JOURNAL of Her Majesty's Convict Ship

"Mermaid"

between 16^th December 1850 and 21^st May 1851.

General Remarks

More cases occurred, they were immediately removed to Haslar Hospital with their parents, their berths and bedding purified. On the day following two other cases appeared and these sent to hospital. Making in all 7 children were disembarked with their parents. The ship was visited this day by one of the directors of Convict prison who recommended her to be sent to sea and that no more should be disembarked. She sailed on 9^th January after having received a reinforcement to the guard.

Seven more cases of measles appeared between that and 12^th . We were obliged to put into Torbay. The cases went all favourably being all slight except one which was a little more serious. She left Torbay on the 18^th but then obliged to put into Falmouth where we remained until the 1^st February when we finally sailed for Perth.

Whilst she remained at Falmouth five more cases of measles appeared which all went on favourably and after being six days at sea another case. Part of the convicts 51 in number were embarked on the 20^th December at Woolwich -24 of them from Pentonville Prison and 27 from the "Justitia Hulk". The ship then proceeded to Gravesend and on the 21^st The Wives and Families with the remainder of the Guards were embarked. The ship then sailed for Portsmouth and arrived at Spithead on the 25^th Dec. and on the evening of that day my attention was called to two cases of measles which appeared amongst the Families of the Guard. On the following morning I wrote reporting the appearance of the disease to the Director General. The ship then proceeded to Cowes to embark the remainder of the convicts and on the 27^th the 2 children were removed to Haslar Hospital by admiralty order. Their bedding and berths being well pumped with Chloride of Zinc.

The remainder of convicts 159 in number were embarked on the 28^th Dec. The ship then returned to Spithead and there was no further appearance of measles until the 6^th January where three occurred which was the last on board although there were many more persons on board who were susceptible of the disease. The Chloride of Zinc was very heavily used in all parts of the ship during the prevalence of the disease.

The Convicts were embarked in a healthy state and continued so during the voyage although at first there were a great many slight cases of diarrhoea which were generally cured by a dose of chalk mixture and these not put on the sick list.

The only death amongst the convicts was that of a man aged 53 years who gradually emaciated during the hot weather and sunk without any apparent active disease.

The guard and their families were not generally as healthy as the convicts although their berths were more roomy and better ventilated. 1 child age 2 years died of tabes. It was embarked in an unhealthy state having apparently suffered from bad or insufficient food.

There were 2 of the pensioners on the sick list during a great part of the voyage. One of these with Chronic Diarrhoea from which he had suffered for more than 2 years and had been invalided from the Artillery for it and was unfit for embarkation. The other had a severe attack of Hepatitis from which he also had suffered as well as from an injury of the loins. They were both sent to the Military Hospital at Perth the day after we arrived. They improved very much at hospital during my stay in the Colonies

