FAIRLIE

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aukepalmhof
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FAIRLIE

Post by aukepalmhof » Fri May 15, 2009 9:20 pm

Norfolk Island issued a 25 cent stamp commemorating the wreck of the FAIRLIE, she was a small boat with the name FAIRLIE, and the following first parts comes from Log Book Vol 16 page 14.
On 14 Feb. 1840 some men sailed from Norfolk Island for a shooting excursion to Phillip Island, and when she were returning the FAIRLIE was caught in a rough surf when entering, the swell threw her up perpendicular and she rolled over and capsized.
On shore seeing what happened, a rescue boat put off, but the surf immediately set it back.
An officer and two privates of the 50th Regiment, the Coxswain and eight prisoners were saved by swimming to the beach, but Captain John C. Best and a soldier of the 50th regiment, and a Mr. McLean drowned

The vessel depict on this stamp is not the FAIRLIE wrecked on 14 Feb. 1840 on Norfolk Island. The depicted ship is most apparently the East India Company ship FAIRLIE, and she was not wrecked on Norfolk Island.

The depicted FAIRLIE was built in 1811.
Built by the yard of J.Gilmore, Calcutta for account of John Biddulph.
05 June 1811 launched under the name FAIRLIE.
A two-decked vessel, height between decks 5.11ft.
Tonnage 698 86/94 tons (bm), dim. 106.0 x 35.3 x 17.1ft.

04 June 1812 was she chartered by the East India Company for a round voyage to Bengal, she made that voyage under command of Capt. Peter d’Esterre, charter terminated on 03 June 1814.
22 May 1815 chartered again by the British East India Company, for a round voyage via Madera to Bengal, she was under command of Capt. Thomas E.Ward.
Charter finished on 05 Nov. 1816.
Her last voyage for the British East India Company under the same command, chartered on 01 April 1818 for a round voyage to Bengal and Bombay, charter finished 08 June 1819.

1824 Sold to David Gordon, and traded to India as a licensed ship.
1833 Was she under command of Capt. J.Cromartie.
She sailed on 27 Oct. 1833 from England with on board 376 convicts for Australia; she was under command of Capt. Henry Ager. After a passage of 111 days she arrived New South Wales 15 Feb. 1834. During the passage 4 convicts died. After disembarking she sailed for England.
Sailed from London 04 April 1840 with cargo and 266 passengers under command of Edward Garrett, RN. And via the DOWNS 06 April she set course for Australia. Arrived at Port Adelaide on 07 July 1840.

One of the passengers James Bowley kept a diary during that voyage.
He gives captain, 3 mates, a bosun and a crew of thirty. He joined the ship on the 3rd April, and the next day the anchor was weighed at 2 pm., she was towed by two steam tugs the SAMSON and LONDON to Gravesend, where she anchored 6 pm. On 5 April they were towed another five miles toward the Channel and at 5.30 pm anchored off The Mouse (in the Thames Estuary). Next day the two tugs towed them to Margate Roads where she anchored at 4 pm.
On 07 April at 10 am. with all sails set, she sailed from Margate Road, passing the Lizard on the 8th at 10 pm., despite having the jib-boom carried away at 4pm that day. All the passengers became very seasick in this first encounter with the deep sea, and due to the fresh breeze the topsails were reefed. The ship picked up the Southeast trade winds April 18th after sighting Porto Santo and Madeira the previous day and the ship made good time to cross the Equator at 08.15 am. On 17th May.
They were seeing the French East India barque DON PEDRO on 01 May, the ARAB 92 days out from van Diemen’s Land on May 3 in which letters were sent back home. The ADEN bound for Liverpool was sighted on the 19th. On 21 June the HUSHER bound from Scotland was spoken well as the steamer brig COURIER which had sailed 15 days before the FAIRLIE.
Points of interest mentioned include the barren bird occupied island of Trinidad and Martin, between which the ship sailed on May 16, and the Isle of St Paul on June 18.
A heavy head sea on May 12 caused the loss of the main royal mast. They lost the trades May 18 and on June 4 the Captain’s birthday, a northwesterly storm, with thunder and lighting struck the ship. Even the mainsail was furled at 6 pm. It was so wild, and the man at the wheel was temporarily blinded by a thunderbolt which struck alongside the ship.
The were more storms in mid-June and the ship leaked badly.

Bowley vividly described the cross of the line ceremonies when in the confusion a medicine chest was upset and some chemicals combined to produce smoke that led to cries of fire. Fortunately there was no fire and prayers of thanksgiving were offered.
Some characters enlivened the voyage but upset the victims when hammocks were cut down on the night of June 26.
During the voyage a challenge was issued for the fastest marathon around the deck- about 1 & 1/8th miles. A sailor won a guinea reward in a time of 9 minutes 13 seconds and it was equaled a few days later.

1843 Sold to Joseph Somes , at London.
11 March 1852 she sailed from Plymouth with on board 294 convicts under command of Capt. Ed Pavey, arrived 3 July 1850 at Hobart, during the passage two convicts died.

1865 Transferred to the Merchant Shipping Co. Ltd., London.
1866 Sold for breaking up, or used as a hulk.

Norfolk Island 1982 55c sg291, scott?

Source: Ships of the East India Company by Rowan Hackman. Migrant ships for South Australia 1836-1850 by Ronald Parsons. The Convict Ships 1788-1868 by Charles Bateson. The story on the passage is copied from the book Migrant ships for South Australia 1836-1850.
http://www.webruler.com/gprovost/ShipsF.htm
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Janelle Blucher
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Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:20 pm

Re: FAIRLIE

Post by Janelle Blucher » Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:48 pm

Good morning. I am currently updating the Australian Historic Shipwrecks Database and the Fairlie is included. Of course there is the confusion between the barque Fairlie and the small boat involved in the incident on Norfolk . Are you able to confirm where I can find the resource mentioned in the text here "Log Book Vol 16 page 14" That would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards Janelle Blucher - Norfolk Island Museum

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