AYRSHIRE-L Archives

From: "Jenny Myers" <>
Subject: MIGRATION RATIONS 1838
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2004 19:02:54 +1100

This was contributed to the AUS-NSW Hunter Valley List by Ian Wright......

After an entrancing tale of William & Eliza Kerridge (family includes Cramps
from SSX) & their voyage on the "Marchioness of Londonderry", to NSW, on the
AUS-NSW Hunter Valley List, the following will be of interest to many who
had family leave for the Colony..

The 1838 information was, I think, mainly for assisted or 'bounty'
passengers:-

Some idea of the conditions which prevailed aboard these vessels in 1838 can
be obtained from the following excerpts from a circular by Mr. Marshall,
Australian Emigration Agent, 26 Birchen Street, Cornhill, London, re
"Emigration to New South Wales- Conditional Free Passage" :-"with the view
with the preservation of perfect cleanliness, health and comfort on the
passage, new bedding will be provided for all the Steerage Passengers, they
will not be allowed to take their own bedding on board, except
sheets....steerage passengers will not be admitted unless furnished with a
proper supply of clothing, especially linen, stockings etc., for the voyage-
say not less than 8 shirts of shifts, 2 flannel petticoats (for females), 6
pairs of dark stockings, 3 towels, 2 pair of shoes, and 2 complete suits of
exterior clothing, and such other articles of dress as are essential to
cleanliness, health, and comfort; also a knife and fork, table and teaspoon,
pewter or tin plate, tin pots, combs, soap etc. Each person too should bring
a Bible......Notice is hereby most distinctly given, that no package
belonging to any passenger will be received on board, which exceeds 18
inches in depth (457 mm), and that every Steerage Passenger will be
required, before embarkation, to put sufficient linen and other changes, for
a month's use into a box not more than 15 inches square (380 mm), as these
small boxes only can be allowed to be placed in the sleeping apartments;
once a month during the voyage (weather permitting) the larger packages will
be brought on deck, when each person must exchange his or her dirty clothes
for clean ones.
" According to the Passenger Act-"3 children under 7 years of age or 2 under
14 are reckoned as one adult, and allowed the same space...

Bunks were 6 feet x 4 feet 6 inches (1.83 x 1.37M) and were located along
the ships hull- "Each berth could then contain a man, his wife, and infant
child."

On the other hand-"Chief cabin passengers are supplied with the choicest
fresh provisions, wines, beer, etc., during the whole voyage, and they are
at perfect liberty to consume what they please; there is no check upon them
in this respect, other than what gentlemanly feeling and the rules of good
society dictate.... Passengers will be allowed room for luggage free of
charge as follows- Cabin passengers, each adult, 40 cubic feet (1.12 M3),
including what they may think proper to carry in their own cabins.
Intermediate- the same...additional baggage.. one shilling and sixpence per
cubic foot" (A$0.15 per 0.028 cubic metre).

Chief Cabin passengers paid from £70 to £120,(A$140-$240) according to the
accommodation selected; intermediate cabin passengers paid £40 (A$80).

The following information is taken from a 1848 London Publication entitled:-
"The Emigrants Friend." -

"The Cost of Passage is, for the steerage, from £15 to £20 ($30-40) - for
intermediate passengers about £35 or £40 ($70-80) - and for cabin passengers
from £60 to £75 ($120-150).This, in every case, includes provisions. The
last are fed with very great comfort, though neither beer, wine or spirits
are included

This compares with:-"Wages.-Government returns (N.S.W.) made up to
December,1847,state the wages of various classes as follow:-

Agricultural Labourers £23 per year
Wheelwrights £39 per year
Bricklayers 41 "
Female Cooks 24 "
Blacksmiths 40 "
Dairymaids 17 "
Carpenters 39 "
Housemaids 18 "
Masons 40 "
Laundresses 19 "
Shepherds 23 "
Nursemaids 16 "

"Extra provisions. - The provisions furnished to the passenger is always,
even to the poorest, quite sufficient to preserve health. Of necessity, it
is of a different nature from that we have been accustomed to on shore.
Neither fresh meat nor vegetable (except potatoes of itself) makes a great
difference, the frequent use of peas and rice, also of biscuits instead of
bread, no beer, etc., produces a great change, so that persons often are
affected for a long time with trifling disarrangements of the system;
children particularly suffer from sea sickness.

We strongly advise the Emigrant to take a few trifles with him to add to his
comforts. According to his purse, he should furnish himself with some
additional potatoes, candles, preserved meats, jams, butter, ham, cheese, a
ship candle lamp,100 eggs, preserved in a keg of salt, any fruit he can get,
particularly apples, some bottled porter, some good biscuits, by no means
forgetting some cakes of gingerbread for the children, a good packet of soda
powders, or ginger beer powders, these, with lump sugar, tea, some red
herrings, lemons, etc, will make him very comfortable."


Hope this adds some meat to the bones :-))
Jenny
Lake Macquarie NSW Aus

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