# Scindian

Scindian is widely considered the first convict ship to transport convicts to Western Australia. She was launched in 1844 and sank in 1880.

## Career

Scindian was constructed at Sunderland, England, in 1844 and named after the Indian Scindia dynasty. She appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1844 with J.Terry, master, J. Allan, owner, and trade London-India. Lloyd's Register for 1850 showed her master as J. Cammell. Her owner was still Allan, but her trade was simply given as "London".
Scindian was driven ashore at the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Colony before 23 June 1849. She was refloated with the assistance of the steamship Phoenix.
Scindian left Portsmouth on 4 March 1850 under the command of Captain James Cammell and surgeon-superintendent John Gibson, and docked at Fremantle on 1 June 1850 after a voyage of 89 days. The vessel carried 275 people to Western Australia including 75 male convicts and 163 military pensioners. All the convicts survived the voyage. Among the passengers were a number of officials including Comptroller General of Convicts Edmund Henderson and Superintendent of Convicts Thomas Hill Dixon. Also on board was 10-year-old George Throssell, a son of a pensioner, who later became the second Premier of Western Australia.
The arrival of the convicts was a surprise to many of the Swan River Colony settlers, as Western Australia had petitioned for convicts but had not yet received a reply when Scindian arrived. As no preparations had been made for their arrival, the colony had no jail capable of housing so many convicts. This had been anticipated, and only convicts with a record of good behaviour had been sent. The convicts were initially housed in the warehouse premises of the harbourmaster, which is now the Esplanade Hotel. Shortly after the arrival, work began on the building of a Convict Establishment prison, now Fremantle Prison. After the pensioners arrived, the governor of the colony inducted 100 of them into an armed constabulary force; one of their first tasks was building the prison. The second convict transport to Western Australia was Hashemy, which arrived on 25 October.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
| 1851 | J.Cammell | J. Allan | London–Saint Helena | LR |
| 1855 | | J. Allan | London | LR |
| 1860 | | | | Not listed in LR |
| 1865 | | | | Not listed in LR |
| 1870 | | | | Not listed in LR |
| 1875 | | J.H. Allan | London | LR |
| 1880 | | Wilson & Co. | London | LR; annotation "Wrecked" |

## Fate

Scindian sank off the cost of Rio Marina, Elba, Italy on 3 November 1880. Captain Lawrenson and five other men drowned; eight crewmen were rescued.

## List of Scindian passengers

Scindian is widely considered the first convict ship to arrive in Western Australia, because she was the first to arrive after Western Australia became a penal colony. A number of ships did bring Parkhurst apprentices to Western Australia between 1842 and 1849, and while these were not considered convict ships by the Western Australian authorities, they were classified as such in English records.
Passengers on Scindian included Thomas Hill Dixon, Edmund Henderson and George Throssell. A full list is provided below.

