This is a poor scan of a watercolor painting of the “Barque Middlesex” by RH Shadlow. I haven’t been able to find a better copy of this, or any reference to Shadlow. If anyone knows how I can contact the artist please let me know.
My great-great grandparents James and Elizabeth Gorey arrived in Port Phillip (Melbourne) as assisted immigrants on September 30, 1841 aboard the Middlesex.
The vessel arrived with 219 passengers. There were four births (including James and Elizabeth’s son Michael) and four deaths on the passage.
The Middlesex, mastered by John Salmon, was a wooden barque of 418 tons built at Sunderland in 1839, owned by Duncan Dunbar and Co. After leaving Sydney for London on May 15, 1842 it was wrecked on the coast of Brazil near Macelo on August 30, 1842 with no loss of life.
James and Elizabeth Gorey were assisted immigrants under a bounty system which operated from 1836-1845.
Fares were paid by the New South Wales colonial authorities but immigrants needed to find their own way to the point of embarkation and have a substantial sea chest of clothing for the voyage. This generally cost each Irish immigrant five pounds.
Upon arrival the immigrants were provided with accommodation and employment.
