Sean Haydon Griffin's Family Tree

Immigration of Archibald Parkes (Park) Allan

Sources

Narrative

Sir William Molesworth:

Early on the morning of Monday, October 11th 1852 William Calder made his way to the Glasgow docks in order to join the ship "Sir William Molesworth" for the voyage to Australia.

The ship was barque of 468 tons built in Nova Scotia in 1848. Her dimensions are given as 108 x 19 x 26 ft. In the 1852 edition of Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping she is described as being constructed of beech, spruce and pine, sheathed with felt and zinc and partly iron bound. She had been classified as A1 from the time she was built and was obviously well found. At the time of the entry her owners were noted as Reid & Co., and her port of registration was Glasgow. She had been sailing on the route between the Clyde and New York. On this voyage, however, she had new owners; the passengers themselves. They called themselves the "Christian Temperance Emigration Association", and the management of affairs was conducted by a Committee out of their own number. Her captain, Captain J. Watt. She carried 265 passengers.

Whether this practice of the passengers owning the ship occurred on other occasions is not known. The ship was sold after arrival in Australia to Mr. A. W. Hill and H. A. Coffey, and soon after leased to a firm who carried on a ship repair and chandlers business at Williamstown. Some time in the 1860’s she was hulked, and in 1870 a half interest was sold to Captain James Deane and two others who used the vessel as a coal hulk. It was while serving in this capacity that she caught fire at Williamstown on 8th October 1871 and was totally destroyed.

There is an account of the voyage in the LaTrobe Library at the State Library of Victoria written by Mark Addison (MS 8877). I have transcribed this into a Word7 document.

Sir William Molesworth. Wooden barque, 468 tons. Built Nova Scotia, 1848; reg. Glasgow 1852, reg. Melbourne 1853. Lbd 108.2 x 19 x 26.2 ft. Hulked ‘some time in the 1860s’, and served time as a coal hulk. Sank after burning for four hours whilst moored near the floating dock at Williamstown, 8 October 1871. The fire spread to the barque Joliba being repaired in the dock but the steamer Resolute, berthed nearby with steam up, made fast to her, literally dragging her from the blocks. Every effort was made to extinguish the flames but her main and mizzen masts had to be cut away to save her. [LV]

References