### Convicts

Convicts :
| Name | Convict number | Age when sentenced | Crime | Trial place | Trial date | Sentence |
| William Bailey | 75 | 21 | House breaking | Central Criminal Court | 1848 | 14 years |
| James Baker | 48 | 48 | Stealing fowls | Exeter | 1847 | 14 years |
| George Barker | 39 | 23 | Pick pocket | Yorkshire Assizes | 6 March 1847 | 15 years |
| James Baxter | 32 | 25 | Violence & striking superior officer (Army) | Corfu | 1847 | 14 years |
| Francis Best | 73 | 32 | House breaking | Worcester | 1847 | 15 years |
| John Bradbury | 66 | 24 | Rape | Chester | 1848 | 20 years |
| Samuel Brakes | 26 | 35 | Burglary | Peterborough | 1848 | 15 years |
| William Branson | 3 | 33 | Sheep stealing | Leicester | 1848 | 15 years |
| Arthur Bristow | 51 | 31 | Grievous bodily harm | Kingston upon Thames | 1848 | 15 years |
| Reginald Bristow | 50 | 27 | Grievous bodily harm | Kingston upon Thames | 1848 | 15 years |
| Joseph Brown | 45 | 41 | Stealing oats & drapery | Boston Sessions | June 1847 | 14 years |
| Charles Burgess | 38 | 34 | House breaking | Maidstone | 1846 | 14 years |
| Solomon Burkett | 19 | 46 | Burglary | Peterborough | 1848 | 15 years |
| William Carter | 8 | 25 | Horse stealing | Worcester | 1847 | 15 years |
| James Cox | 53 | 38 | Stealing a watch | Dorset | 1847 | 15 years |
| John Davies | 52 | 32 | Rape | Swansea | 1848 | 15 years |
| Robert Dawes | 35 | 28 | Sheep stealing | Swaffham | 1847 | 14 years |
| Samuel Diggle | 58 | 39 | Burglary | Liverpool | 20 March 1847 | 15 years |
| John Dobson | 36 | 31 | Pick pocket | Stafford | 1847 | 14 years |
| William Drake | 42 | 25 | House breaking & stealing money | Newport | 1847 | 15 years |
| Robert Eley | 14 | 23 | Stealing a copper funnel | Durham | 1848 | 14 years |
| Thomas Faulds | 22 | 23 | Robbery with violence | Glasgow | 1847 | 14 years |
| Thomas Fletcher | 18 | 24 | Robbery with violence | Lancaster | 1848 | 15 years |
| Thomas Hargreaves | 31 | 30 | Stealing crockery | Portsmouth | 1847 | 14 years |
| Thomas Hart | 55 | 23 | Burglary | Cambridge | 17 March 1848 | 15 years |
| James Hatton | 69 | 29 | Rape | Liverpool | 1847 | 20 years |
| Thomas Hirst | 10 | 26 | House breaking | York | 1847 | 15 years |
| Robert Holder | 40 | 26 | Robbery | Portsmouth | 1847 | 15 years |
| Samuel Jackson | 16 | 36 | Robbery with violence | Chester | 0 | 15 years |
| Luke Jeffry | 56 | 26 | Stealing money | Cambridge | 1848 | 15 years |
| John Jermyn | 6 | 24 | Rape | Norwich | 1848 | 15 years |
| William Johnson | 70 | 30 | Firing stacks | Stafford | 1847 | 20 years |
| Richard Jones | 41 | 38 | Warehouse breaking | Reading | 1847 | 15 years |
| Allan Lancaster | 57 | 35 | Breaking out of gaol & stealing | Knutsford | 1848 | 14 years |
| John Larcombe | 4 | 30 | House breaking | Dorchester | 1848 | 15 years |
| William Loveridge | 34 | 29 | Arson | Aylesbury | 1848 | 15 years |
| Alexander Matthieson | 44 | 28 | House breaking | Glasgow | 1847 | 21 years |
