Crew 1864 to 1865

On 6th August 1864 the brand-new City of Adelaide left the Thames docklands of central London to sail for South Australia on her maiden voyage with most of her passengers, 100 tons of coal, 11,300 items of general cargo (bales, cases, casks, packages and bundles for organisastions such as A.M Bickford & Co., South Australian Bank (Bank S.A.) and the South Australian Government) - and a crew of 38 men.

Her skipper was Captain David Bruce, 49, the Scottish part-owner who had conceived the ship based on his 11 years previous experience on the run as master of the Irene, and had supervised her construction in Sunderland. The First Mate was his eldest son John Bruce, 25, and another member of the crew was a younger son Alexander Bruce, 17, who was entering his second year as a seaman apprentice to his father. Both of these sons would ultimately follow in his footsteps in turn to become master of the City of Adelaide and of her sister-ship the South Australian.

The ship’s Carpenter was Thomas Bruce, 24, also born in Perth, Scotland, who was almost certainly a relative of the Captain – probably his nephew – and had sailed on the Irene with him.

Also on board was a Miss Bruce, who we believe was Janet, 21, one of David’s older daughters. Janet appears to have been part passenger and part unpaid crew, probably taking a working holiday by acting as hostess and stewardess in the luxurious first-class saloon of her father’s new ship. She would later marry a master mariner.

The Second Mate was an experienced 45 years old Cornishman, Edward Robins, while the Third Mate was up-and-coming Londoner Julian Smith, 21, who had also previously served on the Irene with Captain David and John Bruce.

The Ship’s Surgeon was Dr Edward Nason, 41 years old and single, from a prominent family of doctors in Warwickshire. Two of his brothers had migrated to South Australia ten years earlier, and he was taking an opportunity to visit them by working his passage in charge of the health of the passengers and crew.

When the ship touched at Plymouth on 12th August to pick up the balance of her 29 passengers, the 21 years old London-born trainee-officer Midshipman William H Elliott had to be put ashore because he was too ill to continue the voyage.

Name	Age	Born	Last Ship	Joined this Ship	Capacity	Left this Ship
David Bruce	49	Perth	Irene	Aug 64, London	Master	Remains
John Bruce	25	Perth	Irene	6/8/64, London	Mate	4/5/65, London voyage ended
Edward Robins	45	Truro	Obi	6/8/64, London	2nd Mate	6/5/65, London discharged
Julian Smith	21	London	Irene	6/8/64, London	3rd Mate	6/5/65, London discharged
Daniel Standish	36	London	Lansdowne	6/8/64, London	Boatswain	6/5/65, London discharged
Edward Nason	40	Warwickshire	none	6/8/64, London	Surgeon	4/5/65, London voyage ended
Thomas Bruce	24	Perth	Irene	6/8/64, London	Carpenter	6/5/65, London discharged
William H Elliot	21	London	Copenhagen	6/8/64, London	Midshipman	12/8/64, Plymouth illness

Only three of the crew members who provided the catering services to passengers and crew completed the round trip back to London. The others were either discharged in Adelaide by prior arrangement, or they deserted the ship there.

Name	Age	Born	Last Ship	Joined this Ship	Capacity	Left this Ship
John Harrold	42	Chelsea	Fiery Star	6/8/64, London	Cook	28/12/64, Adelaide deserted
Henry Millwood	32	Prussia	none	6/8/64, London	Cook’s Mate	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
S F Claxton	32	Norwich	Irene	6/8/64, London	Steward	6/5/65, London discharged
W Claxton	16	London	Irene	6/8/64, London	2nd Class Steward	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
Alfred Wood	37	Greenwich	Orient	6/8/64, London	2nd Class Steward	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
W Hopkins	22	Croydon	none	6/8/64, London	Cuddy Servant	28/12/64, Adelaide deserted
E Driver	22	London	none	6/8/64, London	Stock-keeper	28/12/64, Adelaide deserted
Joseph Brown	35	Middlesex	none	6/8/64, London	Stock-keeper	4/5/65, London voyage ended

More than half the seamen and boys had signed on for the outward voyage only, and had to be replaced in Port Adelaide. Among these was Adelaide resident 18 years old Walter Forwood who, disillusioned with the prospect of a life at sea and stranded in London, was willing to work his passage home to start a different apprenticeship as an engineer. He founded the Adelaide firm of Forwood, Down & Co in 1873, and it prospered.

