Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
Christopher Forsha 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 339 (169) Australia, Convict Index, 1788-1868 |
| 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
Native Place; New York Trade; Caulker. A person who caulks the seams of boats or structures.
Entry from Rev Knopwood’s Diary, for Tuesday 2 January 1805. am this morn two men Forshaw and Munden began to put my cottage up at my Garden. (Up to this date, the Rev. Knopwood was living in a tent (a marque) on his land.)
Robert Knopwood’s Diary. He kept a diary, from 1805 -1808, which can be downloaded by following the links: https://eprints.utas.edu.au/13550/ https://eprints.utas.edu.au/13563/ Entry for Wednesday 8 May. am. at 11 a party of the Prisoners that were going away with a new Whale Boat were detected and confind, Thursday 9 May. At 11 His Honor the Lt Governor Rev. R. K. and Wm Sladden Esqrs, set to examine Samuel Gun alias Camel, Chris. Forsha – alias Watkins, - John Williams alias Johnson, - Munden – Hayward, Horne, Prestige, Avery. Prisoners that were going to take the new Whale boat and make their excape in it to New Zealand. Although the information was so true that we receivd yet could not get anything from them to convict them.
SHIP NEWS. On Thursday arrived the Patterson, Capt. Ahern, from Providence, bound to China, and the Ocean, Capt. Mertho, from England, but last from Port Philip in Bass Straits, whither she conveyed a cargo of stores and provisions for the Establishment of an intended Settlement under the Command of His Honor Lieut Governor DAVID COLLINS, who had arrived in His Majesty’s ship Calcutta, Capt. D. WOODRIFFE, having on board a Military Establishment, with 2 free Settlers, 209 Male Convicts, 15 Women and children; 8 Convicts died on the passage. The Calcutta and Ocean sailed from England the 24th of last April, touched at Teneriffe, Rio Janeiro, and the Cape of Good Hope: The Ocean arrived at Port Phillip the 7th, and the Calcutta the 8th ult. The Lieut. Governor having communicated to His EXCELLENCY the same unfavorable circumstances respecting Port Phillip not being calculated for an extensive Settlement, as was reported by the Surveyor General, Mr. Grimes, who with other assistance surveyed it in January last, but whose report had not reached England before the Calcutta sailed : Lieut. Governor Collins has therefore suspended his proceedings until he receives directions from His Excellency the Governor in Chief, which he has requested by Mr. Collins, a Passenger, under the sanction of Government, who very handsomely volunteered his services to bring the Lieut. Governor’s Letters in an open six oar’d boat, which there is every reason to believe he would have accomplished with great credit to himself altho he encountered much bad weather and heavy gales in the Straits and on the Coast, but being so fortunate as to fall in with the Ocean off Point Upright, Capt. Mertho, who appears to have had no intention of touching here, very humanely took Mr. Collins and his people on board, and brought them to this Port. Sydney Gazette, 27 Nov 1803. ————————————————————————- Excerpt from “The Expedition under Lieutenant- governor Collins in 1803-4” By James Backhouse Walker, Read 14th October, 1889. https://eprints.utas.edu.au/18132/1/walker-expedition-collins-1889.pdf In this dilemma he found a friend in need in one of the settlers, Mr. William Collins, formerly a master in the navy, who had come out in the Ocean on a seal-fishing speculation. This William Collins volunteered to go to Port Jackson in an open six-oared boat to carry despatches to Governor King and to bring back his reply. *Six convicts volunteered as a crew, the boat was victualled for a month, and on the 6th November Mr. Collins started on his plucky trip. The surf was so bad at the Rip that he could not get out of the entrance for four days. A week later the Ocean was ready for sea, and sailed out of Port Phillip on her way to China. She was, however, destined to play a further part in the history of Tasmanian colonisation. When within 60 miles of Port Jackson Captain Mertho came upon William Collins in his cutter. The boat had been nine days at sea, and had had a very rough time of it. The captain took the people on board and carried them to Sydney, arriving on the 24th November, and the despatches were delivered to Governor King. *For this service the six men received conditional pardons. Robert Knopwood’s Diary. The Rev. Robert Knopwood sailed from England, on the Calcutta in 1803, and landed in Port Phillip with the prisoners. He later became the first chaplain appointed in Van Diemen’s Land, and was also appointed a Magistrate. He kept a diary, from 1805 -1808, which can be downloaded by following the link: https://eprints.utas.edu.au/13550/ Entry for Tuesday, 21 Jan, 1806 The General Order Jan 21 1806 His Excellency the Governor in Chief has been pleasd, at the recommendation of the Lieut Govnr to grant a Conditional Emancipation, bearing date the 18 day of Dec 1805 to each of the five following persons Viz. John Ronaldson Urias Allender Christopher Forsha David Wakefield Wm Thomas In consideration of their good conduct, and for volunteering their services by going in a six oared Cutter from Port Phillip to Port Jackson to announce the arrival of H.M. Ship Calcutta from England with an Establishment to form a Settlement at that place under the direction of the Lt. Govnr. N.B. Mr Wm. Collins had the command of the Cutter and when he was out some distance from Pt Phillip he coasted it and ran into every place for shelter he could, when the Boat was out and met with a strong breeze he turned too and got very drunk leaving the Boat to the care of the Prisoners and about 80 or 100 Mile from Pt Jackson he got on board the Ocean Transport which saild from Pt Phillip for that place.
