Folios 177-193. Letter from Rupert George, Ambrose Serle, William Albany Otway and...

Folios 177-193. Letter from Rupert George, Ambrose Serle, William Albany Otway and Joseph Hunt, Commissioners for the Transport Service, responding to the Home Secretary's direction to enquire into the state and condition of the Hillsborough transport aboard which there had been such a high level of mortality among the convicts bound for New South Wales. The Commissioners assert that all appropriate arrangements were made in advance of the voyage to the satisfaction of Sir Jeremiah Fitzpatrick and that, as soon as the ship returned to England, they would investigate the Master's conduct during the passage.

Enclosure No 1: Comparative Statement of the cost of transporting convicts to New South Wales together with a statement of the expense it would have cost the Government to provide a guard of soldiers aboard the Hillsborough.

Enclosure No 2: Copy of a letter of 5 November 1798 to John King [Under-Secretary] from William Howard of the Transport Office enclosing an extract of a letter from Captain [Charles Patton], [Transport Office, Portsmouth, Hampshire,] stating that the 23 additional convicts, supplied to fill the vacancies arising from those originally named being unfit to embark, would be insufficient as so many convicts were suffering from a fever.

Enclosure No 3: Extract of a letter of 18 November 1798 to the Transport Board from Patton stating that one convict and one child had died on the passage from the Thames to Portsmouth. The ship would be fumigated and Fitzpatrick would make his final selection of those fit to proceed.

Enclosure No 4: Copy of a letter of 19 November 1798 to William Hingston, Commander of the Hillsborough, from Patton confirming the issue to him, for the use of the convicts, of 300 lbs of yellow soap for the use of the convicts at the rate of 2lb per man.

Enclosure No 5: Extract of a letter of 20 November 1798 to the Transport Board from Patton stating that he had applied to the Agent Victualler for the issue of fresh beef at the rate of one pound per man per day. Patton outlines the arrangements for the landing of sick convicts from the Hillsborough and the embarkation of further convicts from the hulks.

Enclosure No 6: Copy of a letter of 22 November 1798 to Patton from Fitzpatrick requesting him to seek the Transport Board's permission to create a secure means of access to fresh air for the convicts aboard Hillsborough, so as to reduce the likelihood of disease. Eight had been sent to the hospital yesterday and another had an attack of dysentery today.

Enclosure No 7: Copy of a letter of 24 November 1798 to Patton from Fitzpatrick asking him, in view of the high number of victims of dysentery aboard the Hillsborough, to send on board one cwt of logwood or lignum campeachy [campeche] and 4 lb of cortex simarouba, as requested by the ship's surgeon. He also asks for four barrels of tar for use in daily fumigation.

Enclosure No 8: Extract of a letter of 25 November 1798 to the Transport Board from Patton reporting that the agent of the Hillsborough had agreed to cause the bulkhead proposed by Fitzpatrick to be fixed at the expense of the owners, and had given the necessary directions.

Enclosure No 9: Extract of a letter of 26 November 1798 to the Transport Board from Patton reporting that there would be a deficiency in the amount of bedding and slop clothing aboard as a result of the relanded sick convicts having been required to remove their infected bedding and clothing with them. He had supplied replacement beds but sought direction as to the whether and by whom the slop clothing should be replaced.

Enclosure No 10: Extract of a letter of 29 November 1798 to the Transport Board from Patton stating that Fitzpatrick had requested the disembarkation of eleven more sick convicts from the Hillsborough and the transfer of 18 convicts from the hulks in Portsmouth Harbour to fulfil the complement of 300. Patton had hired a small boat to effect the movements on the following day.

Enclosure No 11: Extract of a letter of 30 November 1798 to the Transport Board from Patton reporting that 18 convicts had been sent from the Lion hulk in Portsmouth Harbour to the Hillsborough and that the vessel taking them would then convey 11 sick convicts from there to the hospital hulk in Langstone Harbour.

Enclosure No 12: Extract of a letter of 1 December 1798 to Patton from Fitzpatrick asking for four half-barrels of gunpowder and a strong tar kettle to be supplied for the sole purpose of fumigation. Annotated: transmitted to the Transport Board 3 December 1798.

Enclosure No 13: Extract of a letter of 4 December 1798 to the Transport Board from Patton stating that he had sent by post the list of convicts then on board Hillsborough with the Master's receipt for them, as directed by [William Baldwin, Home Office counsel for criminal business].

The description for this item is continued in HO 42/50/79A