''City of Edinburgh'' was a merchant ship built at Bengal in 1813. She transferred to British registry and sailed between Britain and India. 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 Ireland to Australia. Later, she made a whaling voyage to New Zealand. She was wrecked in 1840.

Career

''City of Edinburgh'' first appeared in ''

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 1815 with Lock, master, H. Agar, owner, and trade London–India.''LR'' (1815), Supple. pages "C", Seq.№C167.
/ref> The British

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

(EIC), in 1813 lost its monopoly on the trade between Britain and India. ''City of Edinburgh'', Lock, master, made several voyages between England and Bengal, sailing under a license from the EIC. The ''Register of Shipping'' volume for 1820 showed ''City of Edinburgh'' with W.Lock, master, changing to Wiseman, J. Farquhar, owner, and trade London–India.''Register of Shipping'' (1820), Seq. №C564.
/ref> ''City of Edinburgh'', Wiseman, master, arrived at Bengal on 4 June 1821 with eight feet of water in her hold. Her cargo had sustained much damage. On her first convict voyage, under the command of James R. Clendon and surgeon William Anderson, she departed

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, Ireland on 23 June 1828 and arrived in Sydney on 12 November. She had embarked 80 female convicts and there were no convict deaths en route. On her second convict voyage, under the command of Giles Wade and surgeon Anthony Donoghue, she departed Cork on 18 March 1832 and arrived in Sydney on 27 June 1832. She had initially embarked 145 male convicts but sailed with 139, and had no convict deaths en route. ''City of Edinburgh'' departed Port Jackson, bound for

Hokianga The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. The original name, still used by local Māori, is ...

, New Zealand on 1 August 1832. ''

'' for 1833 showed ''City of Edinburgh'', of 367 tons (bm), with W. Baker, master. On 1 November 1833 she sailed for New Zealand and she was reported to be near there on 25 December 1837, with 150 tons of whale oil.British Southern Whale Fishery Database – voyages: ''City of Edinburgh''.
/ref> In 1837 her owners sold her in London as a "Free Trader". ''Lloyd's Register'' for 1838 showed her with Thompson, master, and W. Baker, owner, and trade London-Sydney.

Fate

''City of Edinburgh'' was wrecked at

Prime Seal Island Prime Seal Island is a long island, with a high central ridge and an area of 1220 ha, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of Tasmania’s Prime Seal Island Group, lying in eastern Bass Strait west of Flinders in the Furneaux Group. Geolo ...

on 11 July 1840. Seeking refuge from a gale, Captain Fearon took shelter at the island but the tide drove her ashore. All on board took to three boats and were saved, but the ship herself broke up.Linc Tasmania: City of Edinburgh (vessel).
Australian National Shipwreck Database: City of Edinburgh (Shipwreck ID №7000).]

Citations

References

* * * {{italic title 1813 ships British ships built in India Convict ships to New South Wales Age of Sail merchant ships Whaling ships Maritime incidents in July 1840