Stedcombe (1818 ship)
Stedcombe was launched at Lyme Regis in 1818. She traded between London and the Cape of Good Hope (CGH; the Cape), and the Cape and the Dutch East Indies. Local pirates at Timor Laut murdered her crew in 1825. Career. "Stedcombe" appeared in "Lloyd's Register" ("LR") in 1819 with Rocher, master, ownership at the Cape of Good Hope (CGH; the Cape), and trade London–CGH. "Shadcombe", Rocher, master, sailed from Falmouth for the Cape on 28 December 1818. A letter dated Cape of Good Hope, 5 July 1821, reported that "Stedcombe", Cornell, master, had taken the  cargo of "African" for Batavia. "African", of the Texel, Scholl, master, had put into the Cape on 8 May in a leaky condition and had had to discharge. "Stedcombe" arrived back at the Cape from Batavia on 12 December. "Stedcomb", G. Barnes, master, left England on 17 June 1824, bound for New South Wales. Fate. An early report had "Stedcombe" foundering on passage from London for Tasmania, after leaving part of her cargo at Melville Island. It turned out that the local inhabitants at Timor Laut had attacked "Stedcombe" in 1825, killing all but the two crewmen that they then  kept as slaves. One of the survivors died c.1836. "Stedcombe" was on a voyage from Melville Island to Van Diemen's Land. The schooner "Essington" rescued the last survivor in 1839. In December 1824 "Stedcombe" had been at Kupang on her way to the new settlement at Melville Island. At Kupang she encountered , which had arrived there from Melville Island to purchase food supplies for the settlement. "Lady Nelson" departed on the 19th and "Stedcombe" on 23 February 1825. In a letter dated 19 May 1825, Barlow wrote 'his schooner ["Stedcombe"] left this port four days after Johns' departure [in  Lady Nelson], in charge of his Chief Mate, neither have returned since. I fear they either have been wrecked or fallen into the hands of the Malay Pirates'. Citations and references. Citations References