Mersey (1801 ship)

For the River, see River Mersey.

The Mersey was a ship wrecked in the Torres Strait, Australia about mid-June 1804. ^[1]

The Mersey was built in Chittagong, Bangladesh in 1801 and registered at Fort William, India. It was 350 tons and carried 10 guns (cannon). It was owned and captained by James Wilson. The ship had been chartered by Governor Philip Gidley King to purchase 250 cows from Bengal and deliver them to Hobart, Tasmania. The Mersey sailed from Port Jackson on May 24, 1804 with a cargo of timber for Bengal. While passing through the Torres Strait, the Mersey was totally wrecked. Only 17 crew and the Captain were saved by sailing in a longboat to Timor; 56 others drowned. After refitting the longboat at Dili they reached Bencoolen from where they sailed to Madras on an Acheen vessel. Captain Wilson arrived in Calcutta September 20, 1804 on board the Margaret, from Madras. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

See also

• Mersey (1894 ship)

References

1. ^ The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, Sunday 25 November 1804 p3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article626518
2. ^ The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, Sunday 27 May 1804 p4 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article626216
3. ^ The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, Sunday 14 April 1805 p2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article626718
4. ^ Australian Shipwrecks - vol1 1622-1850, Charles Bateson, AH and AW Reed, Sydney, 1972, ISBN 0 589 07112 2 p40
5. ^ Shipping arrivals and departures, Sydney, 1788-1825, J.S. Cumpston
6. ^ National Shipwrecks database http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/heritage/nsd/nsd_list.pl