Simon Taylor (ship)

The "Simon Taylor" was a barque used to transport convicts to Western Australia.

Built in 1824 for Meek and Co., it was constructed at the Blackwall shipyard on the River Thames in London. On completion, it was registered to S. Taylor. It weighed 431 tons, the passenger deck was 140 feet long, and there was a height of 7 foot 6 inches between decks. Between 1829 and 1837, the "Simon Taylor" made a number of voyages to Jamaica; a voyage to Mauritius in 1833 is also recorded. Records indicate that the ship's captain in 1830 was a Mr. Christie. In 1837 ownership of the "Simon Taylor" was transferred to R. Taylor, and over the next two years it was restored. Once restored it was transferred to Thomson and Co. In 1840 it made a voyage under a Captain whose name is recorded as "Mr. Slater". From 1841 the Captain was Thomas Brown.

From 1841 to 1846, the "Simon Taylor" made a number of voyages to Bombay, India. It began such a voyage from London on 30 April 1842, but although listed as bound for Bombay it docked at Fremantle, Western Australia on August 20. 242 passengers were alighted, of which 219 were assisted migrants to Western Australia, and a further 18 were Parkhurst apprentices, These were juvenile criminals from the Isle of Wight, who were transported to Western Australia but pardoned on arrival on the condition that they take up an "apprenticeship" with a local settler.

From 1847 to 1849 the "Simon Taylor" made a number of voyages to Calcutta. On 7 June 1849 it was returning from Jamaica when it was driven ashore on shingles off the south coast of England, and broke up. There are no further records of the ship after that date.

ee also

For other convict ship voyages to Western Australia, see List of convict ship voyages to Western Australia.

References

*cite web|title=Passengers Arriving in Western Australia - SIMON TAYLOR August 20, 1842|url=http://members.iinet.net.au/%7Eperthdps/shipping/simon-t.htm|accessdate=February 17|accessyear=2006
*cite web|title=The Simon Taylor|url=http://www.brandis.com.au/gendata/simontay.html|accessdate=February 17|accessyear=2006