44-583: Robert Clark Morgan (13 March 1798 – 23 September 1864) was an English sea captain, whaler, diarist, and, in later life, a missionary. He captained the Duke of York , bringing the first settlers to South Australia in 1836. His life in the British whaling industry has been recorded in the book The Man Who Hunted Whales (2011) by Dorothy M. Heinrich. His diaries are held in the State Library of New South Wales . Morgan
88-473: A Rotumah native boy, named Bob, when the boats put in for water. There are parts of Morgan's diary that related to George's death. The Captain said that he was a young man, probably, early 20s. The Captain used to get George down to his cabin for religious instruction. He said that he recalled the Captain writing that George was not a hardened rough type. George apparently accepted his religious teaching. It seems as
132-462: A large whale then another struck the same whale and eventually killed it and took it alongside. Oh how vivid did this bring back all my past experience in this work. The days of my youth and manhood was spent in this trade. This was the part of it I loved. A sight of a whale would make my heart jump and take away all relish for food. How happy if when a boy I could get to be let down in a boat and after I came to manhood how happy if I could but get to kill
176-564: A lifelong devotion to her. He states that they met when very young - the choice of my youth is an expression he often used in his diaries. The marriage was registered as: Robert Morgan Clark, bachelor of this Parish and Mary Dorrington, spinster of ('this', written, then deleted) the Parish of Greenwich were married in this Church by Banns this 30th Day of December in the Year one thousand eight hundred and twenty two, by me, D. Jones, Curate. This Marriage
220-546: A more lovable, a more Christian like man than was Captain Morgan" On 12 February 1866, Mary Morgan (née Dorrington) his wife, died at Arthur Street. On her death certificate it said she was born at Greenwich, Kent. Mary and her husband Captain Morgan are buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery with their son Robert Clark Morgan II and his wife Martha Jane (née Short). Duke of York (1817 ship) Duke of York
264-530: A most uncomfortable time. On the way down Aboriginals killed an English crewman, George Glansford, of Barking Essex , and a Rotumah native boy, named Bob, when the boats put in for water. The steamer James Watt took Morgan, the mate, and nineteen survivors on to Sydney , leaving the remainder to follow in another vessel. 27°02′11.84″S 153°21′13.64″E / 27.0366222°S 153.3537889°E / -27.0366222; 153.3537889 Sir Charles Price (1815 ship) Sir Charles Price
308-405: A reckless, boisterous profligate, living without a thought of God, except to blaspheme his holy name; but Divine grace now wrought so wondrous a change in him, that when he once more went to sea the old hands amongst his crew could scarcely recognise him for the same man. He who once never gave a command unaccompanied by an oath was now never heard to swear; and such was the force of his character and
352-833: A special license on 19 July 1814 to sail to the East Indies. She required a special license because she had a burthen of under 350 tons. She underwent repairs in 1815. 1st whaling voyage (1815–1818): Captain Whiteous (or Whiteuse, or Whittens, or Whitehouse) sailed from England on 16 July 1815, bound for Timor. Sir Charles Price returned on 17 February 1818 with 500 casks of whale oil. 2nd whaling voyage (1818–1820): Captain Bristow sailed from England on 30 April 1818. Sir Charles Price returned on 29 March 1820. 3rd whaling voyage (1820–1822): Captain Ford sailed from England on 8 June 1820, bound for
396-628: A true Missionary and he was much beloved by the natives of the South Pacific. So he bringeth them into their desired heaven. And on the other side of the headstone – Also of Mary his beloved wife who died 12 February 1866 aged 64 years, and their daughter Maria Clark who died 18 October 1843, aged 7 years. Precious the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints The Reverend A.W. Murray in his book, Forty Years Mission Work, said "I have known many eminent Christians during my not-short life, but I have never met
440-483: A whale and I always managed to get my share. All these things came fresh to my memory and these feelings rose up and caused a feeling not easily described, but I left it all for Jesus and his work. I will not repine how many hairs breaths escapes have I had in whaling, how many times has God spared my life when my boat has been staven, time after time. George Fife Angas appointed Captain Morgan master of Duke of York . The South Australian Company had fitted her to take
484-425: Is now called Cygnet. Soon after landing Stephens conducted a short service to give thanks for their safe arrival. This was probably the first religious service on the shores of South Australia. Most of the passengers wished to be the first to land in the new colony, but Captain Morgan settled the dispute very cleverly. He instructed the second mate Robert Russell to have some sailors row the youngest child ashore. This
