Thomas Allen (–1885) was a sea captain based in

Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...

. Allen was known for having been the captain of the last ship to carry convicts from

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

to the prison colony in

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...

. A previous ship carrying convicts, the '' Lady Denison'' had not arrived at its destination. Allen took extra precautions to ensure the safety of his ship, the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

''Punch'', carrying prisoners, police and paying passengers. One of the paying passengers was the wife of one of the prisoners. The ship departed Port Adelaide on 13 June 1850, and arrived in good order at

Hobart Town Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-smalle ...

on 25 June. It had on board nine male and three female prisoners, escorted by four Adelaide police, and eleven passengers (including five children). Descriptions of exactly what happened on the voyage vary in details. By either account, the convicts had planned an escape and mutiny, using tools and equipment shipped on board in a locked chest. Allen was a

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 ...

Irishman who had arrived in South Australia as ship's mate on the brig ''Elizabeth Buckham'' in 1843. At age 32, he married 21-year-old Sarah Ann Galway of Port Adelaide in 1850 at

Holy Trinity Church, Adelaide Trinity Church (also known as Holy Trinity Church Adelaide, is an Australian evangelical Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican church located at 88 North Terrace, Adelaide, North Terrace in the city of Adelaide, South Australia. Trinity C ...

. She accompanied him on voyages around Australia and South East Asia on the brigs ''Punch'' and ''Empress'' and schooner ''Swallow'' until he retired from sailing in 1875. He was also later part-owner of the ''Schah Jehan''. Their children were born on board, or at ports where they called, and travelled with them. * Patrick (died 6 June 1855, aged 4, buried

West Terrace Cemetery The West Terrace Cemetery is South Australia's oldest cemetery, first appearing on Colonel William Light's 1837 plan of Adelaide. The site is located in Park 23 of the Adelaide Park Lands just south-west of the Adelaide city centre, between ...

Catholic section, Adelaide) * (son buried Singapore) * Sarah Ann, aged 5 days, buried at Alberton Cemetery, Adelaide on 14 March 1855 *Marmion Allen (1857–1860, buried in Melbourne) *Thomas Maurice (Tom) Allen (18 December 1859 – March 1912), died when the ship he skippered, the was caught in a cyclone and lost with all hands. *Seaborn C. R. Allen (29 April 1862 – 22 June 1931) born on the ''Sehah Jehan'' off

Cape Northumberland Cape Northumberland is a headland in the southeast of the Australian state of South Australia. It is the southernmost point of South Australia. It is located about from the town of Port MacDonnell, 28 kilometres south southwest from the munici ...

) Allen died at his home in Queenstown near Port Adelaide in 1885 and was buried at the Woodville Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Thomas Colony of South Australia people 1810s births 1885 deaths