Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
James Alexander was transported on the Calcutta, departing 31st Jan 1803 and arriving 4th Oct 1803 with 305 passengers.
HMS Calcutta was the East Indiaman Warley (1795), converted to a Royal Navy ship. This ship of the line served for a time as an armed transport. She also transported convicts to Australia. The French Magnanime captured Calcutta in 1805. In 1809, after she ran aground during the Battle of the Basque Roads and her crew had abandoned her, a British boarding party burned her. In 1803 the Calcutta sailed into Port Phillip bay where at least 4 convicts escaped , in Sydney in April 1804 it was reported that 8 had died on the trip. Of the four known escapees one was shot on escape, 2 turned back after 2 days to reattach to the group at the camp in bay before the boat left , one continued on ...into Australia's history books. At least 13 convicts were transferred on to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Australia.The ship also carried officers, wives and free settlers.
Calcutta (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 87, Class and Piece Number HO11/1, Page Number 337 (168). Tasmanian Archives - convict records. |
| Source Description | This record is one of the entries in the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database compiled by State Library of Queensland from British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm as part of the Australian Joint Copying Pro |
| Original Source | Great Britain. Home Office |
| Compiled By | State Library of Queensland |
| Database Source | British convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database |
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Convict Notes
Australia, Convict Index, 1788-1868 Name James Alexander Age 28 Birth Year abt 1775 Arrival Year 1803 Arrival State Sorrento Trial Place Lancaster Ass Ship Calcutta Occupation Weaver © 1997-2025 Ancestry
Burials in the parish of St Davids, Hobart Burials at Camp Sullivan Bay, River Derwent , van Diemens Land. https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD34-1-1p002j2k James Alexander, Buried 13 Sep 1804, age 29, Ceremony performed by R. Knopwood.
Tasmanian Records. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON22-1-1_0006 Per Calcutta, James Alexander, Convicted at Lancaster Gaol Delivery, tried 20 Mar 1802, 7 years. ---------------------------------------------------- Paul Greenwood, James Alexander, Daniel Quin, Robert M'Quillin, Martha M'Quillin, Patrick McConville, and John Wrigley for uttering forged Bank notes; Leeds Intelligencer, 29 Mar 1802.
James ALEXANDER was convicted at Lancaster, England on 20 March 1802 for forgery. 7 yr transportation sentence. Sent to New South Wales, Australia (1803)per the ship 'Calcutta' then on to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) arriving there 1804. Death: 13 Sept 1804 at Hobart Town. (cause - scurvy)