Articles and Facts

Background information  

On Sunday 13th May, 1787 eleven small ships carrying about 1,500 people set sail from Portsmouth, England on an epic voyage of over 13,000 miles (20,900 k kilometres) and founded the nation of "Australia".
 

On 25 November, Phillip had transferred to HMS Supply. With Alexander, Friendship and Scarborough, the fastest ships in the Fleet, which were carrying most of the male convicts, HMS Supply hastened ahead to prepare for the arrival of the rest. Phillip intended to select a suitable location, find good water, clear the ground, and perhaps even have some huts and other structures built before the others arrived. This was a planned move, discussed by the Home Office and the Admiralty prior to the Fleet's departure.

However, this "flying squadron" reached Botany Bay only hours before the rest of the Fleet, so no preparatory work was possible. HMS Supply reached Botany Bay on 18^th January 1788; the three fastest transports in the advance group arrived on 19^th January; slower ships, including HMS Sirius, arrived on 20^th January.^[

On Friday, 25^th January, the HMS. Supply made history by being the first ship of the First Fleet to sail into Port Jackson where she dropped anchor at Sydney Cove, (now Circular Quay) at 7 p.m.
 

The following morning at day-break, Commander in Chief Arthur Phillip and his party went ashore and raised the Union Flag which marked the first settlement of Europeans in Australia.
The other ten ships arrived in Sydney Cove late that afternoon, after experiencing difficulties in getting out of Botany Bay.
 

When the First Fleet sailed into the English Channel on the 13^th May 1787, it was made up of the following 11 ships:-

Alexander (Barque) – Convict Transport – 452 Tons, 114 ft. (34.75m.) long and 31 ft.(9.5m) beam.
Deptford survey in October 1786 recorded her measurements of 7'3" between decks afore, 6'11" midships and abaft. 
Carried 30 Crew plus 41 Marines. Arrived with 177 male Convicts (14dv).
Skippered by: Master Duncan Sinclair. Owner: William Walton & Co.
Built as a 3 master-square rig, 1 quarter deck ± 114 x 31ft and 2 decks without galleries or figurehead, and was registered at Hull in 1783. 
The longest ship of the fleet, and little is known after her return to England and disappeared from records in 1808.

Borrowdale Store Ship – 272 Tons, 75-ft. (22.7m.) long and 22-ft. (6.7m.) beam.
Deptford survey in 1785 recorded her 272k. Height between decks after 5'8", midships 5'9", abaft 6'9" 
Carried 22 crew + 1 Marine & Wife. 
Skippered by: Master Readthorn Hobson Reed.
Built at Sunderland in 1785.
Borrowdale was a three-masted, square rigged merchant ship, launched in 1785, that served as a store ship of the First Fleet, a convoy of ships taking settlers and convicts to establish the first European colony in Australia. She was wrecked in 1789.

She was built in Sunderland in 1785, perhaps for the British East India Company (EIC). However, the British government immediately chartered her to participate in the First Fleet.

She left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, and arrived at Botany Bay, on 20 January 1788.

She left Port Jackson on 14 July 1788 to return to England via Cape Horn. The crew was so badly affected by scurvy that the master, (Readthorn) Hobson Reed, took her to Rio de Janeiro, where the harbour master and his men had to bring the ship to its berth. Five of the crew died on the homeward voyage. Borrowdale arrived at Plymouth from Botany Bay on 25 March 1789

After returning to England Borrowdale served as a collier. A violent storm developed of the coast of Norfolk on 30 October 1789 that damaged many vessels, and sank some. On 31 October 1789 Borrowdale sank off Great Yarmouth, taking Master Hobson Reed and all but one man of his crew with her.

Charlotte Convict Transport – 335 Tons, 105-ft. (32m.) long and 28-ft. (8.5m.) beam.
When surveyed at Deptford Yard on 3 November 1786 measured 6'6' afore, amid and abaft and weighed 345 tons.
Carried 30 Crew plus 32 Marines & Family + 1 Civilian. Arrived with 84 male Convicts (4dv) and 24 female Convicts.
Skippered by: Master Thomas Gilbert.
Built in 1784, a three-masted fully square rigged with neither galleries or figurehead, whereabouts not known. 
After her return to England she was sold to a Quebec merchant in 1818 and was lost off the coast of Newfoundland in November 1818.

Fishburn  A Store Ship – Whitby built in 1780, and was 378 Tons, 103 ft. (31.4m) long, 29 ft. (8.8m) beam.
According to her 1786 Deptford survey, was 6'1' between decks afore, 5'9' midships and 7'1' abaft.
Skippered by: Master Robert Brown. Owner: Leighton Co.
Leaving Port Jackson on 19^th November 1788, Fishburn kept in company with Golden Grove until losing sight of her on 11^th April 1789, after several days at the Falklands for recovery of sick crew members, Fishburn arrived home and was discharged from HM’s Service at Deptford on 25 May 1789
Like the other store ships, after her epic voyage, following her returned to England, she disappeared from records.