Alex Kilroy Surgeon Superintendent
Transcribed by Phyllis Clatworthy, 1993

Date on Sick List	Names	Age	Quality	Wound or Disease	Date off Sick List	How disposed	No. days on Sick List	Case History No.
23 December	Susan Maher	4	Pensioner’s child	Rubeola	December 27	Sent to Haslar Hospital	3	1
23 December	Dennis Maher	2	Pensioner’s child	Rubeola	December 27	Sent to Haslar Hospital	3	2
January 1	Thos Smith	19	Convict	Pleuritis	January 13	Cured	13	3
January 2	Arthur Eggar	35	Corporal of guard	Diarrhoea	February 10	Cured	39	4
January 3	Ed Luscombe	28	Convict	Diarrhoea	January 4	Cured	3
January 6	Mary Fahey	7	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 6	To hospital	1	5
January 6	Anne Fahey	5	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 6	To hospital	1	6
January 6	Kate Fahey	3	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 6	To hospital	1	7
January 7	Wm Long	28	Convict	Diarrhoea	January 13	Cured	6
January 7	Geo Javan	21	Convict	Fever	February 1	Cured	7	8
January 7	Jas Rooney	5	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 7	To Hospital	1	9
January 7	Anne Rooney	3	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 7	To Hospital	1	10
January 10	J McIntyre	10	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 17	Cured	7	11
January 11	A McIntyre	5	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 17	Cured	6
January 11	Anne Keoghran	3	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 18	Cured	7	12
January 11	Margt Keoghran	20	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 24	Cured	13
January 11	John Garth	48	Convict	Colic	January 13	Cured	2
January 11	Ed Wilder	24	Convict	Rubeola	January 17	Cured	6	13
January 11	Thos Cook	38	Convict	Scalds	January 17	Cured	6
January 12	J Tansey	5	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 18	Cured	6
January 12	Pat Burns	1	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 18	Cured	6
January 13	Wm Butcher	24	Convict	Obstipatio	January 17	Cured	4
January 13	Wm Revell	18	Convict	Obstipatio	January 22	Cured	9
January 13	Godfrey Woolnough	40	Convict	Obstipatio	January 17	Cured	4
January 16	Jas Robertson	45	Convict	Diarrhoea	January 24	Cured	8
January 17	John Walters	18	Convict	Abscess	January 30	Cured	13
January 17	Ann Moran	2	Guard’s child	Diarrhoea	February 17	Cured	37
January 18	P Nicholson	35	Pensioner	Bruise	January 24	Cured	6
January 19	Ed Howe	26	Convict	Bronchitis	January 30	Cured	11
January 20	John Jones	32	Convict	Diarrhoea	February 17	Cured	28
January 21	Jane Keoghran	6	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 28	Cured	7	14
January 22	Geo Digby	24	Convict	Diarrhoea	February 9	Cured	18	15
January 22	Walter Thompson	18	Convict	Rubeola	February 4	Cured	13	16

January 22	Saml Keane	18	Convict	Rubeola	February 4	Cured	13
January 24	Tim Tansey	2	Guard’s child	Rubeola	January 29	Cured	5
January 25	Jas Harris	30	Convict	Nephritis	February 12	Cured	19	17
January 27	Donald McDonald	20	Convict	Rubeola	February 4	Cured	8
January 28	Henry Playfer	28	Convict	Diarrhoea	February 4	Cured	9
January 29	John Sugrane	28	Convict	Abscess	February 8	Cured	10
January 31	Thos Jones	26	Convict	Abscess	February 4	Cured	5
January 31	John Sleigh	28	Convict	Diarrhoea	February 2	Cured	3
February 2	Pat Burns	35	Pensioner	Erysipelas	February 22	Cured	20	18
February 3	Chas Overton	30	Convict	Obstipatio	February 5	Cured	2
February 3	Isaac Friend	33	Convict	Rheumatism	February 8	Cured	5
February 5	Jas Campbell	20	Convict	Obstipatio	February 8	Cured	3
February 5	Jno Bowman	26	Convict	Pleuritis	February 9	Cured	6
February 6	Saml Pitts	18	Convict	Rubeola	February 13	Cured	7
February 7	Thos Jones	18	Convict	Obstipatio	February 11	Cured	4
February 7	John Pearce	18	Convict	Obstipatio	February 10	Cured	3
February 8	M McCarman	30	Guard’s wife	Mas... abscess	February 17	Cured	9
February 8	Sam Cooper	33	Convict	Diarrhoea	February 10	Cured	2
February 10	Jas Sanderson	23	Convict	Diarrhoea	February 15	Cured	5
February 11	Wm Sneeth	33	Convict	Obstipatio	February 18	Cured	7
February 13	Jane Conroy	14	Guard’s child	Rheumatism	February 22	Cured	9
February 14	Jas Austin	48	Pensioner	Cynanche	February 17	Cured	3
February 15	Alfred King	16	Convict	Obstipatio	February 22	Cured	6
February 16	Arth Eggar	35	Corporal of Guard	Diarrhoea	May 16	Hospital	90	19
February 19	John Stayner	28	Convict	Diarrhoea	February 26	Cured	7
February 20	Ed Fawcett	26	Convict	Obstipatio	February 26	Cured	6
February 27	F Stone	36	Pensioner	Hepatitis	May 16	Hospital	78	20
March 2	Robt Buck	36	Convict	Rheumatism	March 16	Cured	14
March 3	McCormick	2	Child	Tabes with diarrhoea	March 21	Cured	13
March 8	Fras. Kirke	44	Corporal of Guard	Abscess	March 21	Cured	13
March 9	Chas Fereday	21	Convict	Diarrhoea	March 21	Cured	12
March 10	Wm Snell	25	Convict	Diarrhoea	March 16	Cured	6
March 10	Ed Howe	26	Convict	Obstipatio	March 19	Cured	9
March 11	Sam Cooper	33	Convict	Cynanche	March 21	Cured	10
March 14	Jas Rudd	31	Convict	Diarrhoea	March 23	Cured	9
March 14	T Hunt	28	Convict	Diarrhoea	March 21	Cured	7
March 15	Anne Miller	28	Guard’s wife	Phlegmone	April 9	Cured	25	21
March 16	Jas Polson	28	Convict	Diarrhoea	March 24	Cured	8
March 17	Geo McCoy	25	Convict	Diarrhoea	March 22	Cured	5

