The Sesostris was built at Hull in 1807.[1] The Morning Post reported in November 1826 -
Portsmouth 28th November - It has blown very hard all the day; the outward bound remain all well. The Hope from Exmouth to London got on shore on Bambridge Ledge this morning, knocked her rudder off and is leaky; in making for the harbour accompanied by two pilot boats, she ran on board the Sesostris, for New South Wales, and carried away her bowsprit. [2]
Departure
It didn't take long to make the necessary repairs and the Sesostris departed Portsmouth on Wednesday 30 November 1825.
Military Guard
A detachment of the 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Infantry embarked on the Sesostris on 26th November 1825 at Portsmouth. They were under the orders of Major John Campbell and Ensign Benson. Some of the soldier's mentioned in the surgeon's journal included:
Private W. Warren,
Private G. Farnham,
Private Samuel Fairman,
Private Mark Lane,
Private E. Jennings,
Private J. Steadman,
Private S. Hardcastle,
Private D. Mitchell,
Private R. Stevenson,
J. Grant.
The wife of Private Hynes gave birth to a daughter in the ship hospital which had been divided off from the sick men as the soldier's berth was even more crowded.
The Band of the 57th joined its Corps by the Sesostris.
Surgeon John Dulhunty
John Dulhunty kept a Medical Journal from 5th November 1825 to 22 March 1826.[3]
Two sons of John Dulhunty, Robert Venour Dulhunty and Lawrence Vance Dulhunty, came previously as passengers on the convict ship Guildford in 1824
Free Passengers
Passengers included Mr. J. Dulhunty, Mrs. Dulhunty, Miss Dulhunty, Mr. J.B. Clay, and Mr. N. Eise together with 8 women and 12 children belonging to the troops.
Port Jackson
The Sesostris sailed direct without making any stops and arrived in Port Jackson on Tuesday morning 21 March 1826, a voyage of 111 days. (See Advantages of various routes of convict ships)
Convict Muster
A Muster of 147 convicts was held on board by Colonial Secretary Alexander McLeay on 22nd March 1826. Three convicts had died on the voyage out. - George Archer, William Bray alias Irish and George Milford. Nine were sent to the hospital in Sydney on arrival including James Briggs from Essex, Robert Brown from Suffolk, James Cotterill from Warwickshire, Edward Edgar from Sussex, William Geary from Suffolk, William Hanson, Thomas Joggins or Giggins from Essex.
Convict Indents include the name, age, religion, education, marital status, family, native place, trade, offence, date and place of trial, sentence, prior convictions, physical description, remarks and to whom assigned on arrival. There is also occasional information about deaths, pardons, prior convictions etc.
2). Major John Campbell was appointed Commandant at Melville Island and sailed with a detachment of the 57th on the schooner Isabella in August 1826 to relieve Major Barlow and a detachment of the Buffs. He returned to Sydney with the detachment on the brig Governor Phillip in July 1828.
4). Robert Bale (Ball) a shipwright and carpenter from Devonshire was convicted of arson in London on 2nd December 1824. He was sentenced to transportation for life and was received on to the York Hulk on 8th March 1825. He was transferred to the Sesostris on 16th November 1825. On arrival in Sydney he was assigned to the Dockyard. He made his escape from the colony on the Indian in August 1826.
5). Joseph Headley was tried on 12 April 1825. He returned to England and was later re-transported on the Royal Sovereign for another crime.
6). William Harris was suspected of having been transported previously. He escaped from the colony and was re-transported on the Lady Feversham in 1830.
7). James Pickup gave his occupation as Labourer and Executioner.
8). A Journal of a voyage to the Cape of Good Hope and Bombay in the Ship Sesostris by James Smith, 1829-1831. (Online)
9). Eleven convict ships brought prisoners to New South Wales in 1826 - Marquis of Hastings, Sir Godfrey Webster, Mangles, Sesostris, Lady Rowena, Regalia, Marquis of Huntley, England, Boyne, Speke and Phoenix
11). Return of Convicts of the Sesostris assigned between 1st January 1832 and 31st March 1832 (Sydney Gazette 14 June 1832; 21 June 1832; 5 July 1832)
Daniel Holland - Tailor assigned to John Howe at Windsor
Thomas Rawthorne - Tailor assigned to R. Samuel at Sydney
13). 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
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] Morning Post 30 November 1825
[3] Ancestry.com. UK, Royal Navy Medical Journals, 1817-1857. Medical Journal of John Dulhunty on the voyage of the Sesostris in 1826. The National Archives. Kew, Richmond, Surrey.