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#1732852350484528-586: The South Australia Company , Duke of York left London on 24 February 1836 as part of the " First Fleet of South Australia ", and arrived at Kangaroo Island on 27 July 1836 after 154 days. The ship dropped anchor at Nepean Bay . She carried 42 passengers, 38 adults and four children. The settlers established Kingscote , the first free settlement in Australia. Duke of York was the first pioneer ship to reach South Australia with European settlers, as
572-588: The Captain and his wife. Both were baptised at the George Street Wesleyan chapel. He entered the Royal Navy at the age of eleven, his diaries state that at that age (he was) sent to sea on board a man o' war . He talks of the man o' war as "a place where all wickedness is committed with greediness and a place where he saw every vice man is capable of committing". When he left the Royal Navy, in 1814 towards
616-752: The Father, more love to the Son and more love to the Holy Spirit". The headstone in the Melbourne General Cemetery reads: Sacred to the memory of Robert Clark Morgan who died 23 September 1864, aged 66. He brought the first settlers to South Australia in the Duke of York in 1836 and was subsequently Commander of the London Missionary Ships Society's Camden and John Williams. His consecrated life made him
660-587: The Fiji Islands. At Lakeba they took on board her master, Captain Dixon, her mate, Willings, and the supercargo , Wilkey. Duke of York was whaling up the coast of Queensland when she was shipwrecked off Port Curtis on 14 July 1837. Port Curtis is near current day Gladstone , Queensland. The whole ship's company was saved and got into three boats. They rowed and sailed 300 miles Moreton Bay , 14 miles from Brisbane , where they arrived Saturday 26 August 1837 after
704-728: The Samoan Brethren suggested that he sit for his portrait when next in Sydney. However, it was finally done in London. The original artwork is held in the collections of the National Maritime Museum , Greenwich, England, and was displayed in the offices of the London Missionary Society. There was a copy reproduced in the journal The Congregationalist (June 1962 at p. 3) with an article about him. Captain Morgan retired from
748-756: The Secretary of the London Missionary Society to see if he could take command of the missionary ship Camden . On 10 February he met the missionary John Williams , who was looking to travel back to Samoa with his wife Mary. Morgan sailed in the Pacific in Camden from April 1838 till July 1843. He was with Williams in 1839 when Williams and Harris were murdered in the New Hebrides island of Erromango , now Vanuatu. The London Missionary Society invited children all over
792-626: The Wesleyan Chapel in George Street was laid in September 1816 and it was opened on December sixteenth of the same year. It was capable of seating 1,000 people. The building may still be there although it has not been used as a chapel for a very long time. On 30 December 1822, at Deptford , Kent, at the Church of St. Nicholas , Robert Clark Morgan married Mary Dorrington. He was 25 and she was 22. He had
836-439: The captain had a sort of parental role over George. His journal that covers the period that he was master of Duke of York is water marked to attest to this experience. They finally arrive at Morton Bay and the steamer James Watt took Captain Morgan, the mate and nineteen survivors on to Sydney, leaving the remainder to follow in another vessel. On Tuesday, 6 February 1838, three days after he arrived home from Sydney, he visited
880-469: The country to contribute to buying a ship in Williams's memory so that his work could continue. Seven mission ships named John Williams were successively bought in this way. When Camden returned to England, Morgan became captain of the London Missionary Society's first such ship, John Williams , and sailed it for 3 voyages: June 1844 - May 1847, October 1847 - May 1850 and July 1851 - June 1855. In 1841
924-520: The end of the Napoleonic Wars , he transferred to the merchant marine , whaling . He began as an apprentice on Phoenix , becoming an able seaman and rising to first and second mate, and became a master at an early age. One of the voyages on Phoenix is described in the book The Dalton Journal edited by Niel Gunson. Morgan is not mentioned by name. However, there is a reference to the second mate, which Morgan would have been at that time. Morgan
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#1732852350484968-504: The first settlers to South Australia, and then go whaling after that. Duke of York sailed from St Katharine Docks on 26 February 1836. Duke of York finally set sail for the sea on Saturday 19 March 1836, having been unable to get away from the English coast due to bad weather for some five weeks. She carried 42 persons including the crew. (Another source said she left England on 5 April). Some passengers, including some adults whose passage