March 21	H Deadman	25	Guard’s wife	Obstipatio	April 9	Cured	18
March 21	Chas Minden	36	Convict	Haemorrhais	March 26	Cured	5
March 22	Sam Heathfield	53	Convict	Atrophia	April 18	Died	27	22
March 23	C Stillwell	26	Convict	Diarrhoea	March 26	Cured	3
March 23	M Connor	32	Guard’s wife	Dysentery	April 15	Cured	23
March 24	P Burke	52	Pensioner	Obstipatio	April 1	Cured	8
March 26	Ellen Griffin	30	Guard’s wife	Diarrhoea	April 4	Cured	9
March 27	Ed Wilder	24	Convict	Diarrhoea	April 1	Cured	5
March 27	John raven	18	Convict	Diarrhoea	April 1	Cured	5
March 30	M Keoghran	18	Guard’s child	Dysentery	April 4	Cured	6
April 1	Mary Tansey	33	Guard’s wife	Dysentery	April 12	Cured	11
April 3	W Walker	18	Convict	Diarrhoea	April 7	Cured	4
April 9	W Miller	35	Pensioner	Cynanche	April 16	Cured	7
April 9	J Rudd	31	Convict	Cynanche	April 17	Cured	8
April 12	S Cooper	33	Convict	Diarrhoea	April 14	Cured	2
April 14	John Foley	30	Convict	Diarrhoea	April 26	Cured	13
April 20	Margt Keoghran	18	Daughter of Guard	Abscess	May 3	Cured	13
April 20	M Connor	32	Guard’s wife	Dysentery	May 16	Cured	27	23
April 20	Mary Gaffney	22	Daughter of Guard	Obstipatio	April 22	Cured	2
April 22	W Smith	35	Convict	Bronchitis	April 28	Cured	6
April 23	Godfrey Woolnough	35	Convict	Rheumatism	April 28	Cured	6
April 25	Pat McCann	45	Pensioner	Bronchitis	May 10	Cured	15
May 2	Pat Finn	31	Convict	Bronchitis	May 16	Cured	14
May 4	Sam Cooper	33	Convict	Diarrhoea	May 8	Cured	4
May 4	Wm Bailey	27	Cured	Obstipatio	May 16	Cured	12
May 6	G McIntyre	44	Pensioner	Obstipatio	May 8	Cured	2
May 9	Danl Spriggs	20	Convict	Cynanche	May 17	Cured	8
May 9	Geo McCoy	26	Convict	Obstipatio	May 16	Cured	7
May 9	Rich Baldwin	35	Convict	Rheumatism	May 16	Cured	7
May 13	F Stanford	43	Pensioner	Scald	May 17	Cured	4
May 13	Wm Calshon	44	Convict	Inflammation of knee	May 17	Cured	4