| James Morris | 49 | 43 | Counterfeiting coin | Central Criminal Court | 1847 | 15 years |
| John Morris | 67 | 24 | Rape | Winchester | 1848 | 15 years |
| George Oliver | 65 | 28 | Robbery with violence | Chester | 1848 | 15 years |
| James Osborne | 62 | 23 | House breaking | Worcester | 1848 | 15 years |
| John Osborne | 72 | 30 | Horse stealing | Sleaford | 6 January 1848 | 15 years |
| John Patience | 2 | 30 | Burglary | Dorset | 1848 | 14 years |
| George Phillips | 30 | 33 | Absent & violence to superior officer (Army) | Bury | 1847 | 14 years |
| Matthew Porteous | 20 | 53 | Theft | Edinburgh | 28 February 1848 | 14 years |
| George Postins | 17 | 17 | House breaking | Worcester | 0 | 20 years |
| Charles Pye | 59 | 28 | Burglary | Chelmsford | 1847 | 15 years |
| James Rackham | 43 | 48 | Receiving stolen goods | Chelmsford | 1848 | 14 years |
| Thomas Rutledge Raine | 63 | 24 | Pick pocket | York | 6 March 1847 | 15 years |
| John Raison | 64 | 24 | Assault & robbery | Lincoln | 6 March 1847 | 15 years |
| John Rampling | 46 | 27 | Striking superior officers (Army) | Newcastle | 1847 | 14 years |
| George Richardson | 71 | 39 | Attempting to strike superior officer (Army) | BARBADOS | 1848 | 14 years |
| Thomas Robinson | 68 | 24 | Burglary | Maidstone | 1847 | 14 years |
| Thomas Rodrigues | 24 | 27 | Manslaughter | Liverpool | 1847 | 15 years |
| Samuel Scattergood | 1 | 36 | Sheep stealing | Leicester | 9 March 1848 | 15 years |
| James Smith | 9 | 26 | House breaking | Worcester | 1848 | 15 years |
| John Smith | 33 | 19 | Arson | Chelmsford | 1848 | 15 years |
| Samuel Smith | 37 | 28 | House breaking | Warwick | 1848 | 15 years |
| William Smith | 13 | 25 | House breaking | Worcester | 1848 | 15 years |
| Edward Spillett | 12 | 32 | Manslaughter | Maidstone | 1848 | 15 years |
| Martin Stone | 25 | 24 | Horse stealing | Dorchester | 1847 | 15 years |
| Thomas Stubbs | 21 | 20 | House breaking | Chester | 29 March 1848 | 14 years |
| James Sweeney | 15 | 58 | Uttering counterfeit coin | Caernarvon | 1847 | 15 years |
| Seymour Taylor | 28 | 35 | Stealing an oak beam | Ipswich | 1847 | 15 years |
| James Tetlow | 23 | 56 | Manslaughter | Liverpool | 1848 | 15 years |
| Alexander Thomas | 61 | 22 | Manslaughter | Swansea | 1848 | 15 years |
| George Thompson | 7 | 26 | Manslaughter | Newcastle | 1848 | 15 years |
| Thomas Trott | 11 | 28 | Stealing & assault | Lincoln Assizes | 1847 | 15 years |
| Frederick Ward | 29 | 30 | Stealing | Birmingham | 1847 | 15 years |
| George Watkins | 27 | 32 | Stealing clothes | Durham | 1848 | 14 years |
| Thomas Welsby | 5 | 26 | Robbery | Liverpool | 1848 | 15 years |
| Francis Westmoreland | 47 | 46 | Sheep stealing | Stafford | 1847 | 15 years |
| Esau Wetherall | 54 | 35 | Horse stealing | Taunton | 1847 | 15 years |
| George Wilson | 74 | 23 | Arson | Chelmsford | 1848 | 15 years |
| John Wilson | 60 | 41 | Robbery with violence | Newcastle | 1848 | 15 years |