1012-590: The harbour of Honoruru , Woahoo on 24 April 1830. She was at Tahiti on 21 January 1831. She returned to England on 19 July 1831 with 500 casks. 7th whaling voyage (1831–Loss): Captain Lee sailed from England on 16 October 1831. Sir Charles Price was wrecked in April 1833 at Huahine in the Society Islands . Her crew were rescued. She was going into the harbour of Huahine, "for the purpose of refreshing her hands" but
1056-525: The intention that after they had delivered their passengers they commence whaling operations. After leaving Kangaroo Island Duke of York sailed on 20 September 1836 to hunt whales. She was at Hobart Town from 27 September 1836 to 18 October to refresh; from there she proceeded to the South Sea whaling grounds. On Friday, 10 February 1837 Morgan heard of the wreck of the ship Active in the Fiji Islands and they took on board its Master, Captain Dixon, Willings
1100-525: The mate, and Wilkey. Duke of York was whaling up the coast of Queensland when she was shipwrecked off Port Curtis (in Queensland) on 14 July 1837. Port Curtis is near current day Gladstone , Queensland . The whole ship's company got into three boats and rowed and sailed 300 miles to Brisbane, where they arrived Saturday 26 August 1837 after a most uncomfortable time. On the way down aboriginals killed an English crewman George Glansford, of Barking Essex, and
1144-607: The power of his example, that in a few months' time not a man of his crew dared to use a profane expression while within his hearing. The discipline of the ship was not a bit lessened, and every one was happier, from the sobriety and good feeling of which the captain set example. Robert Clark Morgan attended the West Greenwich Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, which was founded in King George Street, very close to Blissett Street, in 1816. The foundation stone of
1188-535: The sea at the end of the voyage in 1855. As far as can be seen in his diary that covers the period from 16 June 1861 - 29 March 1862 he spent a lot of his time visiting the sick. His final diary that covers the period 15 March 1863 to 31 March 1864 tells of the voyage the Captain and Mrs Morgan made to Melbourne, Australia on the Yorkshire from about 30 March 1863 to 19 June 1863. It appears they came to be near their only surviving child (Robert Clark Morgan II). The son
1232-407: The start of the British colonisation of South Australia . Leaving the passengers on Kangaroo Island, Duke of York sailed on 20 September 1836 to hunt whales, without ever continuing to Holdfast Bay . She called at Hobart Town from 27 September 1836 to 18 October to refresh and to proceed to the South Sea whaling grounds. On 10 February 1837 Morgan heard of the wreck of the schooner Active in
1276-516: The time of the gold rush. He joined the Victorian civil service on 20 September 1852 as a revenue collector. He died in Melbourne, Australia at the age of 87 years a very wealthy man. Morgan died 23 September 1864 at Arthur St, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia, at the home of his son, aged 66. His dying words are that when he was asked by his son if he wanted anything was: "I want more love, more love to
1320-595: The whaling grounds off Japan. Sir Charles Price was reported at Timor on 19 May 1825 with 1800 barrels of sperm oil. She arrived back at England on 9 September 1825 with 550 casks of whale oil. 5th whaling voyage (1825–1828): Captain May sailed from England on 11 November 1825. Sir Charles Price returned on 30 September 1828 with 330 casks. 6th whaling voyage (1828–1831): Captain Robert Clark Morgan sailed from England on 10 December 1828. Sir Charles Price entered
1364-553: The whaling grounds off Peru. On 18 December 1821 Sisters , Earle, master, arrived at Milford Haven. She had left Sir Charles Price "on the Coast" with 1200 barrels. Syren , Coffin, master, Emma , Grand Sachem , and Emerald were also there. Sir Charles Price returned to England on 14 June 1822 with 550 casks of whale oil. 4th whaling voyage (1822–1825): Captain John Duncan sailed from England on 26 September 1822, bound for
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1408-505: Was a Falmouth packet. The list of voyages below is not complete. In addition to the voyages to North and South America, Duke of York may have sailed to the Mediterranean and other destinations. For instance, on 17 November 1819 Duke of York was at Gibraltar on her way to Malta . Also, on the voyages to South America, Duke of York would have stopped at Madeira . Under the command of Captain Robert Clark Morgan , and chartered by
1452-471: Was a fine beautiful morning, a clear atmosphere and fine blue sky with the ocean with only a few rippling over its surface. I saw a ship and went to the masthead and saw she had her boats down. Afterwards I saw the sperm whales she was after. She had taken whales before as she was boiling oil and the smoke was going in volleys from her tryworks. The whales were going as nearly as fast as the ship so we kept pace with them for 2 - 3 hours till at last one boat struck
