The India 1840
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The Roland
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The Grindlay
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Phillip Shillinglaw Poem
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Alexander McKenzie death 1869
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McKenzie daughter 1858 birth
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Comments from John Simmonds
I have always wondered about the information about Alexander and Elizabeth’s marriage in Rio.
There were references to it on a couple of documents… There was also the deduction that they had arrived in 1841 (given the years here)
The ship’s list (Grindlay) was a great find. AND the fire and rescue only adds to the story. How did you discover those elements ?
The Grindlay lists Alexander as 25 and Elizabeth as 19. Alexander was born 1812 (we have the record) so in 1841 he would have been 29.
According to Elizabeth’s death certificate she was 99 and 6 months old when she died in 1909 thus putting her age in 1841 at 31 so we do have a clash of some detail. My reckoning originally had her born circa 1824 going on the information on the birth registration of Eliza Henrietta in 1858.
The information gives Alexander’s age as 45 and Elizabeth’s as 34.
I think the chances of Elizabeth giving birth to her last child (Christina) at age 53 is very unlikely so I do not think she was 99 when she died.
More likely she was 40/41 when Christina was born…. Thus making Elizabeth 87 when she died in 1909. The answer would be if we can find Elizabeth birth in Perthshire Scotland. I think the record of the marriage in Rio is unlikely to be found - I had always assumed that it had occurred on board a ship on the way from Scotland.
I have always wondered about the information about Alexander and Elizabeth’s marriage in Rio.
There were references to it on a couple of documents… There was also the deduction that they had arrived in 1841 (given the years here)
The ship’s list (Grindlay) was a great find. AND the fire and rescue only adds to the story. How did you discover those elements ?
The Grindlay lists Alexander as 25 and Elizabeth as 19. Alexander was born 1812 (we have the record) so in 1841 he would have been 29.
According to Elizabeth’s death certificate she was 99 and 6 months old when she died in 1909 thus putting her age in 1841 at 31 so we do have a clash of some detail. My reckoning originally had her born circa 1824 going on the information on the birth registration of Eliza Henrietta in 1858.
The information gives Alexander’s age as 45 and Elizabeth’s as 34.
I think the chances of Elizabeth giving birth to her last child (Christina) at age 53 is very unlikely so I do not think she was 99 when she died.
More likely she was 40/41 when Christina was born…. Thus making Elizabeth 87 when she died in 1909. The answer would be if we can find Elizabeth birth in Perthshire Scotland. I think the record of the marriage in Rio is unlikely to be found - I had always assumed that it had occurred on board a ship on the way from Scotland.
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INDIA - Lost at Sea 1841
The barque INDIA sailed from Greenock Scotland on June 4th 1841 carrying 193 bounty immigrants and crew bound for the Australian colony of Port Phillip. On the 19th July, six weeks into the voyage and being some 200 miles from land and 1200 miles from Rio de Janeiro, the ship caught fire and sank. 17 Souls perished in the disaster with the remainder being rescued by the crew of the ROLAND - a French whaling vessel.
The survivors were conveyed to Rio de Janeiro where the British Government hired another ship the GRINDLAY to transport them to Port Phillip where they arrived on October 22, some four and a half months after leaving Scotland. Newspaper reports of the day provided a graphic description of the tragedy and the miraculous rescue of almost all those on board the INDIA.
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SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE PORT Of HOBART TOWN. 16 November 1841 The India.-The Grindlay, of Liverpool, Captain Grindlay, arrived from Rio de Janeiro on Friday afternoon, with the surgeon-superintendent, Dr. Houston, and 159 of the sur- vivors from the wreck of the ill-fated India. We are indebted to the polite attention of Dr. Houston for the following addi- tional particulars concerning this disastrous voyage. The India sailed from Greenock on the 5th June, with 186 bounty emi- grants on board; the health or the people, was good, and the voyage as prosperous as could possibly be desired until the 19th July, in 16 ° 41' S. lat., when the ship was destroyed by fire, as narrated in a former number, and 17 lives lost. The sur- vivors were picked up by the Roland, a French whaler; belong- ing to Havre de Grace, and carried into Rio de Janeiro. The sufferings of the poor emigrants on board the Roland were truly deplorable, though every assistance in the power of the master and seamen was kindly afforded them. Many of them were taken on board, literally in a state of nakedness, others only half-dressed, and most of them suffering from wounds, bruises, and burns. |
The Roland fortunately had been fitted out for an eighteen months' voyage, the crew wore well sup- plied with clothing, and there was abundance of water and provisions on board: to afford the poor people shelter sails were spread upon the deck, under cover of which they slept ; but the canvas proved but a sorry protection from the cold damp air and occasional heavy showers of rain. On the 24th July they reached Rio, and were furnished with comfortable lodgings on an island, a short distance from the town, where they remained until the 22d August, when they embarked on board the Grindlay for this port. There were three births on the voyage, one on board the India, one at Rio, and one on board the Grindlay ; the latter was still-born ; both the former are doing well. The deaths in all amounted to nineteen, of whom seventeen were drowned at the wreck of the India ; one, a child, died at Rio de Janeiro ; and one, a young woman named Eliza Quinn, accidentally fell overboard and was drowned on the 2d October. At Rio, three widows and three children were sent back to Scotland, and two men and three women remained behind ; the number was consequently re- duced to159, who have arrived in safety in the Grindlay. At the time the India was burning, one of the passengers, Mr. Rooney, had to swim nearly a mile before he was re- lieved by a boat from the whaler.-Port Phillip Patriot, 25th
