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The Mary Shepherd, a 625 ton barque which was captained by John Alexander McDonald, arrived on 4 April 1849 at Port Phillip Bay having left Deptford on 19 December the previous year.
There were 253 Immigrants on board. Events on board included 4 births and 3 (infant) deaths on board. The chief mate, Martin Kemble Johnson fell overboard on 23 March 1849 and died. The ship left for Guam on 6 May 1849. (see uploaded document for details)
Image of ship can be found: https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.138172
Passengers included:
John Fowler (Husband of Anne Wood, father of the children, returned to England by 1871)
Anne Wood (John Fowler's wife and mother of the following children)
Caroline Fowler
John Edwin Fowler
Mary Ann Fowler
Henry Fowler
Matilda Fowler (returned to England by 1871)
Margaret Elizabeth Figgins
James Figgins
(full list below)
An account of the voyage is extracted here: https://courbrittfamily.wordpress.com/arrivals/ and said to be from the diary of Emmott Charles William Wentworth (included in below list):
The “MARY SHEPHERD”
Barque, 550/625 tons. Sailed from London, arrived Port Phillip on April 4, 1849. Master: —Surgeon Superintendent: Dr Ford.
The Mary Shepherd was built in 1848 at 625 tons, built in Sutherland, UK. She was owned by the Shepherd’s. Her Barque (type of sailing ship) was classed as A1. Her first voyage was to set sail on 16th December 1848 from Deptford, London, UK with 253 passengers. Her Captain was John McDonald, Surgeon Supt. was Dr Frederick Ford. Mary Shepherd arrived at “Port Phillip”, Victoria on 4th April 1849. The Mary Shepherd was a brand new vessel, sheathed in yellow metal. Completed in the Sunderland Dockyards in 1848, she belonged to the shipping firm of Shepherd of the Port of London and was classed as A1 for 10 years by Lloyds. Emigrants enjoyed plenty of headroom between decks, and, as the vessel was fairly broad, also plenty of living space between the rows of bunks. As with many new vessels, the timbers were inclined to let water in through the upper deck, dampening both bedding and the floor of the steerage compartment. The scuttles also allowed water in when opened for ventilation. Normally the ‘tweendecks was kept as dry as possible when at sea, all cleaning being done by hand-scraping with dry sand. The epidemic of mumps which swept the vessel was partly blamed on these damp conditions. Apart from this epidemic the general health was good. Conflicting reports state that there were three infant deaths only and that there were eight deaths and five births. Some medical comforts ran out about five weeks before the end of the voyage, and the Surgeon purchased porter from the ship’s stores for use by his ailing charges.
In general, provisions were good, and emigrants satisfied with quality and quantity. Two barrels of water were found to be sour, but were withdrawn from use as soon as they were tasted, and replaced by barrels of sweet water. Emigrants were well-behaved, strictly following the ship’s rules. They may have been influenced by the treatment meted out to several lads during the first few days at sea. Amongst the passengers were 19 boys from London’s Ragged Schools, who appeared to have no regard for the comfort of other passengers, ‘whistling, hooting, and using obscene and blasphemous language’. They sold the clothes which the authorities had given them, and promised to be absolute nuisances throughout the voyage. A pair of stocks was built on the upper deck and put into immediate use, producing a sudden and wonderful improvement in the boy’s behaviour. On arrival at Port Phillip several of them received offers of work, although there was very strong employer resistance in the Colony towards youths from the London slums. Several of them received offers of work when the vessel arrived in Port Phillip on 4 April 1849.
On arrival, vessels usually anchored off William’s Town in Hobson’s Bay, although any vessel with infection on board was required to hoist a yellow flag on approaching Melbourne and to anchor off the quarantine area at Point Ormond for medical inspection. Once the Colonial Surgeon had passed the vessel as free from disease fresh meat and bread was brought on board and an inspection of the vessel and emigrants was begun by the Immigration Committee. As the passengers usually spent the preceding days in packing belongings and cleaning up, most vessels arrived spotlessly clean. A report published in the Melbourne Morning Herald of Thursday, April 5, 1849 records: On the 23rd March, at 11 p.m., the Mary Shepherd running before the wind, between St. Paul’s and Port Phillip, the chief mate, Mr. Martin Kemble Johnson, fell overboard from the poop, the ship rolling heavily at the time, but although he had grasped the end of a rope in his fall, he was unable to retain it; and, notwithstanding that shortening sail, rounding to, and lowering a boat, were operations instantaneous, still every exertion to rescue him from a watery grave was ineffectual, and it is supposed the unfortunate man sank the moment he let go the rope. The boat which was lowered rowed in all directions for upwards of half an hour, when further search was altogether hopeless. (The foregoing narrative on the voyage of the ‘Mary Shepherd’ from the diary of Emmott Charles William Wentworth, a passenger.)