Only eight members of the crew of Fishburn have been identified from the ship’s log and other sources. She carried a crew of about 30 crew.

Friendship Convict Transport – 278 Tons, 75 ft. (22.9m.) long, 23 ft. (7.0m.) beam.

Carried 20 Crew, 42 Marines & Family. Arrived with 72 male Convicts (1dv). 
Skippered by: Master Francis Walton.
Little is known about where and when the Friendship was built c.1784. 
During her return voyage to England her crew came down with scurvy, and with insufficient crew to man her she was scuttled and sunk in the Straits of Macassar 28 October 1788.

Golden Grove Store Ship – 331 Tons, 103-ft. (31.4m.) long, 29-ft. (8.8m.) beam.

Carried 22 Crew plus 4 Civilians.
Skippered by: Master William Sharpe, Owner: Leighton Co. 
Built at Whitby in 1780. 
The Golden Grove had the distinction of carrying the Reverend Richard Johnson and his wife to the Colony.
Returned to England to work the London - Jamaica run and disappeared from records after 1804.

Lady Penrhyn Convict Transport – 338 Tons, 103 ft. (31.4m.) long and 27 ft. (8.23m.) beam.

Carried 32 Crew plus 18 Marines. Arrived with 102 female Convicts, 12 Children plus 2 male Convicts.
Skippered by: Master William Cropton Sever
Built at the Thames in 1786. 
Returned to England and put on the London - Jamaica run and was captured in 1811 in the West Indies.

Prince of Wales Convict Transport – 350 Tons, 103 ft. (31.4m.) long, 29 ft. (8.8m.) beam. 

Carried 25 Crew, 45 Marines & Family + 1 Civilian.  Arrived with 3 male, 62 female Convicts (1 dv) plus 3 Convicts children.  
Skippered by: Master John Mason 
Built at the Thames in 1786.
After her return to England she operated there until 1797 when her registration was transferred to Fort Royal, Martinique, after which little is known.

Scarborough Convict Transport – 430 Tons, 111 ft. (33.8m.) long, 30 ft. (9.1m.) beam. 

Skippered by: Master John Marshall - Owners: Thomas George & John Hopper
Built at Scarborough in 1782.
For the First Fleet voyage she carried 30 Crew plus 50 Marines & Family, and with 201 male Convicts (1dv).
The "Scarborough" sailed back to England and arrived back in the UK on 28 May 1789 when it sailed into the Downs. Upon return the vessel underwent repairs to make her suitable for a new voyage to Australia
The Scarborough, again under the command of John Marshall, also took part in the Second Fleet. In November 1789, many of the 259 male convicts coming aboard were in poor health and did not survive the voyage; this combined with an attempted seizure of the ship by the convicts, deterred Marshall from any further voyages of transportation but 73 convicts had died by the time Scarborough arrived in Sydney Cove on 28 June 1790.

She was the only ship of the First Fleet to return to Australia apart from the "Sirius" and the "Supply" which sailed to Cape Town and back.
The Scarborough sailed for Canton on 8^th August, arriving safely in London some-time between August and October 1791

Fate of Scarborough:
Under a new master and with major repairs Scarborough was employed on the London to St Petersburg route. With changes in ownership and masters, Scarborough was employed on the London to St Vincent (Caribbean) run and the London-West Indies /St Vincent run.

In that year the vessel suffered a major accident (partially broke up) and underwent 'good repair' including resheeting. It was then employed on the London to St.Petersburg route. The rebuilt and resurveyed vessel had its formal tonnage reduced from 600 to 411, a figure which is close to that determined by the Admiralty in 1786.
From 1793 it was given a new master, M. Hodgson, and employed on the London to St.Petersburg route. In 1795 it underwent repairs and was hereafter listed as 'London Transport." In the following year the ship was sold to S.Wharton, who took off two of the guns.

 In 1798 the command was handed to a G. Fryer. Later that year the ship was sold to G.Blakey, who appointed P.Levitt as master. The Scarborough had some damages repaired and was partly resheeted and then, armed with 6 four-pounder guns, employed on the London to Jamaica run under the command of P.Levitt.

In 1800 the vessel was owned by a Kensington, no employed on the London to St.Vincent (Carribean) run with a J.Scott as new master. During that year the ship was almost rebuilt and completely resheeted. Under the command of T. Melville the Scarborough was employed on the London-West Indies / St. Vincent run in 1801 to 1803, by which time it still carried six guns. In 1804 and 1805 the vessel was used in the London to Tobago run

The last entry for the vessel can be found in Lloyd’s Register for 1805, twenty-three years after it was built.