1496-451: Was a three-masted brig (later barque ) launched in 1817 at Bideford as a Falmouth packet , sailing between Falmouth, Cornwall , and Jamaica. In 1836 she brought settlers to South Australia for the South Australia Company . She was wrecked in 1837. Duke of York first appeared in Lloyd's Register ( LR ) with "Price" (later J. Price), master and owner, and trade Falmouth–Jamaica. She
1540-749: Was baptised on 10 July 1829 at the Wesleyan Chapel George St. Greenwich. In the 1851 census Robert Clark Morgan II (aged 21) was residing in England with his patents at 83A Lower Road Deptford (also in the household was Mary A Wallace, niece, aged 22, born in Greenwich, Kent). His occupation is shown as a clerk at the East India Docks . He had lived in Samoa with his parents for a while and went to Sydney in 1849. He then went to Melbourne arriving in about 1852 at
1584-424: Was born on 13 March 1798 at Deptford , Kent, in England. This is recorded in his diary. His parentage is not known. No conclusive record of his birth has been found. In his diary he does not mention his parentage apart from a few cryptic remarks. On Sunday 5 February 1837 he states, "I could not say that I had a praying Father or a praying mother or a Brother or Sister for I lost them young and knew little of them. I
1628-575: Was cast on the world at the age of 11 years to walk the journey of life". About ten days before sailing on his first command, he happened upon a revival meeting , and the result to him was eventful. This would have been in 1828. That revival service in Greenwich was led by Isaac English (baker and lay preacher). Before he took up his first command in December 1828 on the Sir Charles Price he had been
1672-665: Was charged to the Emigration Fund, were on board as well. The First Report of the Commissioners of Colonisation of South Australia gave the ship's complement as thirty-eight. A list compiled from the Company's records gave the names of twenty passengers and twenty-six seamen, in addition to the Captain. Several of the passengers listed had significant appointments in the service of the South Australian Company. Samuel Stephens
1716-472: Was engaged as a clerk. Charles Powell and W. West were gardeners; Henry Mitchell was a butcher; and John Neale was an assistant carpenter. They reached Kangaroo Island in South Australia and disembarked on 27 July 1836. When in sight of the island the previous evening Captain Morgan, a devout Wesleyan, gathered the passengers for a prayer meeting. When they landed Samuel Stephens named the river Morgan; it
1760-515: Was launched in America in 1812 under another name. The British captured her c.1814 and Daniel Bennett purchased her and added her to his fleet of whalers . She made six complete whaling voyages to the southern whale fishery , and was lost in 1833 on her seventh whaling voyage. Sir Charles Price first entered Lloyd's Register ( LR ) in 1815 with Whiteouse, master, Bennett & Sons, owner and trade London–South Seas. Before that, though, she received
1804-419: Was solemnised between us (signed:) Robert Morgan Clark Mary Dorrington In the presence of { X The mark of James Gittens and {Elizabeth Dorrington The reason his marriage was solemnised in the surname of Clark is unknown. They had seven children, most dying shortly after birth . There was a daughter, Louisa Clark Morgan, who died at 7 years of age and only one child, also named Robert Clark Morgan, survived
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1848-544: Was the first Colonial Manager, and on behalf of his employers, he established the settlement of Kingscote as a site for their projected whaling venture. From its location in relation to the mouth of the River Murray, and the Gulfs of St Vincent and Spencer, he considered it as a possible shipping port for the future. Another of the passengers, Thomas Hudson Beare , was Superintendent of Buildings and Labourers, while D.H. Schreyvogel
1892-803: Was the master of the ships Sir Charles Price and Recovery , both owned by Daniel Bennett, an owner of many south sea whaling ships, and Duke of York , owned by the South Australian Company . She was the first pioneer ship to reach South Australia . His whaling career in the Phoenix was: Apprentice June 1814 - June 1819, Able Seaman June 1819 - Sept 1822, second Mate Jan 1823 - Nov 1825, first Mate May 1826 - Sept 1828. Sir Charles Price , Master Dec 1828 - June 1831. Recovery , Master Dec 1831 - June 1835. Duke of York , Master Feb 1836 - Aug 1837. In his diary later in life he reminisces about his whaling experiences: Early this morning I went on deck. It
1936-546: Was two and a half year old Elizabeth Beare, daughter of the Company's Deputy Manager, Thomas Hudson Beare. Russell was instructed to carry the child through the shallow water and place her feet on the beach while the adults were at dinner. In doing so she was the first white female to set foot on that strand. When this happened the crew began to cheer and the passengers soon realised that a landing had been made without them knowing it. The Company had dispatched Duke of York , Lady Mary Pelham , Emma , and John Pirie , with
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