''Camden'' was a merchant ship built upon the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

in 1799 as a

West Indiaman West Indiaman was a general name for any merchantman sailing ship making runs from the Old World to the West Indies and the east coast of the Americas. These ships were generally strong ocean-going ships capable of handling storms in the Atlantic ...

. Between 1832 and 1833 she made two voyages transporting

convicts A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convict ...

from England to Australia. She was wrecked in 1836.

Career

''Camden'' began her career as a

. She entered ''

Lloyd's Register Lloyd's Register Group Limited (LR) is a technical and professional services organisation and a maritime classification society, wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and ...

'' (''LR'') in 1799.''Lloyd's Register'' (1799), Seq. №C594.
/ref>

First convict voyage (1831)

On her first convict voyage, under the command of William Fulcher and surgeon David Boyter, she departed

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on 28 March 1831 and arrived in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, on 25 July. She embarked 198 male convicts and had no convict deaths en route.

Second convict voyage (1832–1833)

On her second convict voyage, under the command of George Clayton and surgeon Joseph Steret, she departed

Sheerness Sheerness () is a 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 11,938, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby town ...

on 22 September 1832 and arrived in Sydney on 18 February 1833. She embarked 200 male convicts, two of whom died en route. ''Lloyd's Register'' for 1836 showed ''Camden''s master as Ryan, and her trade as London—Sydney.''Lloyd's Register'' (1836), seq. №C67.
/ref> Captain Valentine Ryan sailed from the Downs on 22 February 1836 and arrived at Sydney on 2 June. ''Camden'' was carrying passengers.

Fate

''Camden'' was wrecked in the

Strait of Madura Madura Strait is a stretch of water that separates the Indonesian islands of Java and Madura, in the province of East Java. The islands of Kambing, Giliraja, Genteng, and Ketapang lie in the Strait. The Suramadu Bridge, the longest in Indonesi ...

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

. She was on a voyage from Sydney to Soarabaga when she wrecked on 10 August 1836. Her crew were rescued.

Citations

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Camden (1799 ship) 1799 ships Ships built on the River Thames Convict ships to New South Wales Age of Sail merchant ships Maritime incidents in August 1836