Name	Age	Born	Last Ship	Joined this Ship	Capacity	Left this Ship
Richard Giles	24	Truro	Mary	6/8/64, London	AB	4/5/65, London discharged
John Rickards	28	Truro	Faith	6/8/64, London	AB	4/5/65, London discharged
W Land	26	Sweden	Arab Steed	6/8/64, London	AB	4/5/65, London discharged
Edwd Holdersen	31	Norway	Arab Steed	6/8/64, London	AB	4/5/65, London discharged
Alfred Cornall	21	Romford	Chaudiere	6/8/64, London	AB	4/5/65, London discharged
John Wilcox	22	Brixlington	London	6/8/64, London	AB	4/5/65, London discharged
James Matthew	25	Truro	Cherry	6/8/64, London	AB	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
Henry Quested	35	Margate	Irene	6/8/64, London	AB	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
Robert Head	33	Portsmouth	Irene	6/8/64, London	AB	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
Charles Gover	32	Poole	Rosina	6/8/64, London	AB	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
John Anderson	29	Norway	Harwich	6/8/64, London	AB	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
Edward London	35	Leith	Coniston	6/8/64, London	AB	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
George Ludwig	27	Hamburg	Coniston	6/8/64, London	AB	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
Jose Rande	28	Denmark	Coniston	6/8/64, London	AB	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
John A Ellis	20	Deptford	Gosforth	6/8/64, London	AB	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
W W Forwood	18	London	Renown	6/8/64, London	Boy	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
George Pink	20	London	none	6/8/64, London	Boy	21/11/64, Adelaide discharged
John Waltham	29	London	John Norman	6/8/64, London	AB	signed on, but did not join

The connections of the City of Adelaide were always conscious of the responsibility to train youngsters, leading ultimately to the establishment of their own sail training ships and Pangbourne Naval College. Besides Alexander Bruce, there were four newcomers being initiated into their apprenticeships on this voyage.

Name	Age	Born	Apprentice	Capacity	Left this Ship
Alexander Bruce	17	Perth	indentured 2/7/1863, London	Apprentice	Remains
Alfred Poole	17	Hackney	indentured 30/7/1864, London	Apprentice	Remains
Paul Patlock	15	Maidstone	indentured 3/8/1864, London	Apprentice	Remains
William Baskwald	15	Albrighton	indentured 3/8/1864, London	Apprentice	Remains
F M Robinson	15	Cape Colony	indentured 4/8/1864, London	Apprentice	Remains

Replacements at Port Adelaide

Cook’s Mate Henry Millwood was persuaded to rejoin the crew while the ship was still in Adelaide, and was promoted to replace the Cook who had deserted. Of particular interest was the recruiting of an experienced Stewardess for the Saloon. There were 56 passengers on the return voyage, and most of the catering replacements were serving in a ship’s crew for the first time.

Name	Age	Born	Last Ship	Joined this Ship	Capacity	Left this Ship
Henry Millwood	34	Prussia	City of Adelaide	16/1/65, Adelaide	Cook	4/5/65, London discharged
James Leighton	23	London	Northumberland	16/1/65, Adelaide	Assistant Cook	4/5/65, London voyage ended
James M Davey	55	Kent	none	16/1/65, Adelaide	Assistant Cook	4/5/65, London voyage ended
Susannah Bradley	30	Kent	Phoebe Dunbar	16/1/65, Adelaide	Stewardess	4/5/65, London voyage ended
Richard King	35	London	none	16/1/65, Adelaide	2nd Class Steward	4/5/65, London voyage ended
Sydney Goldsack	21	Sydney	none	16/1/65, Adelaide	Cuddy Servant	4/5/65, London voyage ended
Wm McDougall	15	Scotland	none	16/1/65, Adelaide	Cuddy Servant	4/5/65, London discharged
George Langley	26	Kent	none	16/1/65, Adelaide	Cuddy Servant	4/5/65, London discharged
William Payne	25	London	none	16/1/65, Adelaide	Stockman	4/5/65, London voyage ended
A Davidson	30	Hamburg	none	16/1/65, Adelaide	Stockman	4/5/65, London discharged
John Firth	51	Yorkshire	none	16/1/65, Adelaide	Butcher	4/5/65, London discharged
George Brigg	23	London	Electra	3/1/65, Adelaide	Assistant Cook	signed on, but did not join

Eleven seamen and boys were discharged in Adelaide in November, but there were only seven replacements when the ship sailed from Port Adelaide in January 1865. One of them was a young local man.

Name	Age	Born	Last Ship	Joined this Ship	Capacity	Left this Ship
John Henry	21	Adelaide	Goolwa	16/1/65, Adelaide	AB	4/5/65, London voyage ended
W R Beresford	27	New York	Philip	16/1/65, Adelaide	AB	4/5/65, London voyage ended
Thos. Campbell	45	London	Westminster	16/1/65, Adelaide	AB	4/5/65, London voyage ended
James Gourlay	26	Scotland	Lady Denison	16/1/65, Adelaide	AB	4/5/65, London discharged
James Lewis	25	South Wales	Daphne	16/1/65, Adelaide	AB	4/5/65, London discharged
Lawson Souter	32	Scotland	Freebridge	16/1/65, Adelaide	AB	4/5/65, London discharged
William Butland	29	Ashburton	Phillis	16/1/65, Adelaide	AB	4/5/65, London discharged

With a crew of 37 men and one woman, the City of Adelaide arrived safely in London on 3rd May 1865 after a voyage of 105 days.

References

Source: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

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