Medical journal of the Pyrenees , hired convict ship from 1 March to 26 July 1851...

ADM 101/62/7A

1851

Medical journal of the Pyrenees, hired convict ship from 1 March to 26 July 1851 by A B Macleroy, surgeon superintendent, during which time the ship was employed in proceeding to Swan River, Western Australia. (Described at item level).

[Note: ADM 101/62/7, 7A-7B are produced as a single document: order as ADM 101/62/7].

Folios 1-3: Copy of Sick list.

Folios 3-4: case no 1, William Chappen, aged 21, Convict; taken ill at Spithead; sick or hurt, phthisis, according to the Surgeon this man's cough attracted his attention, when on enquiry he found that he was received from the York hulk and was recently arrived from the Prison Hospital, complained of pain and constriction in the chest and severe cough; put on sick list 10 March 1851, died 8 April 1851.

Folio 5: case no 2, John Connolly, aged 2 years and 8 months, child of Richard Connolly Private of Pensioner Guard; taken ill off Cowes; sick or hurt, atrophy, he was embarked with children of the guard on 7 instant at Tilbury, the mother stated that the child was some time ill, and continually crying and at the same time had a ravenous appetite; put on sick list 11 March 1851, died 16 May 1851 at 5.30 am.

Folios 5-9: case no 3, John Jones, aged 38, Private of Pensioner Guard; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, fracture of the leg, according to the Surgeon, emaciated condition and general weakness combined with a peculiar brittleness of bone, jointly contributed to the production of this accident; put on sick list 31 March 1851, sent 14 July 1851 to Military Hospital at Perth.

Folios 10-11: case no 4, John Darmett, aged 35, Convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, apoplexy, he had a short but smart fit of ague which he was recovered and free from fever. He now again complained of coldness and shivering, headache, pain in the back and limbs evidently the commencement of another fit; put on sick list 7 April 1851, died 9 April 1851.

Folios 11-12: case no 5, Felix Redmond, aged 44, Private of Pensioner Guard; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, insanity, he was repeatedly brought before the Surgeon by Sergeant Major for neglect of duty,…It appeared that his manner below in the “Barracks” was remarkably strange at times but so harmless, the Surgeon referred to the “Description List” he found that, he was invalided from the Bengal Artillery in consequence of “Brain Fever”; put on sick list 13 April 1851, sent 23 July 1851 to Military Hospital at Perth.

Folios 12-13: case no 6, Abraham Jemmison, aged 52, Convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, remittent fever; put on sick list 28 April 1851, sent 4 July 1851 to Hospital at Freemantle.

Folio 14: case no 7, Richard Nash, aged 46, Convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, hemoptysis; put on sick list 18 May 1851, died 21 May 1851 at 7.20 pm.

Folio 15: case no 8, Thomas Green, aged 34, Convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, diarrhoea; put on sick list 20 June 1851, sent 15 July 1851 to Hospital at Freemantle.

Folio 16: case no 9, Alfred Leach, aged 30, Convict; taken ill at sea; sick or hurt, hemoptysis; put on sick list 25 June 1851, sent 4 July 1851 to Hospital at Freemantle.

Folios 17-24: Blank.

Folio 25: Nosological return of cases mentioned in the journal.

Folio 26: List of men who received wounds or hurts during the period of this journal. John Jones, aged 38, Private of Pensioner Guard formerly of Royal Marines; pension not granted; nature of hurts, simple fracture of both bones of the right leg followed by extensive ulceration and subsequent exposure of portion of the tibia caused by a fall on deck, on 31 March 1851. Signed: A. B. Macleroy, Surgeon Superintendent.

Folios 26-29: Surgeon's general remarks. The ship left Woolwich on 6 March with a portion of the Guard of Pensioners, three Warders with their families and one hundred and nine prisoners. On the next day the remainder of the guard (completing the number to thirty men) with twenty five women and forty children were received from Tilbury Fort, the ship arrived at Spithead on 9 March, on the 10 March eighty one prisoners were received from the York and Stirling Castle at Portsmouth, on the 12 March, twenty nine boys were brought on board at Cowes from Parkhurst Prison, seventy seven more prisoners were received at Spithead from Portsmouth the next day thus completed the prisoners complement, make a total number of persons on board 460.. one Warder was allowed to go to HMS Cumberland and on shore to get married, lost his passage and left behind at Torbay on the 30 March. The Surgeon stated with a few exceptions all prisoners looked healthy on embarkation, the women and children with one exception (case no 2), and he stated his opinion that not less than a tenth part of the ships crew would have been rejected as unfit, had the usual medical examination (as on board the a ship of war) been exacted. He also makes remarks on the cases of intermittent fever which occurred on board.

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Shipping

Mental illness

Marriage and divorce

Pay and pensions

Weapons

Australia and Pacific

Children

Navy

Medicine

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Prisons

Sex and gender