Charles Kerr

Index of emigrants on Charles Kerr, 1835

This is an index of the emigrants on board the Charles Kerr, which sailed from London to Launceston, Van Diemens Land.

Her journey started on 9 July 1835 from Gravesend, reaching Deal on 12 July. We can track her route from reports in Lloyds List. By 25 July, she was at lat. 46, lon 14; and at lat. 13N long. 26W on 10 August. She was seen again at on 13 August at lat. 10, lon. 24; on 6 October lat. 37, lon. 1E. She called in at the Cape of Good Hope on the way, probably in October. She arrived in Launceston 15 November.

Many of the female emigrants on this journey were allowed free passage by the Government; in some cases this was to enable wives and children to join their husbands who were already in the colony, in other cases to ensure a supply of women, especially servants, governesses and the like.

Unaccompanied females emigrating at that time were in a vulnerable position, and were sometimes at the mercy of the crew; however, the Charles Kerr had a considerate and conscientious captain in Harfold Arnold. He took pains on arrival to ensure that the women had lodgings already arranged for them before allowing them on shore. In fact, around 50 of the passengers signed their names to a letter commending his conduct towards them on their passage.

The original lists are at the PRO in Kew (embarkation list, including occupation on departure, and who had free passage) and at the Archives Office of Tasmania in Hobart (disembarkation, including the emigrants’ conduct during passage, occupation on arrival, which boarding house they were lodged in where applicable, and various reports about the journey).

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