Help finding maiden voyage of ship Elizabeth please

[WendyT]

Could anyone help me find out when the Arbroath ship Elizabeth made her maiden voyage to Australia. Some historical sites state she was built by W Stephens yard in Arbroath in 1852, Lloyds have her registered in 1853. She was about 484 tons. Her voyage was to Melbourne from Dundee. We're also looking for information about the names of crew (we do have the captain's name).
A newspaper report in Melbourne suggests a Dundee departure date of Feb 12 1853 but we want to know if this was her first trip. Thanks again.

[Currie]

Hello Wendy,

The ship was launched 13 November 1852, and there would have been a lot of work done on it after launch, and before registration in 1853. There’s no way it could have gone anywhere else before the voyage to Australia.

Dundee Courier, Wednesday, November 17, 1852
ABROATH.
LAUNCH.—On Saturday last there was launched from Mr W. Stephen's building yard a ship named Elizabeth, 584 tons N.M. The vessel hails from Perth, and is the property of Messrs Crockat and Fisher there. The vessel was built expressly for the Australian trade, and we believe is to be laid on the berth at Dundee for Sydney. Being the largest vessel ever built here there was a great turn out at the launch, notwithstanding the roughness of the day. The vessel descended in fine style, contrary to the expectation of many, owing to the enormous quantity of silt that has accumulated in the harbour in front of the launching slips.

The Morning Post (London), Tuesday, February 01, 1853
EMIGRATION FROM DUNDEE.—On Tuesday, the harbour of Dundee was the scene of more than ordinary excitement, in consequence of the departure of two vessels for the gold regions—the Elizabeth passenger ship, having about 200 souls on board, including the crew and children; and the Jessie, a clipper schooner, with goods only.—Edinburgh Witness.

1853 Lloyds Register No.385 in the book. Home port is Perth.
http://archive.org/stream/lloydsregiste ... 7/mode/2up

Navy List 1860, there's only one there for Perth, Official number 6586?
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=0ek ... J&pg=PA535

There appears to be quite a lot of stuff in the Dundee Courier about the Elizabeth. I’ll round up the images.

Hope that helps,
Alan

[Currie]

The ‘Elizabeth’ with 200 souls that left Dundee with the ‘Jessie’ on about 25 January bound for the ‘gold regions’, as reported in the Morning Post, and this next article, appears to be a different ship to your ‘Elizabeth’? I’ll let you sort that one out.

Dundee Courier (Dundee, Scotland), Wednesday, January 26, 1853
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad28 ... an1853.jpg

These next three are for Captain Wright’s ‘Elizabeth’. Towed out to sea by a steam tug on the 15th.

Dundee Courier (Dundee, Scotland), Wednesday, February 09, 1853
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad28 ... eb1853.jpg

Dundee Courier (Dundee, Scotland), Wednesday, February 16, 1853
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad28 ... eb1853.jpg

Dundee Courier (Dundee, Scotland), Wednesday, February 23, 1853
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad28 ... eb1853.jpg

Please take a copy of those as they won’t be there forever.

Info on researching Merchant Mariners. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/reco ... re1857.htm

All the best,
Alan

[Currie]

Seems more likely to be O.N. 23288 Registered at Dundee
See the CLIP info 
http://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/vesselsnum.php

Alan

[WendyT]

Thank you so much for taking the time for helping us track down the Elizabeth and her maiden voyage. Loved the newspaper
reports. Hope our ancestor was crewing on it. Thanks again. =D>

[Currie]

That’s okay Wendy, and to finish it off, here’s the sad story of the loss of the Elizabeth.

The Dundee Courier & Argus, Monday, September 23, 1867
LOSS OF THE DUNDEE BARQUE ELIZABETH.—By means of a letter received from Captain Darke, formerly of the barque Elizabeth of this port, we are enabled to supplement the brief account which appeared in our columns, nearly a fortnight ago respecting the loss of that ship. The vessel was trading between several Chinese ports, and on her last voyage sailed from Swatow for Shanghae. Before she had proceeded far, she was caught by a typhoon, when only ten miles off the coast, and having thus no sea room, she was driven ashore in Owick Bay, about thirty five miles to the northward of Swatow, on the 14th of July. In four hours the vessel became a total wreck, and seven persons (including the captain's wife, baby, and female servant) were drowned. The crew numbered sixteen in all, but only three belonged to this neighbourhood. A boy named Valentine, belonging to Arbroath, and a man named Hutchinson and a boy of the name of Lawrence, belonging to Dundee, are among the saved. In his letter the captain says that several of the crew landed with nothing except a shirt to cover them, and that the portions of clothing and wreck cast ashore by the waves were ruthlessly plundered by the natives, who robbed the men of everything they could lay their hands on. The Elizabeth was owned by Mr William Nicoll, Dundee.

More about the wreck here. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=D6x ... ow&f=false

This 1867 wreck was listed among many in an 1870’s Parliamentary report and was described as a 14 years old wooden barque of 443 tons.

Alan