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From: Sue Mackay <>
Subject: [ZA] Log of HMS Weymouth Part One (Portsmouth)
Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2003 19:31:04 +0000


ADM51/3543LOG OF HMS WEYMOUTH (1819-20)
Mr.Richard Turner, Master

Public Record Office, Kew, London

This log was transcribed on 31 January 2003. Time did not permit me to
transcribe it all, so it is complete (other than margin notes on compass
bearings etc) from December 16 1819 until Sunday February 6, after which I
quickly noted down major events and any personal references to the 1820
settlers on board. Capitals for settlers' surnames are mine. Numbers to the
left refer to the time of day. Some abbreviations have been expanded for
the sake of clarity. Other abbreviations occurring frequently in the log are:
Do = ditto
Qt = quantity

PART ONE (Preparing to sail)

Thurs 16 December 1819 Portsmouth Harbour
Am: Light breezes and clear
8: Do weather. Employed hoisting in provisions and other necessary duties.
The settlers came on board at noon. Do weather. Employed stowing the hold.
Mustered for Checques, discharged several of the crew. Employed stowing the
holds. Midnight: Strong winds

Fri 17 December
Am: Strong breezes with rain
8: Do weather. Employed cleaning decks and stowing chain cables.
Do weather. Employed as before.
Midnight: Do weather

Sat 18 December
Am: Strong breezes and rain. Employed clearing lighter of provisions.
Pm: More moderate employed cleaning decks.
Midnight: Fine weather

Sun19 December
Am: Light breezes and fine.
Noon: Do weather
Pm: Moderate breezes and hazy.
Midnight: Squally weather.

Mon 20 December
Am: Light winds with rain. Employed stowing water and provisions.
Pm: Do weather. Employed as before. Artificers fitting settlers berths.
Midnight: Do weather

Tues 21 December
Am: Fresh winds and frosty weather. Employed as requisite. Received one
hundred and eighty pounds of fresh beef and sixty pounds of vegetables.
Employed as before.
Pm: Do weather

Wed 22 December
Am: Light winds and clear frosty weather. Received 16 hogsheads of beer qt
1022 gs Artificers employed fitting settlers berths
Pm: Do weather. Employed stowing provisions
Midnight: rainy

Thur 23 December
Am: Fresh breezes with rain. Employed as requisite
Pm: Do weather. Mustered and Checques
Midnight: Fine weather

Fri 24 December
Am: Fresh breezes with snow. Rec'd 569 lbs of fresh beef and 80 lbs of
vegetables Employed as requisite
Pm: Do weather. Employed as before
Midnight: Frosty

Sat 25 December
Am: Fresh breezes with frost.
Noon: Do weather
Pm: Moderate
Midnight: Fine clear weather

Sun 26 December
Am Fresh breezes with frost and snow.
Noon: Do weather
Pm: Do weather
Midnight: Fine weather

Mon 27 December
Am: Strong gales
Noon: Do weather. Employed stowing provisions
Pm: Do weather
Midnight: Do weather

Tues 28 December
Am: Light winds and fine. Rec'd 689 lbs of beef and 80 lbs of vegetables.
Open flour No184 qt 345 lbs
Pm: Do weather
Midnight: Do weather

Wed 29 December
Am: Light breezes with rain. Employed as necessary
Pm: Do weather. Employed as before.
Midnight: Do weather

Thu 30 December
Am: Strong breezes with heavy rain. People employed stowing the holds
Pm: Do weather Employed as before. Departed this life ELIZth JAMES
settler's wife. Sent the corpse on shore to be interred.
Midnight: Do weather

Fri 31 December
Am: Strong breezes with snow. Variously employed. Opened pease qt 5 bushels
and cocoa qt 112lbs
Pm: Employed getting ready to go out of harbour.
Midnight: Fine weather.

Sat 1 January 1820
Am fresh breezes. People employed as necessary
Pm: Do weather with snow.
Midnight: Clear

Sun 2 January
Am: Light breezes with rain.
Noon: Do weather
Pm: Strong breezes with snow
Midnight: Frosty.
Departed this life THOs JAMES (Settler's child) Sent body to be interred.

Mon 3 January
Am: Strong breezes with snow
8: Squally. Down royal yards. Employed getting ready for going out of the
harbour. Made signal with a gun for assistance
9: Pilot came on board
10:30: Cast off from the buoy and made sail out of the harbour.
Pm: Moderate and fine. Trimmed sails occasionally.
12:40 Short'd sail and came to with the SB in fathoms water 14 Monckton
fort ?? South Sea Castle NE 2 furl'd sails and discharged the pilot.
Midnight: Calm and fine.

Tue 4 January
Am: Calm and fine
4: Employed as requisite
10:30: Pay clerks came on board and paid the ship's company for 6 months
Pm: Light winds
Midnight: Fine

Wed 5 January
Am: Moderate and fine
8: Do weather. Employed stowing booms and boats
Pm: Do weather
Midnight: Do weather

Thu 6 January
Am: Moderate and fine
Pm: Do weather
12: Do weather

Fri 7 January
Am: Moderate and fine
8: Moderate and cloudy. Employed getting ready for sea
Noon: Do weather
Pm: Fresh breezes
4:30: Up anchor and made sail to the west
9: Hove to in Cutter and Pinnace
11: Filled and made sail
12: Strong breezes and cloudy

[Whilst actually at sea the log becomes more formalised, with a section
each day for am and pm divided by bearings and distance information taken
at noon]

Part Two to follow

Sue Mackay
Cardiff UK


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