''Eden'' was a 513-ton merchant ship built by Fletcher, Son & Fearnall at Union Dock upon the
Thames River
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...
, England in 1826. The ship was built for Colvile Wedderburn & Co. and named after the family of
Andrew Colvile's second wife, the influential
Eden family.
''Eden'' initially sailed between England and the sugar plantations of the West Indies for Colvile Wedderburn & Co. From 1836, after changing ownership to
Joseph Somes
Joseph Somes (9 December 1787 – 25 June 1845) was a Great Britain, British shipowner and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician.
Family
Born in Stepney, London, Somes was the youngest son of Samuel Somes (1758–1816) and Sarah né ...
, she made several voyages transporting convicts from England to Australia. After a second change of ownership to John Luscombe in 1846, ''Eden'' transported settlers to South Australia and New Zealand.
Career
Under the command of Alexander Mollison and surgeon Gilbert King, she left
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
, England on 31 August 1836, with 280 male convicts. She arrived in
Hobart Town on 22 December 1836 and had three deaths en route. ''Eden'' departed Hobart Town on 7 January 1837, arriving on 14 January 1837 with 22 prisoners from Cape of Good Hope.
She left Port Jackson on 2 February 1837 bound for
Batavia.
On her second convict voyage under the command of Henry Naylor and surgeon George Freeman, she left
Sheerness
Sheerness () is a port town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 13,249, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby ...
, England on 10 July 1840, with 270 male convicts. She arrived in Sydney on 18 November and had one death en route. ''Eden'' departed Port Jackson in February 1841, bound for Batavia.
Citations
References
*Bateson, Charles, The Convict Ships, 1787–1868, Sydney, 1974.
*Lloyd's Register (1830)
1826 ships
Ships built on the River Thames
Age of Sail merchant ships
Merchant ships of the United Kingdom
Convict ships to New South Wales
Convict ships to Tasmania
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