Convict Ship Lonach
1825
Embarked: 144 men
Voyage: 111 days
Deaths 1
Surgeon's Journal: yes
Previous vessel: Minstrel arrived 22 August 1825
Next vessel: Henry Porcher arrived 3 December 1825
Master William Henry Driscoll.
Surgeon Alick Osborne
Follow the Irish Convict Ship Trail
Prisoners and passengers of the Lonach identified in the Hunter Valley
The Lonach was built in Littlehampton in 1807.[1] This was the only voyage of the Lonach transporting convicts to Australia.
Departure
The Lonach departed Cork on 16 May 1825.Military Guard
The Guard consisted of Lieutenant Donelan of 57th regiment with a detachment of the same corps.Free Passengers
Passengers included Mr. Drew and Thomas and Anne Stubbs.Surgeon Alick Osborne
Alick Osborne kept a Medical Journal from 23 March to 9th September 1825.....We sailed from Cork on the 16th May 1825 and met with strong southerly winds for eight days. Most of the convicts were country people, many of them had never seen the sea before, and consequently they suffered exceedingly from sea sickness. As soon as they got over the sea sickness, obstinate constipation and a terrific host of bowel complaints made their appearance and harassed us the whole of the voyage. Dysentery, diarrhoea, colic, constipation daily presented themselves and in some instances were extremely severe and troublesome. This class of Irish prisoners appear to be very liable to dyspepsia, and irregularity of action in the alimentary canal; and the total change in their diet combined with the effects of the depressing passions strengthens the predisposition and excites their diseases in the worst form.
After passing the Cape, late in July the weather became cold and stormy. We then issued a pair of flannel drawers to each man and a gill of wine daily, the regular allowance of lime juice and sugar of course as usual; and giving them as much exercise in the open air as weather and circumstances would permit. About a week previous to our arrival at New South Wales, I discovered symptoms of scurvy in five young men of scrofulous habit and weak constitution.[2]
Convicts and soldiers mentioned in the Surgeon's journal included:
James Murphy, convict, aged 26;
John Connor, private 57th regiment, aged 27;
Patrick Naughton, convict, aged 22; disease or hurt, he is of slender form and delicate constitution much oppressed with grief and despondency Taken ill, 23 June 1825 at sea. Died 3 July 1825.
John Donovan, convict, aged 27. [3]
Port Jackson
One hundred and forty-three male prisoners arrived in Port Jackson on 4 September 1825.Convict Muster
A Muster was held on board by Colonial Secretary Frederick Goulburn on 6th and 7th September 1825. The indents include information such as name, when and where tried, sentence, native place, trade and physical description.Departure from Port Jackson
The Lonach departed Port Jackson on 7th October 1825. Some of the voyage was noted in The India Directory written by By James Horsburgh........Captain Driscoll, of the Lonach, from Port Jackson, bound to Bombay, November 24th, 1825, passed close to the northernmost of the Borneo Coral Isles, and sent a boat to that called by Captain Ross Horsburgh Island, which Captain Driscoll made in lat. 12° 3' S., by noon observation taken two hours previously, and he made it in lon. 97°24' E. by observations of sun and moon, which agrees with the position assigned to these islands in the first volume of this work. The Lonach's boat landed on a fine sandy beach, covered with crabs and aquatic birds, and a path was perceived where the branches were parted and the leaves trodden down, leading into the jungle; several snakes were seen also ; and a large mast, with a bowsprit and teak carline, the remains of a wreck.Convicts of the Lonach identified in the Hunter Valley -
Casey, Patrick
Conaham, John
Condon, Edward
Connor, Patrick
Connors, Charles
Cotter, John
Culbert, John
Darcy, Walter
Day, William
Denahy, Patrick
Drawnen, Richard
Drew, Samuel
Dulard, Martin
Dwyer, William
Eyres, Malachy
Fairbrother, George
Foley, Timothy
Fox, John
Halfpenny, Michael
Halfpenny, Patrick
Hart, James
Houlihan, James
Kelly, John
Leonard, Patrick
Lynch, Michael
Lynch, Patrick
Monaghan, John
Mullally, James
Mullowry, Dennis
Murphy, James
O'Donnell, John
Reynolds, George
Ryan, Edward
Softy, Isaac
Thornton, William
Wall, John
Wallace, William
Webb, Patrick
Wool, James
Notes and Links
1). Alick Osborne was employed as surgeon on the convict ships Lonach in 1825 Speke in 1826, Sophia in 1829, Sarah in 1829, Planter in 1832, Fairlie in 1834, Marquis of Huntleyin 1835 and the Elphinstone in 18382). Prisoners and passengers of the Lonach identified in the Hunter Valley
3). Return of Convicts of the Lonach assigned between 1st January 1832 and 31st March 1832 (Sydney Gazette 14 June 1832; 21 June 1832).....
Walter Darcey - Harness maker assigned to James Mudie at Castle Forbes
4). Vessels bringing detachments of the 57th Regiment........
Asia 1825 departed Cork 29 October 1824 Captain Richard Heaviside
Asia (III) 1825 departed Portsmouth 5 January 1825 - Lieutenant Thomas Bainbridge
Royal Charlotte 1825 departed Portsmouth 5 January 1825 - Major Edmund Lockyer
Hooghley 1825 departed Cork 5 January 1825 Cork - Captain Patrick Logan
Norfolk 1825 departed Portsmouth 17 April 1825 - Captain James Brown
Minstrel 1825 departed Portsmouth 17 April 1825 - Lieutenant Henry John Tudor Shadforth
Lonach 1825 departed Cork 16 May 1825 - Lieutenant John William Donelan
Sir Godfrey Webster departed Cork 11 July 1825 Lieutenant John Ovens
Medway 1825 departed the Downs 2 August 1825 Downs - Lieutenant William Bates
Henry Porcher 1825 departed Dublin 5 August 1825 Dublin - Captain Vance Young Donaldson
Marquis of Hastings 1826 departed Portsmouth 22 August 1825 - Ensign Stewart
Mangles 1826 departed Cork 23 October 1825 - Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Shadforth
Sesostris 1826 departed Portsmouth 30 November 1825 - Major John Campbell
Prince Regent 1827 departed London 11 June 1827 - Lieutenant Campbell
Morley 1828 departed Dublin 3 November 1827 - Captain Robert Hunt
Borodino 1828 departed Cork 11 February 1828 Cork - Captain Philip Aubyn
Mangles 1828 departed Dublin 23 February 1828 Dublin- Lieut. Hill and Adjutant Lieut. Kidd
Bussorah Merchant 1828 departed London 27 March 1828 - Captain Burton Daveney (+ 1 soldier)
Marquis of Hastings 1828 departed Portsmouth 1828 30 June 1828 - Colonel Allen
Asia 1828 departed London 23 November 1828 - Lieutenant George Edwards
References
[1] Bateson, Charles, Library of Australian History (1983). The convict ships, 1787-1868 (Australian ed). Library of Australian History, Sydney : pp.346-347[2] Ancestry.com. UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857. Original data: Admiralty and predecessors: Office of the Director General of the Medical Department of the Navy and predecessors: The National Archives. Kew, Richmond, Surrey.
[3] National Archives - Reference: ADM 101/43/4 Description: Medical journal of the Lonach, convict ship from 23 March to 9 September 1825 by Alick Osborne, surgeon and superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed in conveying convicts from Cork to New South Wales.