Simon Taylor (ship)
Encyclopedia
The Simon Taylor was a barque
used to transport
convicts to Western Australia
.
Built in 1824 for Meek and Co., it was constructed at the Blackwall Yard
on the River Thames
in London
. On completion, it was registered to S. Taylor. It weighed 431 tons, the passenger deck was 140 feet long, and there was a height of 7 foot 6 inches between decks. Between 1829 and 1837, the Simon Taylor made a number of voyages to Jamaica
; a voyage to Mauritius
in 1833 is also recorded. Records indicate that the ship's captain in 1830 was a Mr. Christie. In 1837 ownership of the Simon Taylor was transferred to R. Taylor, and over the next two years it was restored. Once restored it was transferred to Thomson and Co. In 1840 it made a voyage under a Captain whose name is recorded as "Mr. Slater". From 1841 the Captain was Thomas Brown.
From 1841 to 1846, the Simon Taylor made a number of voyages to Bombay
, India
. It began such a voyage from London on 30 April 1842, but although listed as bound for Bombay it docked at Fremantle, Western Australia
on 20 August. 242 passengers were alighted, of which 219 were assisted migrants to Western Australia
, and a further 18 were Parkhurst apprentices
, These were juvenile criminal
s from the Isle of Wight
, who were transported to Western Australia but pardoned on arrival on the condition that they take up an "apprenticeship" with a local settler.
From 1847 to 1849 the Simon Taylor made a number of voyages to Calcutta
. On 7 June 1849 it was returning from Jamaica when it was driven ashore on shingles off the south coast of England
, and broke up. There are no further records of the ship after that date.
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
used to transport
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
convicts to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Built in 1824 for Meek and Co., it was constructed at the Blackwall Yard
Blackwall Yard
Blackwall Yard was a shipyard on the Thames at Blackwall, London, engaged in ship building and later ship repairs for over 350 years. The yard closed in 1987...
on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. On completion, it was registered to S. Taylor. It weighed 431 tons, the passenger deck was 140 feet long, and there was a height of 7 foot 6 inches between decks. Between 1829 and 1837, the Simon Taylor made a number of voyages to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
; a voyage to Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
in 1833 is also recorded. Records indicate that the ship's captain in 1830 was a Mr. Christie. In 1837 ownership of the Simon Taylor was transferred to R. Taylor, and over the next two years it was restored. Once restored it was transferred to Thomson and Co. In 1840 it made a voyage under a Captain whose name is recorded as "Mr. Slater". From 1841 the Captain was Thomas Brown.
From 1841 to 1846, the Simon Taylor made a number of voyages to Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It began such a voyage from London on 30 April 1842, but although listed as bound for Bombay it docked at Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
on 20 August. 242 passengers were alighted, of which 219 were assisted migrants to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, and a further 18 were Parkhurst apprentices
Parkhurst apprentices
The Parkhurst apprentices were juvenile prisoners from Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, sentenced to "transportation beyond the seas" and transported to Australia and New Zealand between 1842 and 1852...
, These were juvenile criminal
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
s from the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, who were transported to Western Australia but pardoned on arrival on the condition that they take up an "apprenticeship" with a local settler.
From 1847 to 1849 the Simon Taylor made a number of voyages to Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. On 7 June 1849 it was returning from Jamaica when it was driven ashore on shingles off the south coast of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and broke up. There are no further records of the ship after that date.