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Who left Britain
Altogether there were four branches of our British ancestors who migrated to Australia. Three of those hailed from the Scottish Highlands, Islands and Lowlands, the fourth from alongside the Scottish border whereby the Fenwicks have always claimed to be more Scottish than English.
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The Portland
Greenock 24 Jul 1837 - Sydney 3 Dec 1837
Boarding the Portland
The arrival of the McDonalds on the Portland
1837 Alexander and Catherine
McDonald
Alexander Duncan McDonald and his wife Catherine Gillies departed Greenock in 1837 on July 24 aboard the Portland. The barque Portland was hired by Andrew Lang to take skilled Scottish workers to the Colony of New South Wales under the newly established Bounty System of assisted passage. They arrived in Sydney on December 3, the same year.
On the record of their arrival, Alexander is described, at the time of embarking, as a native of London, a ship's carpenter, 22 years old and in good health. Catherine is noted as a native of Glasgow, a House Servant, 22 years old and also in good health. Andrew Lang's brother, Rev Dr John Dunmore Lang, vouched for Catherine and Rev Alex McTavish minister of the Parish of Inverchaolain did the same for Alexander.
Clouds Over Mull by C. John Taylor
Highlanders, Islanders
On the record of departure, Alexander and Catherine's previous place of residence was on the Isle of Mull in the Parish of Torosay, County Argyle. The old Parish of Torosay lay in the area surrounding Craignure in the Bay of Craignure. The town of Oban on the mainland's west coast, lies about 18 miles across the water, west of Torosay. A regular ferry service still runs between Oban and Craignure.
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The Herald
Greenock 10 Oct 1843 - Sydney 10 Jan 1844
George and Elizabeth on the Herald
The Agreements and Bounty for George and Elizabeth
1844 George and Elizabeth
Rankin
George Rankin and his wife Elizabeth Pennycook Murray departed Greenock on board the 'Herald' on October 10, 1843. They arrived in Sydney in 1844 on January 10. The ship's records show three Rankin families were on board, the first two were from Argyle. The other, from Angus and Forfar, was made up of George, carpenter, aged 26 and Elizabeth, house servant, aged 27, both able to read and write, both from Dundee, both Presbyterian and both in good health.
Dundee Greenmarket, Old Custom House c1880
Out of Dundee
Elizabeth's parents were recorded as Frederick and Elizabeth Murray, both deceased. George's were David and Ellen, mother alive. The Memorandum of Agreement which had been made between Alexander Berry Esq. and George Rankin and his wife Elizabeth, stated they were to be engaged as Carpenter and Laundress, and make themselves generally useful, for a period of six months. In exchange they would be paid at the rate of £25 per annum as well as receive weekly, 14 pounds of Beef or Mutton, 16 pounds of flour, 3 pounds of sugar and two ounces of Tea.
The record of Immigration has a note on it stating "The declaration of George Rankin does not contain the clause that he has not paid nor promised more than £1 per Statute Adult, in addition to the Bounty money, for the passage of himself and family".
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The Royal Saxon
London 1 Mar 1844 - Port Jackson 20 Jun 1844
Marriage of Thomas and Harriet
Thomas and Harriet on the 'Royal Saxon'
Immigration Records and Agreement for Thomas and Harriet
1844 Thomas and Harriet
Fenwick
Thomas Fenwick was married to Harriet Downs on 23rd January 1841 by Rev. Ebenezer Morley at the Holborn-street Chapel in Hull. Three years later, the couple migrated to Australia with assisted passage. They left from Detport in London on March 1st, 1844 on board the 'Royal Saxon' and arrived in Port Jackson on June 20 the same year.
Kingston-upon-Hull better known as simply Hull, around 1842
The ship's records stated that Thomas was a Blacksmith and Harriet a House Servant, both from Hull in Yorkshire.
They were also in very good health, could read and write, of Episcopal faith, without complaint and were not related to anyone in the colony. The parents of Thomas were named John and Anne and those of Harriet were Robert and Anna.
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The Exhibition
Greenock 9 Oct 1853 - Sydney 2 Mar 1854
Jessie, Duncan, Isabella and children on the Exhibition
1854 The arrival of the McIntyres on the Exhibition
1854 Jessie, Duncan, Isabella, John Archibald, Flora, Amelia, Eglantine, Mary and William
McIntyre
In 1854, Jessie (Halling) McIntyre migrated to Australia with her children including her son Duncan and his new wife Isabella and their children. All in all, there were eleven McIntyres in the cabins of the barque named Exhibition when it set sail from Greenock on the 9th of October, 1853. It arrived in Sydney on a Thursday, the 2nd of March the next year.
Old postcard of Greenock
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on March 3 that the Exhibition had a continuance of light winds until reaching the Cape and from thence had made the run in 35 days. Near St. Paul's, the ship lost fore-topmast and fore and main-top gallant mast. As far as Jessie's husband and Duncan's father, Archibald goes, there seems to be no definite knowledge of his arrival in the Colony. It is possible he arrived in Port Jackson on the 15th March 1853 on board the Prince of the Seas as a Dr. MacIntyre.