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The India sailed on the 4th June last,with 198 souls onboard,crew
included,and was totally destroyed on the 20th July,in 16 south latitude and 33 west longtitude under the following circumstances;the third mate and one of the boys below about one o'clock,pm.Drawing off spirits,when the candle they used accidently fell on some spilled rum, which immediately caught fire,and the flames spread with such rapidity that all efforts at extinguishing the tremendous blaze were unavailing,and the ship soon became one mass of flame.Another ship,aFrench whaler,was fortunately in sight,about nine miles to windward,but nearly an hour lapsed beforethose on board became aware of the state of the "India". On observing her condition she immediately bore down,and on neaing lowered all her boats,and used every exertion to rescue the unfortunate sufferers. The "India's" boats were also got out,but on the first boat making the attempt to get some of the people off the burning ship,a tremendous rush was made to get into her and she was immediately overloaded and capsized,and in that the greatest loss of life occured.The mate of the "India" was in the boat at the time,and with great difficulty succeeded in getting into the other boat,which he took command of,and succeeded in taking all the remainder off the wreck and reshipped them into the French boats,which conveyed them to the ship,not one of them daring to approach any part of the wreck after seeing the fate of the "India's" boat,which their ignorance of the language may partly account for. The mate's exertions seems to have been very great,as all the survivors speak most enthusiastically of his gallant conduct.The scene as described by them must have been truely awful,the flames spread with such rapidity that no one saved a single article except such clothes as were on their backs and ere they could be rescued from their perilous situation the flames had driven them from the deck to the bowsprit,from which they dropped into the sea,as they could be picked up by the boat;indeed many had their clothes burned off and were conveyed literally in a state of nudity to the French ship,where they were recieved by the French captain who was assisted by the captain of the "India" (he having gone onboard earlier where his presence was required,he being the only one who understood the French language) in "clothing the naked" with such dresses as the ship afforded,and they were treated with the greatest kindness while on board that ship |
On receiving the host of unfortunates on board,he streered from the Rio de Janerio,the easiest made harbour,where he discharged them in safety;several of the females having for their only dress flannel shirts supplied them by the French sailors.
The liberality of the British residents and shipmasters in Rio de Janerio is worthy of the highest commendation.The merchants presented the French captain with a gold chronometer and the shipmasters with an elegant gold snuff box,with appropriate inscriptions on both and who also collected by subscription upwards of 1000 pounds to assist in refitting those who had lost their all in the "India". It would be unjust to pass over in silence the magnificent donation of the Officers and crew of the American frigate "Potamac",and a schooner of war,who subscribed $550 towards the fund.Shortly after the emigrants were landed,a small island in the Bay of Rio de Janerio was engaged by the British Consul for their use,where they appeared to be comfortably lodged. The girls are of a decidedly superior class,were all well dressed and wore white chip hats,which gave them a particularly interesting appearance.Ten of the men were on the island when the writer visited,they being mostly employed on board the barque "Grindley" of Liverpool,the ship employed to carry them all to this port where they may be expected to arrive at the end of this month,as it was expected the "Grindley" would be ready for sea in about three weeks after the "Alemena" left Rio de Janerio (5th August),which vessel conveys the intelligence of the melancholy disaster. To satisfy those who expected friends out of the "India" ,the names of the drowned are subjoined,though all of the survivors are decidedly of the opinion that none of them had relations in Australia. Robert Patterson,Robert McGregor,Andrew Dingwall,John Stewart,Andrew Tait,William McLelland, Duncan Grant,John Coke,Samual Cameron,James Low,William Stewart,John Stewart,Frederick Mitchell,William Scott,John Steel,Robert Burns,the Rev William McKay,Charles Clements(boatswain). The Rev.McKay,it is stated,had 300 sovereigns about his person at the time of quitting the ship.All the crew except Clements was saved. |
A poem and story about the Journey about The India http://womanandhersphere.com/category/emigration-research/
India, barque, 490 tons, Captain Hugh Campbell, Greenock 24 June 1841 to Rio and Melbourne with Scots migrants, caught fire NE of Rio 19 July 1841 and forced to abandon ship with insufficient lifeboats. One sailor and 17 immigrants lost, but remaining 198 dramatically saved by the French whaler Roland speeding to the scene in the nick of time. Many of the surviving migrants came on to Melbourne in the barque Grindlay, 368 tons, Captain Walter Grindlay, M& O. arrived Melbourne 22 October 1841. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nzbound/fire.htm
http://www.reocities.com/vic1840/41/gr41.html
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/indexes-online/indexes-to-immigration-and-shipping-records/indexes-to-assisted-immigrants
http://ship47.site88.net/41/gr41.html
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2955246
http://www.oocities.org/vic1847/ship/grindlay41.html
http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passengerlists/1840India.htm
http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passengerlists/1840India-Diary.htm
http://www.australianscottishheritage.com/loss_of_the_india_1841.html
http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/state-archives/indexes-online/indexes-to-immigration-and-shipping-records/indexes-to-assisted-immigrants
http://ship47.site88.net/41/gr41.html
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2955246
http://www.oocities.org/vic1847/ship/grindlay41.html
http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passengerlists/1840India.htm
http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/fh/passengerlists/1840India-Diary.htm
http://www.australianscottishheritage.com/loss_of_the_india_1841.html
