Lady Penrhyn (1786 ship) facts for kids
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Lady Penrhyn, convict transport ship
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| History | |
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 Great Britain |
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| Namesake | Lady Penrhyn (née Anne Susannah Warburton), the wife of Richard Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn, of the Penrhyn Estate in Llandygai, North Wales. The word Penrhyn itself is Welsh for headland or peninsula. |
| Owner |
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| Port of registry | London |
| Builder | Edward Greaves, River Thames |
| Launched | 1786 |
| Captured | 1811 and burnt |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 322, or 332, or 3322⁄94, or 360 (bm) |
| Length |
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| Beam | 27 ft 6+1⁄2 in (8.4 m) |
| Depth of hold | 12 ft 0 in (3.7 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Ship rig |
| Armament | 10 × 9-pounder carronades |
The Lady Penrhyn was a sailing ship built in 1786 on the River Thames in England. She was first designed to carry enslaved people across the Atlantic Ocean. Later, she became famous for being one of the ships in the First Fleet. This fleet brought the first European settlers and convicts to Australia.
On her journey back to Britain, Lady Penrhyn was the first European ship to sail past the Kermadec Islands. She also discovered and named the Penrhyn Atoll in the Cook Islands. The ship was eventually captured and destroyed by the French in 1811.
Voyage to Australia
Lady Penrhyn began her historic journey from Portsmouth, England, on May 13, 1787. She was part of the First Fleet, a group of eleven ships. This fleet carried over 1,000 people, including convicts, soldiers, and sailors. Their mission was to establish the first European settlement in Australia.
The ship arrived at Port Jackson, near modern-day Sydney, Australia, on January 26, 1788. On board were 101 female convicts, along with three officers and 41 other soldiers from the New South Wales Marine Corps. The ship also carried its own crew.
Two surgeons were on the voyage: John Turnpenny Altree for the convicts and Arthur Bowes Smyth for the crew. When Altree became ill, Bowes Smyth took over caring for the prisoners.
The Lady Penrhyn also brought the first horses to Australia. These animals came from Cape Town, South Africa. They included one male horse (stallion), one young male horse (colt), three female horses (mares), and two young female horses (fillies).
Return Journey and Discoveries
After dropping off her passengers in New South Wales, Lady Penrhyn began her return trip. Her owners planned for her to sail to the northwest coast of America. The goal was to trade for animal furs and then sell these furs in China for tea or other goods.
The ship left Sydney Cove on May 5, 1788. Captain William Compton Sever planned to sail north to Kamchatka to buy furs. He wanted to avoid Russian ships because Russia considered non-Russian fur trade in that area to be illegal.
On May 31, Captain Sever spotted the Kermadec Islands. He named Macauley Island after George Mackenzie McCaulay, a London official. He named Curtis Island after William Curtis, one of the ship's owners.
However, the ship was in poor condition, and many crew members were sick. This forced Lady Penrhyn to turn back. They sailed to Matavai Bay in Tahiti, where the crew recovered and the ship was repaired.
After repairs, Captain Sever sailed on and discovered Penrhyn Island on August 8. This atoll is part of the Cook Islands. The ship then reached Macau on October 19, 1788, and continued to Canton (now Guangzhou) to load a cargo of tea.
Lady Penrhyn left China on January 8, 1789. She reached Saint Helena on May 19 and finally arrived back in England on August 10.
Later Years and Capture
In 1789, Lady Penrhyn was sold to a new company, Wedderburn & Co. She then began regular trips to Jamaica.
By 1795, she was used to transport British soldiers to the Caribbean. This was to help protect against possible attacks from France during the French Revolutionary Wars.
On July 22, 1811, a French privateer ship called Duc de Dantzig captured Lady Penrhyn. A privateer was a private ship allowed by its government to attack enemy ships. Lady Penrhyn was sailing from London to Grenada when she was caught. The French privateer set her on fire, sinking her.
