Convict ship: Sir Robert Seppings

Transportation of Convicts to Australia

This is the record of the ship that took Ann DINHAM (nee ORCHARD) to Tasmania:-

VesselSailedFromArrivedPortDaysEmbarkedArrivedMasterSurgeon
Sir Robert Seppings18 March 1852Woolwich8 July 1852Hobart112220 females219 femalesR. S. StewartL. S. Cunningham







Ann was one of the last British convicts to be exiled to Tasmania.� Only three more ships took female convicts to Hobart, with the last ship leaving England in January 1853.� Transportation to Western Australia continued until 1867.

The convict who died on this voyage was Bridget LYONS.

In addition to the convicts, there were at least 21 children of the convict women on board, ranging in ages from 6 months to 10 years. The surgeon recorded five deaths among these children, including Ann Dinham's daughter Eliza, whose death is described in his day book with the following words:-

Folio 13: Eliza Denham, aged 13 months, Prisoner's Child; disease or hurt, diarrhoea. Put on sick list, 1 May 1852, at sea. Died, 3 May 1852. Had been suffering disorder of the bowels for several days and had been neglected and was very much reduced.

The other children who died at sea were:- Mary CROOKE (6 mths), Thomas JOYCE (8 mths), Mary Ann CALLIGAN (18 mths) and Elizabeth WILSON (1 year).

The surgeon's day book is on line at the UK National Archives with the references ADM 101/68/4/1 to 9.

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