The fate of the vessel, whether it was broken up or lost at sea cannot be ascertained.

Sources:

1)         The CONVICT SHIPS 1787-1868 by Charles Bateson

2)         Historic Ships Associated with the Marshall Islands No. 2-The British merchant vessel Scarborough (1788) edited by Dirk H.R. Spennemann

www.http://marshall.csu.edu.au/Marshalls/html/MIShips/Scarborough.html

H.M.S Sirius: (Armed Flag Ship) – 540 Tons, 110 ft. (33.5m.), 32 ft. (9.8m.) beam, 20 guns. 
Built with 3 Masts – Mainmast 77'7", Foremast 70'7", Mizenmast 66'8" having 8 main Yards sizes ranging from 56'3" to 26'3", Bowsprit (front pointing boom) 47'10", Flying Jib Boom (rear boom) 35'10" , she was the largest ship of the fleet
NOTE: Any picture with any more or less than 8 main sails with cross yards, is not a true representation of the Sirius. 
Arrived with 198 Officers, Crew, Marines and Families. 
Skippered by: Captain John Hunter. 
Built in 1780 as the "Berwick" for the East India trade.
She was badly burnt in a fire and was bought and rebuilt by the Navy in 1786 and renamed "Sirius".
Sirius's hull was well built of teakwood and her bottom was covered in copper. She was painted bright yellow with a broad black band near the waterline. 
After her arrival in Port Jackson she remained as a supply ship and sailed to the Cape of Good Hope in October 1788 to obtain food supplies for the starving colony.
After returning, she was eventually wrecked off Norfolk Island during a gale on 19th March 1790.

H.M.S. (H.M.A.T.)  Supply (Armed Tender) – Brig – 170 Tons, 70 ft. (21.3m.) long and 26 ft. (7.92m) beam, 8 Guns.

Arrived with 55 Officers, Crew and Marines plus 2 Convicts. 
Skippered by: Henry Lidgbird Ball.
Little is known about this brig's early history. It appears she was built in America about 1759 and was commissioned by the Admiralty in October 1786. 
The smallest ship of the fleet, but the fastest, she led the fleet during most of the voyage.

Footnotes:
1 
Many books, charts and pictures have shown the Borrowdale as 372 tons when fact she was only 272 tons (a). As such, many pictures have shown her as 3 Masted, when in fact she was about the same length as Friendship. H.M.S. (H.M.T.) Supply, Friendship have been drawn with 2 main masts.

2 
One of Australia's Great Artist – Mr Frank Allen was a self-taught artist, who was brought up on an island off the Queensland coast and spent most of his younger years at sea where he developed a fascination for old sailing ships. Whilst later working life has been spent as a commercial artist, his spare time has been devoted to the study of Maritime history. 
The project of painting the ships of the First Fleet involved many long hours of research and hundreds of sketches, before pencil medium was transformed to water colour. 
No plans or draughts, apart from H.M.S. Sirius and H.M.S. Supply, these having been bought by the Navy. The other 9 merchant ships had no central body to keep details at that time. 
Throughout 2 years of study history books and sketching details, it was possible to build a fairly accurate picture of shipbuilding of that period. In some instances, as in the case of the "Borrowdale" it was not possible to determine, even though this research, as to whether it had a figurehead, scroll-head or neither. As a consequence, it was painted in stern view, so as not be historically misleading.
With this information at hand it was possible to depict accurately the people on board in correct perspective to the ship's size and makes one realise how unbelievably courageous the forefathers of Australia were.

3 
Scurvy: A vitamin C Deficiency. 
All fresh fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C or ascorbic acid. 
Symptoms: A person with scurvy tends to become very weak and anaemic, to have spongy gums and subject to haemorrhages, especially about the joints and beneath the skin, The joint haemorrhages cause severe pain, and sometimes lead to the diagnosis of rheumatism or arthritis. 
In early times it was the greatest killer of seaman and was not uncommon to take more than half the crew.

4. 

Conclusion:

How many people left England and how many arrived at Botany Bay? 

A total of 732 convicts landed (543 men and 189 women) plus 22 convicts’ children (11 boys, 11 girls).

There were 630 officials/marines/ships crew and their families.  

IN TOTAL 1384.

During the voyage there were 22 births (13 boys, 9 girls) while 69 people either died, were discharged or deserted (61 males, 8 females).

NOTE: There are no surviving crew musters for the six transports and three stores ships. Thus there could have been as many as 115 more seamen. 

So approximately 1546 people left England and 1499 reached Sydney Cove.

Convicts, Children, Marines, Crews and who died.