Merchantman Convicts, Enrolled Pensioner Guards, Prison Warders and Other Passengers 1864

This 1018 ton ship was built in Sunderland in 1853. It was employed twice as a convict transport for Western Australia and left Portland, England on July 1, 1864, bound for the Swan River Colony. On this second voyage, she carried the thirty first of 37 shipments of male convicts destined for Western Australia. The voyage took 73 days and the Merchantman arrived in Fremantle on September 12, 1864, with 95 passengers and 258 convicts [Erickson]. William Gardiner and William Smith were the captain and surgeon respectively. Of the 95 passengers, 86 were pensioner guards and their families, the number being made up of 28 pensioner guards, 18 wives, 19 sons and 21 daughters. The other 9 passengers have not been accounted for but were possibly cabin passengers or regular soldiers.