The Alexander was one of six convict transport ships in the First Fleet. The First Fleet carried convicts and soldiers to Australia to start a penal colony. This was the start of European settlement of Australia. The "Alexander" was a ship of 452 tons under the command of Duncan Sinclair. It was long and wide. The ship was built in Hull in 1783. The ship had a contract with the British Government to carry convicts. The owners were paid at a rate of 10 shillings per ton per month until the ship returned to Deptford. They had to agree to keep the prisoners secure and in safe custody. Many of the convicts were not suited for a long sea voyage. Eleven sick men who had been put on the ship died before the fleet sailed. The ship took 195 male convicts to Australia.
Friendship (ship)
The Friendship was a convict transport ship in the First Fleet. The First Fleet carried convicts and soldiers to Australia to start a penal colony. The ships left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January, 1788. This was the start of European settlement of Australia. The "Friendship" was a ship of 278 tons which had been built in Scarborough about 1785. It was under the command of Master Francis Walton. The ship had a contract with the British Government to carry convicts. The owners were paid at a rate of 10 shillings per ton per month until the ship returned to Deptford. They had to agree to keep the prisoners secure and in safe custody.The friendship sunk of the coast of Borneo on the way back to England.
On her return trip with the "Alexander", many of the sailors on the "Friendship" became sick with scurvy. There were not enough sailors fit enough to sail both ships. All the crew went on board the "Alexander", and the "Friendship" was scuttled (sunk) off the coast of Borneo on October 28, 1788.
Prince of Wales (ship)
The Prince of Wales was a convict transport ship in the First Fleet. The First Fleet carried the convicts and soldiers to Australia to start a penal colony. The ships left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January 1788. This was the start of European settlement of Australia. The "Prince of Wales" was a ship of 350 tons under the command of John Mason. She was built on the Thames in 1786. She was long and wide. The ship had a contract with the British Government to carry convicts. The owners were paid at a rate of 10 shillings per ton per month until the ship got back to Deptford. They had to agree to keep the prisoners secure and safe. This was the last ship to be chosen for the voyage after the Navy realized that they did not have enough space for the extra people, equipment, and supplies on the ten ships. There was one male convict and forty-nine female convicts which meant that there were only fifty convicts on the ship.
The "Prince of Wales" was still sailing around England up until 1797. In 1797 she was moved to Fort Royal, Martinique. There is no information after this.
Charlotte (ship)
The Charlotte was one of six convict transport ships in the First Fleet. The First Fleet carried the convicts and soldiers to Australia to start a penal colony. This was the start of European settlement of Australia. The "Charlotte" was built on the Thames about 1785, was a ship of 345 tons. She was under the command of Thomas Gilbert. She was long and wide. The ship had a contract with the British Government to carry convicts. The owners were paid at a rate of 10 shillings per ton per month. They had to agree to keep the prisoners secure and safe. She carried 88 male and 20 female convicts. After transporting the convicts to New South Wales, the "Charlotte" was under contract to work for the East India Company.
Lady Penrhyn (ship)
The Lady Penrhyn was one of six convict transport ships in the First Fleet. The First Fleet carried the convicts and soldiers to Australia to start a penal colony. The ships left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January 1788. This was the start of European settlement of Australia.
The "Lady Penrhyn" was a ship of 338 tons under the command of William Cropton Server. The ship had been built on the River Thames in 1786. She was long and wide.The captain, William Server, and biscuit maker, William Curtis were the owners of the ship. They had a contract with the British Government to carry convicts. The owners were paid at a rate of 10 shillings per ton per month. They had to agree to keep the prisoners secure and safe. She transported 101 female convicts to New South Wales. The convict women were kept secure with both handcuffs and chains.
After the First Fleet trip, the "Lady Penrhyn" was under contract to work for the East India Company. She left Sydney on May 5, 1788 to go to China to pick up a load of tea. The "Lady Penryhn" got back to England in August 1789.
Scarborough (ship)
The Scarborough was one of six convict transport ships in the First Fleet. The First Fleet carried the convicts and soldiers to Australia to start a penal colony. The ships left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January 1788. This was the start of European settlement of Australia.
The "Scarborough" was a ship of 430 tons under the command of John Marshall. She was long and wide. The prison deck was very small and cramped. The height of the space was only . The ship had a contract with the British Government to carry convicts. The owners were paid at a rate of 10 shillings per ton per month. They had to agree to keep the prisoners secure and in safe custody. After transporting the convicts to New South Wales, the "Scarborough" was under contract to work for the East India Company.
"Scarborough" left Australia 5 May 1788, and with the "Lady Penrhyn", sailed to China. On 17 May 1788 she landed at Lord Howe Island for birds and vegetables, and got back to England on 15 June 1789.
"Scarborough" went back to New South Wales with the notorious Second Fleet. With "Surprize" and "Neptune" she sailed from England with 253 male convicts on 19 January 1790. Her captain was again John Marshall and the surgeon was Augustus Jacob Beyer. She arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on 13 April 1790, and spent 16 days there, loading food and other items. She also picked up eight male convicts from HMS "Guardian" which had been wrecked after hitting an iceberg. She and "Neptune" were parted from "Surprize" in heavy weather and arrived at Port Jackson on 28 June, 160 days out from England. During the voyage, 73 convicts died (28%) and 96 (37%) were very sick when landed.
There were at least 4 British built ships named "Scarborough" in the eighteenth century. At least two of these were contracted to the English East India Co. for the far east trade. One of the "Scarborough"s was lost in the South China Sea on a shoal on 12 Sept 1784. All on board died and the shoal was then named Scarborough Shoal, lying at 15°11′N 117°46′E, recently the subject of sovereignty between China and Philippines. Another ship of the same name was built at Scarborough in 1782 of 430 tons but this is not the one lost on the Scarborough Shoal.
Golden Grove (ship)
The Golden Grove was a store ship in the First Fleet which carried the convicts and soldiers to Australia to start a penal colony. The ships left England in May 1787, and arrived in Australia in January 1788. This was the start of European settlement of Australia.
The "Golden Grove" was a ship of 375 tons under the command of Master Sharp. She had been built as a store ship at Whitby in 1780. She was long and wide. The ship had a contract with the British Government to transport food and equipment. The owners were paid at a rate of 10 shillings per ton per month until the ship returned to Deptford.