### Pensioner guards

Pensioner guards :
| Name | Age | Notes |
| Samuel Annear | | private, sapper and miner |
| | | wife |
| Mary J. Annear | 2 | child, died on board |
| | | three other children |
| John Atkinson | | private, 2nd Queen's Dragoon Guards |
| Ann Atkinson | | wife |
| | | two children |
| George Bagg | 32 | private, Royal Marines |
| Catharine Bagg | 31 | wife |
| Sarah Bagg | 3 | child |
| Robert Baker | | private, 34th Regiment |
| | | wife and three children |
| John Barrett | 46 | private, 61st Regiment |
| Alice Barrett | | wife |
| Catharine Barrett | 2 | child |
| Mary A. Barrett | 9 months | child |
| James Bond | | private, 17th Regiment |
| Henry Burton | 44 | corporal, 54th Regiment |
| Harriet Burton | 43 | wife |
| Samuel Butterworth | | acting corporal, Royal Artillery |
| Catherine Butterworth | | wife |
| | | three children |
| James Caldwell | | corporal, 57th Regiment |
| | | wife |
| Charles Clark | | private, 40th Regiment |
| George Clark | | private, 9th Regiment |
| | | one child |
| John Coyle | | sergeant, 27th Regiment |
| | | wife and one child |
| Henry Davey | 35 | private, Royal Marines |
| Jane Davey | 24 | wife |
| | infant | child |
| John Day | | private, 31st Regiment |
| | | wife and child |
| John Dulston | | private, 80th Regiment |
| | | wife |
| Samuel Fairbrother | | private, 29th Regiment |
| William Finlay | 40 | private, 97th Regiment |
| Marjory Finlay | | wife |
| | | three children, including William Finlay jr |
| Joseph Foot | 47 | private, 76th Regiment |
| Catherine Foot | 42 | wife |
| | | four children |
| Scindian Gibson Foot | | child, born at sea |
| Patrick Gallagher | | private, 7th Battalion Royal Artillery |
| | | wife |
| Andrew Gordon | | corporal, 40th Regiment |
| Mary Ann Gordon | | wife |
| Thomas Hammond | | private, 80th Regiment |
| John Harris | 38 | private, 97th Regiment |
| Charlotte Harris | | wife |
| William Harris | | child |
| Henry Herbert | 50 | private, Royal African Corp |
| Ann Herbert | | wife |
| Henry Herbert | | child |
| Joseph Herbert | | child |
| | | one other child (Agnes Herbert Daughter) |
| John Hubble | 33 | private, 32nd Regiment |
| Jane Hubble | 20 | wife |
| William Hubble | 37 | private, 32nd Regiment |
| James Hunt | 46 | private, Royal Marines |
| | | wife and child |
| James Jones | | private, 38th Regiment, sapper and miner |
| John Kingdon | 41 | private, 43rd Regiment |
| | | wife and five children |
| John Kirwan | 42 | sergeant, 30th Regiment |
| Jane Kirwan | | wife |
| | | five children |
| Robert Lindsay | 45 | private, 2nd Queen's Regiment |
| Julia Lindsay | | wife |
| Julia Lindsay | 2 | child |
| Thomas McMullen | 42 | private, 4th Battalion Royal Artillery |
| Ann McMullen | | wife |
| | | two children |
| Henry Morgan | | private, 10th Battalion Royal Artillery |
| | | wife and three children |
| James Murphy | | private, 19th Regiment |
| Ann Murphy | | wife |
| | | four children |
| Peter Murphy | | private, 31st Regiment |
| | | wife and three children |
| Joseph Nichols | 52 | drummer |
| | | wife |
| John Nicholson | | private, 1st Regiment |
| William Oak | 35 | private, 46th Regiment |
| Daniel O'Connell | | private, 6th Regiment |
| | | wife |
| Sarah O'Connell | 2 | child |
| | | one other child |
| John O'Connor | | private, British East India Company |
| Sarah O'Connor | | wife |
| | | two children |
| Moses O'Keefe | 48 | private, 44th Regiment |
| Norah O'Keefe | | wife |
| Dennis O'Keefe | | child |
| John Payne | 48 | private, 40th Regiment |
| Michael Reddin | | sergeant, 61st Regiment |
| Jane Reddin | | wife |
| | | four children |
| Richard Roffey | | private, 59th Regiment |
| James Rourke | | private, 27th Regiment |
| Anna Rourke | | wife |
| James Rourke | 1 | child |
| | | four other children |
| John Skillen | | private, 2nd Regiment |
| | | wife and child |
| James Stark | 32 | private, 9th Regiment |
| James Stevens | 49 | private, British East India Company |
| Johanna Stevens | | wife |
| Michael Stokes | 50 | private, British East India Company (Artillery) |
| | | wife and child |
| Samuel Sutton | 39 | private, Royal Marines |
| Ann Sutton | | wife |
| Frances Sutton | 2 | child |
| | | one other child |
| James Taylor | | private, 2nd Regiment |
| (George) Michael Throssell | 42 | private, 7th Dragoon Guards |
| Jane Ann Throssell | | wife |
| Thomas Throssell | 14 | child |
| George Lionel Throssell | 10 | child |
| | | one other child |
| Peter Towers | 39 | private, Royal Marines |
| | | wife |
| Emanuel Unwin | | sapper, Royal Engineers |
| John Watkins | 33 | private, 94th Regiment |
| Elizabeth Watkins | | wife |
| | | two children |
| William Watts | | sergeant, 21st Regiment |
| | | wife and child |
| John Winfield | 44 | private, Grenadier Guards |
| | | wife and child |

### Other passengers

Other passengers :
| Name | Age | Notes |
| John Carr | | warder |
| | | wife |
| Thomas Hill Dixon | | Superintendent of Convicts |
| | | common law wife and two children |
| | | servant |
| John Gibson | | surgeon superintendent |
| Edmund Henderson | | Comptroller General of Convicts |
| | | wife and child |
| | | two servants |
| James Manning | 36 | Clerk of Works |
| Jane Manning | | wife |
| James Manning | | child |
| | | one other child |
| | | servant employed by James MANNING |
| | | corporal, Royal Engineers |
| | | private, sapper, Royal Engineers |
| | | private, sapper, Royal Engineers |
| | | private, sapper, Royal Engineers |

## Citations

* 1 2 3 4 5 LR (1775), Seq.№S366.
* 1 2 LR (1844), Seq.№S263.
* ↑ "Shipping Intelligence". Caledonian Mercury. No. 19920. Edinburgh. 17 September 1849.
* 1 2 Bateson 1959, pp. 324–325.
* ↑ Bateson 1959, p. 341.
* ↑ LR (1880), Seq.№S71.
* ↑ "Disasters at Sea". Times of London. 8 November 1880. Retrieved 4 June 2016 – via Newspapers.com.