Christopher Forsha was a witness at the wedding of fellow Calcutta transportee, William Atkinson. Tasmanian Marriages. https://stors.tas.gov.au/RGD36-1-1p5j2k William Atkinson, single man, and Mary Clark, single woman, both of this settlement, were married by banns, at Hobart Town, 13 April 1807, by Robert Knopwood, Chaplain. William and Mary both signed with their mark X. Witnesses were Christopher Forsha (signed), and Francis Barnes, (signed).
Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 17 February 2023), December 1800, trial of CHRISTOPHER FORESHAW (t18001203-60). CHRISTOPHER FORESHAW, Theft > grand larceny, 3rd December 1800. 60. CHRISTOPHER FORESHAW was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 31st of October , fourteen pounds weight of sheet copper, value 12s. the property of John Perry .(The case was opened by Mr. Knowlys.) THOMAS DALTON sworn. - Examined by Mr. Knowleys. Q. I believe you are a person employed by Messrs. Perry in their dock-yard? - A. Yes. Q. Was the prisoner at the bar at this time in your service? - A. Yes. Q. How long had he to serve? - A. According to his indentures, he was out of his time last May, but having a few words, he left me, and in consequence of which, he was serving his lost time; he was employed in the dock-yard of Messrs. Perry; on the 31st of October last, we had docked a ship in the afternoon; I am a corker, I ordered him, with the rest of the servants, to be down by six o'clock, for the purpose of shutting the gates upon the ship in the dock; on going from my own house to the yard, I sat down at the yard gate, and between six and seven in the evening, I saw a person come out with a great coat, trailing upon the ground, and I told the watchman to stop him; the watchman told me it was my own servant; on the watchman saying that, I called him by name, three times, he did not answer me; he attempted to run. I immediately ran after him, and took him with the copper wrapped in the inside of the coat. Q. What kind of copper was it? - A. Sheet copper, such as is used for sheething the ships; I brought it back to the watch-house, at the yard gate; I charged him with the coat being another person's, in the yard, he positively denied it. Court. Q. What did he say about the copper? - A. He told me he had taken it from the Albion's dock, an East-India ship. (The copper produced.) Witness. That is the sheet I took from him. JOHN GILBERT sworn. - I am clerk to Messrs. Perry, their firm is John Perry, senior, and John Perry , younger. Q. Had you such a ship as the Albion under repair, at your docks? - A. Yes; I delivered out thirty-one sheets, one of them was missing, and another was obliged to be put in it's place. Q. Look at that copper, and tell me whether it is that kind of copper used in sheathing ships? - A. Yes; it is what we call eight and twenty ounce; a thinner sort is sixteen ounce; that is five foot by twenty, and this is four foot two. GUILTY , aged 21. - Transported for seven years . First Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Common Serjeant. ---------------------------------------------------- Tasmanian Records. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON22-1-1_0326 Per Calcutta, Christophe Forsha, tried Middx Gaol Delivery, 3 Dec 1800, 7 years.