Our Voyage - Day by Day - 190 Years ago - Part One
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Before Our Departure |
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The little Ship's History to date:
Our ship's Origin:
The brig Tranby was built on the River Hull at the yard Samuel Standidge Walton. In 1829, the owners of the ship were listed as Smith & Co.
The ship was probably named from the village of Tranby Park about eight kilometers west of Hull, and now almost a suburb of the city. The name Tranby has its origins in Norway with a village near Oslo, and there are families there with the surnames Tranby. It is believed that the name Tranby occurs (as a place name), only in Norway and in East Yorkshire. The Yorkshire connection came with the Vikings, who presumably made one of their settlements just west of Hull, where there are a number of features such as; Tranby Cottage; Tranby House; Tranby Farm; and Tranby Park (1).
The small ship arrived in the port of Hull in January 1829, after a two months' trip from Archangel in northern Russia. On returning to port, she moored in the Humber off the Citadel, (near the entrance to the River Hull) but her anchor chain seems to have broken in the strong tidal flow, and she was swept two miles down the river before being flung on her side on a sandbank. The crew all managed to escape, and the waterlogged cargo of linseed was eventually recovered but the vessel was in a desperate state, filling with water on every tide.
The Tranby was eventually brought to on the foreshore close to the Grimsby Packet landing stage and arrangements were soon made for the hulk and the stores to be offered for sale at auction on the foreshore by the south end of Humber Dock close to where she lay. However, instead of being sold off in bits and broken up, it appears that the Tranby was bought in more or less one piece, probably by the firm of Bolton and Humphrey, shipowners and ship brokers, and over the next couple of months underwent a complete and thorough repair, much of her decking was replaced and a number of new hold beams and knees were fitted. She was sheathed in copper and patent felt. Soon back in fine fettle the little brig was offered for sale. The vessel was soon taken and with Messrs Locking & Wakes acting as agents she became the vessel chartered for the Swan River emigrants.
After docking and refitting, she was announced for sale in May and was then apparently taken up for the venture to the Swan River Settlement. (2)
The invitation, published in July, was a follows:
The brig Tranby was built on the River Hull at the yard Samuel Standidge Walton. In 1829, the owners of the ship were listed as Smith & Co.
The ship was probably named from the village of Tranby Park about eight kilometers west of Hull, and now almost a suburb of the city. The name Tranby has its origins in Norway with a village near Oslo, and there are families there with the surnames Tranby. It is believed that the name Tranby occurs (as a place name), only in Norway and in East Yorkshire. The Yorkshire connection came with the Vikings, who presumably made one of their settlements just west of Hull, where there are a number of features such as; Tranby Cottage; Tranby House; Tranby Farm; and Tranby Park (1).
The small ship arrived in the port of Hull in January 1829, after a two months' trip from Archangel in northern Russia. On returning to port, she moored in the Humber off the Citadel, (near the entrance to the River Hull) but her anchor chain seems to have broken in the strong tidal flow, and she was swept two miles down the river before being flung on her side on a sandbank. The crew all managed to escape, and the waterlogged cargo of linseed was eventually recovered but the vessel was in a desperate state, filling with water on every tide.
The Tranby was eventually brought to on the foreshore close to the Grimsby Packet landing stage and arrangements were soon made for the hulk and the stores to be offered for sale at auction on the foreshore by the south end of Humber Dock close to where she lay. However, instead of being sold off in bits and broken up, it appears that the Tranby was bought in more or less one piece, probably by the firm of Bolton and Humphrey, shipowners and ship brokers, and over the next couple of months underwent a complete and thorough repair, much of her decking was replaced and a number of new hold beams and knees were fitted. She was sheathed in copper and patent felt. Soon back in fine fettle the little brig was offered for sale. The vessel was soon taken and with Messrs Locking & Wakes acting as agents she became the vessel chartered for the Swan River emigrants.
After docking and refitting, she was announced for sale in May and was then apparently taken up for the venture to the Swan River Settlement. (2)
The invitation, published in July, was a follows:
(1) Williamson, A.J. (1980) Tranby House. The National Trust of Australia (W.A.)
(2) Research by Mr. Ray Acaster, (2000)
(2) Research by Mr. Ray Acaster, (2000)
Equivalent size of the Tranby's deck.
According to Lloyds, the ship was 26 foot 6 inches (7.95 meters) extreme breadth, 86 foot 3 inches (25.87 meters) long on the keel, and 17 foot 5 inches (5. 2 meters) depth of hold and drew about 2 1/2 fathoms (4.5 meters). She had as a figurehead, the bust of a female.
Lloyd's Register for 1829 records Tranby as being a second class vessel with first class materials, a snow rig and two masts, and of 253 tons (229 metric tons). The tonnages given have nothing to do with the ships weight, but are a measurement of the volume in a ship's hull, calculated at the rate of one ton to 100 cubic feet.
The ship was last registered by Lloyds in 1850.
To the younger reader, this equates to the width of two modern city buses wide, by two buses long. Can you imagine only having the area on the four bus roofs for 57 people to walk around on, for 5 months (along with cows, horses, pigs etc.?
The 1987 built brig 'Lady Washington' is a modern day version of a Brig, of comparable size, and is worth looking at.
The Tranby ship however, was the type of small cargo carrier to be found everywhere in the Western world. Tranby was ideal for transporting cargo to the Swan River where port facilities were known to be lacking, as she was capable of entering any sheltered shallow cove.
The Tranby was originally expected to sail 20th August 1829 but she finally departed from Hull in early September.
There seemed no difficulty in getting the little ship filled.
Lloyd's Register for 1829 records Tranby as being a second class vessel with first class materials, a snow rig and two masts, and of 253 tons (229 metric tons). The tonnages given have nothing to do with the ships weight, but are a measurement of the volume in a ship's hull, calculated at the rate of one ton to 100 cubic feet.
The ship was last registered by Lloyds in 1850.
To the younger reader, this equates to the width of two modern city buses wide, by two buses long. Can you imagine only having the area on the four bus roofs for 57 people to walk around on, for 5 months (along with cows, horses, pigs etc.?
The 1987 built brig 'Lady Washington' is a modern day version of a Brig, of comparable size, and is worth looking at.
The Tranby ship however, was the type of small cargo carrier to be found everywhere in the Western world. Tranby was ideal for transporting cargo to the Swan River where port facilities were known to be lacking, as she was capable of entering any sheltered shallow cove.
The Tranby was originally expected to sail 20th August 1829 but she finally departed from Hull in early September.
There seemed no difficulty in getting the little ship filled.
August 1829
Friday, 28 August 1829
Hull dock area.
We are berthed at the Old Dock in Hull. Taking on various goods and chattels under the direction of Commander Story.
We have missed our advertised departure date of 20th August. Now planned for Wednesday the 9th of September.
Sunday, 30 August 1829
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All of the Crew required for the voyage to the Swan River are now on board the Tranby. Work continues to load the ship.
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Monday, 31 August 1829
The interest in the vessel, as she was prepared for the voyage in the Old Dock, was tremendous that the local papers reported today that one old gentleman accidentally fell in the water as the crowd pressed around the quayside to see that activity. He was recovered from the water but died a few weeks later.
Part One of the Tranby voyage (the first Three Months) is below....
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For Part Two of the Voyage: (the next 120 days: from December to February) [Click Here]
