Matilda was used as a whaler after her arrival. She left Sydney for the Marquesas Islands, however was wrecked in February 1792 on a shoal, later named Matilda Island, [2] but now Moruroa. The survivors, 21 crew members and one convict stowaway were later rescued, with some later picked up by Captain William Bligh on HMS Providence at Matavai Bay, while others were picked up by Jenny and Britannia.[3]
Citatiosn and references
- Citations
- ↑ Clayton (2014), p.171.
- ↑ "The Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 30 June 1857. p.3.". Retrieved 20 July 2011.
- ↑ "The Mercury (Hobart, Tasmania), Friday 18 March 1921. p.6.". Retrieved 20 July 2011.
- References
- Bateson, Charles (1974) The Convict Ships, 1787-1868. (Sydney). ISBN 0-85174-195-9
- Clayton, Jane M. (2014) Ships employed in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775-1815: An alphabetical list of ships. (Berforts Group}. ISBN 978-1908616524
- Matilda