List of passengers
Aitchinson William 17
Alexander Mary 28
Allison James 32
Allison Mary Ann 26
Allison James 8
Atkins Samuel 31
Atkins Eliza 34
Atkins Benjamin 5
Atkins Caroline I
Baily Sarah 28
Baily Jane 21
Ball Henry 17
Barnett Francis 16
Bartlett Samuel 29
Bartlett Rachael 25
Bate John 32
Bate Emma 27
Bateman Abraham 25
Bateman Ann 19
Beggs Mary 28
Bigby Eliza 24
Briggs Peter 25
Brown Thomas 32
Brown Jane 25
Carmichael Mary 20
Carnaby William 22
Carter Robert 30
Carter Jane 31
Carter Edward I
Chandlers William 29
Chandlers Fanny 27
Chandlers Willm James 1
Chandlers James 25
Chandlers Patience 22
Chapman Ann 22
Collett John Hy 18
Collier James 23
Cosgrove Francis John 26
Counterford Mary A 22
Cousins David 26
Cousins Eliza 29
Cragg Samuel 48
Cragg Ann 48
Cragg George 22
Cragg Ann 19
Cragg William 16
Cragg Thomas 13
Curran Thomas 20
Curran Mary 17
Darley John 28
Davis George 20
Davis Patience 19
Dickinson George 24
Dickinson William 19
Dorrington William 18
Draper Isabella 19
Duckett Edward 22
Duckett Helen 23
Duckett Charles 2
Ellis George 32
Ellis Amelia 29
Ellis George 11
Ellis Amelia 10
Ellis Samuel 7
Ellis William 5
Ellis Robert 1
Ellis Infant With I
Farmer Sarah 25
Figgins James 22
Figgins Margaret 21
Fisher Samuel 20
Fitzgerald Edward 21
Fowler John 47
Fowler Ann 43
Fowler Caroline 21
Fowler Mary Ann 18
Fowler Henry 12
Fowler Matilda 5
Frost William 25
Frost Frances 24
Frost Ellen 6
Frost Emma 5
Garland Allan 38
Garland Lydia 37
Garland William A 18
Garland Emma 12
Garland Frederick 9
Garland Allan 6
Garland Edward 3
Garland Thomas Hy I
Gilbert Rosa Eliza 19
Gillies John 24
Gillies Margaret 22
Gillies Catherine 3
Gillies Infant With I
Glew John 24
Gordon Christina 29
Green Saml John 29
Greenwood John 28
Greenwood Elizabeth 30
Greenwood Rosetta 4
Greenwood Margaret I
Haines Mary 23
Harradence Laura 18
Hastings Joseph 24
Hastings Margaret 24
Herbert John 25
Herbert Harriett 32
Hockley Rose 24
Howard Thomas 22
Howard Mary 27
Johnson William 29
Johnson Martha 31
Johnson John 24
Johnson Sarah 34
Jones Edward 19
Kearly Susannah 63
Kennedy James 19
Laurence Jane 21
Leader James 17
Lyle George 23
Marris James 63
Marris Marion 62
Marris Jean 26
Marris Euphemia 24
Marris Mary 18
Marris James Huon 7
Marris George unknown age
Martin Benjamin 17
Martin John Moira 19
Mcbean John 33
Mccullum Donald 32
Moore Napoleon S 16
Mortimer John 27
Mortimer Sarah 24
Murray William 40
Murray Mary 38
Murray James 16
Murray George 6
Oliver Frederick 24
Oliver Susannah 22
Oliver George 2
Oliver Ralph I
Pantin George 28
Pantin Jane 28
Pantin Jane 1
Parker Henry 30
Parker Harriett 23
Parker Harriett Imlay 2
Parker Infant With I
Paton James 30
Paton Catherine 22
Paton Mary 2
Patrick Walter 40
Patrick Frances 40
Patrick Frances 15
Patrick James Kearley 13
Patrick Joseph 10
Patrick Susannah 9
Patrick Frederick 5
Patrick Louisa 5
Patrick Ann I
Patterson Hugh 19
Payne Ann 27
Payne Sarah 21
Peace Peter 43
Peace Catherine 38
Peace Betsey 23
Peace Peter 18
Peace James 17
Peace Margaret 15
Peace John 12
Peace Ann 7
Peace Jean 10
Peace David 3
Peace Mary 3
Peace Christina I
Pearson David 44
Pearson Elizabeth 45
Pearson John 22
Pearson David Best 21
Pearson George 19
Pearson Alexander 14
Pearson James 24
Pearson Agnes 22
Penny Amelia 19
Phillips William 16
Pinton Richard 16
Plant Rose 21
Pope Caroline 33
Powell William 18
Quarterman Edward 20
Radnall Charles 22
Ramsay William 16
Rawlings John 31
Rawlings Amelia 32
Rawlings Walter John 3
Rawlings Amelia Jane 1
Rawlings Infant With I
Rawlings Alfred 19
Rawlings Alfred -
Rhodes Elizabeth 27
Richdale George 22
Ridgway Anthony 27
Ridgway Lydia 24
Ridgway William 7
Ridgway Elizabeth 3
Rogers Henry 44
Rogers Elizabeth 42
Rogers Edwin 18
Rogers William 16
Rogers Ann 14
Rogers Mary 10
Rogers John George 7
Rogers Elizabeth 4
Rogers Louisa Rose I
Rolfe Charles 18
Rutherford Agatha 22
Salter William 18
Scarf Mary A 34
Shadwell James 19
Siggars Robert 15
Starsbrook Thomas 28
Stevens George 23
Stevens Fanny 18
Stewart George 56
Stewart Jean 49
Stewart Mary 16
Stewart Francis 13
Stewart Peter 9
Stewart William 7
Stewart Mary 17
Stirling John 21
Stirling Abigail 20
Swinbourne James 34
Swinbourne Elizabeth 33
Swinbourne Hannah M 7
Swinbourne James 5
Swinbourne William 3
Taylor George 23
Throssel George 24
Vezey Helena 28
Waters Sarah 29
Waters Infant With I
Watson Ann 25
Wentworth Emmott C 40
Wentworth Louisa 40
Wentworth Mary A 12
Wentworth James John 10
Wentworth William 7
Wentworth Chas Hy 5
Wentworth Henry 3
Wentworth Anna L 16
Wentworth Emily 15
White Elizabeth 21
Wood Thomas 31