Stedcombe (1818 ship)

Stedcombe was a ship launched at Lyme Regis in 1818. She traded between London and the Cape of Good Hope (CGH; the Cape), and the Cape and the Dutch East Indies. Local pirates at Timor Laut murdered her crew in 1825.

History
United Kingdom
BuilderLyme Regis,[1] or Bridport[2]
Launched27 April 1818[1]
Captured1825
General characteristics
Tons burthen128,[2] or 12880⁄94,[1] or 130[3] (bm)
Length67 ft 0 in (20.4 m)[1]
Beam22 ft 7 in (6.9 m)[1]
Sail planSchooner

Career

Stedcombe appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1819 with Rocher, master, ownership at the Cape of Good Hope (CGH; the Cape), and trade London–CGH.[2] "Shadcombe", Rocher, master, sailed from Falmouth for the Cape on 28 December 1818.[4]

A letter dated Cape of Good Hope, 5 July 1821, reported that Stedcombe, Cornell, master, had taken the cargo of African for Batavia.[5] African, of the Texel, Scholl, master, had put into the Cape on 8 May in a leaky condition and had had to discharge.[6] Stedcombe arrived back at the Cape from Batavia on 12 December.[7]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1823 J.Carnal
G.Griffin		 J.Carnal
Birnie & Co.		 London–CGH LR
1824 G.Griffin
Barnes		 Birnie & Co. Cork
London–South Seas		 LR
1825 W.Barns Palmer & Co. London–South Seas LR

Stedcomb, G. Barnes, master, left England on 17 June 1824, bound for New South Wales.[3]

Fate

An early report had Stedcombe foundering on passage from London for Tasmania, after leaving part of her cargo at Melville Island.[8]

It turned out that the local inhabitants at Timor Laut had attacked Stedcombe in 1825, killing all but two boys that they then kept as slaves. One of the survivors died c.1836.[9] Stedcombe was on a voyage from Melville Island to Van Diemen's Land.[10] The schooner Essington rescued the last survivor in 1839.[11]

In December 1824 Stedcombe had been at Kupang on her way to the new settlement at Melville Island. She had sailed from Melville island under charter to procure buffaloes from Timor.

At Kupang she encountered HMS Lady Nelson, which too had arrived there from Melville Island to purchase food supplies for the settlement. Lady Nelson departed on the 19th and Stedcombe on 23 February 1825.[12] In a letter dated 19 May 1825, Barlow wrote 'his schooner [Stedcombe] left this port four days after Johns' departure [in Lady Nelson], in charge of his Chief Mate, neither have returned since. I fear they either have been wrecked or fallen into the hands of the Malay Pirates'.[13]

Bibliography
  • Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.
  • Nicholson, Ian Hawkins (1996). Via Torres Strait: a maritime history of the Torres Strait Route and the ship's post office at Booby Island. Yaroomba, Qld.: Ian Nicholson [on behalf of the Roebuck Society].

References
  1. Hackman (2001), p. 314.
  2. LR (1819), Supple. pages "S", Seq.№S4.
  3. LR (1824), "Ships trading to Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales".
  4. Lloyd's List (LL), 1 January 1819, №5348, Ship arrival and departure (SAD) data.
  5. LL 11 September 1821, №5626.
  6. LL 17 July 1821, №5610.
  7. LL 19 February 1822, №5674.
  8. LL 20 December 1825, №6074.
  9. "Rescue of a British Subject from the Savages of Timor Laut". The Australian. Sydney. 20 July 1839. p. 3.
  10. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (6074). 20 December 1825.
  11. "Port Essington". The Australian. Sydney. 20 July 1839. p. 3.
  12. Miller to George Harrison, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, 7 May 1825, HRA, Ser. I, Vol. XII, pp. 188–189.
  13. Barlow to Owens, 19 May 1825, SRA, Reel 6066, 4/1802 pp. 39–54.
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