Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
Matthew Power 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 336 |
| 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
Family connections for Matthew (Power) are: POWER Matthew (Power) married Hannah (???). He was tried with his wife for uttering forged notes at Kent Assizes, sentenced to 14years & arrived in Australia at Port Phillip (now Victoria) as a convict with his wife on 4 10 1803 after a voyage of 7+months on HMS CALCUTTA with supply ship OCEAN; (an expedition that settled in Tasmania). During the voyage captain David (Collins) openly took his wife into his cabin and he was provided with good accommodation and the run of the ship - but not his wife. He camped at what is now Sorrento/Sullivans Bay before being moved to the Derwent Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) with his wife on 13 12 1803 on HMS LADY NELSON arriving on 15 2 1804. His wife continued to be maintained by David (Collins) as his mistress; he receiving special supplies of meat and, in 1804, an early free pardon for him - although he had only served 2years of a 14year sentence. In 1805 he was leased acreage at a nominal rent, and then was granted 50acres of prime land. At this time he regularly saw his wife- he attended socialite parties with his wife, cuckold & his extended family. A house was built for him by David (Collins who became Lieutenant Governor in 1807). In 1807 he had 2.5acres cultivated & stock. In 1808 he left Hobart with his wife, while his property was transferred to David (Collins)s son in law Samuel (Chas/ce). [Some details taken from this Website] Hannah (???/Powers) married Matthew (Power). She was tried with her husband for uttering forged notes at Kent Assizes & acquitted. She arrived in Australia at Port Phillip (now Victoria) with her husband on 4 10 1803 after a voyage of 7+months on HMS CALCUTTA with supply ship OCEAN; (an expedition that settled in Tasmania). During the voyage captain David (Collins) openly took Hannah into his cabin and provided Matthew with good accommodation and the run of the ship - but not his wife. She camped at what is now Sorrento/Sullivans Bay, before being moved to the Derwent Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) on 13 12 1803 on HMS LADY NELSON to Risdon Derwent arriving on 15 2 1804, and to Hobart Town in February 1804. She was maintained by David (Collins) as his mistress in Hobart Town while her husband was given special privileges; at this time she regularly saw her husband- she attended socialite parties with her husband, defacto & his extended family. David (Collins) was born in 1756. He married firstly (1of4) Mary/Maria (Stuart) on 13 6 1777 at Church of St Paul Halifax, Nova Scotia while serving with British forces; they returned to England. He returned to England to his wife, on 25 10 1796 on BRITANNIA from Port Jackson, arriving at Liverpool on 28 6 1797. In this year (1797) he wrote 'An Account of the English Colony in NSW'. He left UK on 27 4 1803 & arrived back in Australia (Antipodes) in 1803 on HMS CALCUTTA with supply ship OCEAN from England as Marine Lieutenant Colonel to establish settlement at Port Phillip (now Victoria) arriving on 4/7 10 1803 after a voyage of 5.5months; he would have camped at what is now Sorrento/Sullivans Bay. (On this voyage was William (Collins) midshipman, perhaps his nephew.) He left Port Phillip on 27 1 1804 on OCEAN accompanied by HMS LADY NELSON & arrived at Risdon Derwent Tasmania on 15 2 1804, where he organised the establishment of a new settlement-Hobart Town at Sullivans Cove in February 1804. He maintained Hannah (Power) as his mistress at Hobart Town & provided her husband with special supplies of meat and in 1804 obtained an early free pardon for him. He built a house for Matthew (Power). His daughter Marianne is recorded as visiting him in Hobart Town about 1805; he had dinner parties with his illegitimate daughter, his mistress Hannah (Power), the vicar and Matthew (Power) all together. In 1807 he was Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemens Land. In 1808 he arranged for Hannah & Matthew (Power) to leave Hobart while transferring their property to his son in law Samuel (Chac/se). He arrived in NSW as an officer in 1788 on First Fleet ship HMS SIRIUS; he became deputy Judge Advocate for Port Jackson. He had a second (2of4) relationship with Ann (Yates her third relationship). He had a fourth relationship with Margaret (Eddington age16 her second (2of4) relationship), also in 1808, directly after dispensing with Hannah (Power). He died on 24/8 3 1810 father of 5known children & was buried in Hobart on the spot intended for a church, and St David's CofE Cathedral now bears his name. Details of David (Collins)s family are given in entry for Thomas (Eddington ALEXANDER 1788) on this Website. A quote attributable to Governor (Bligh) reads: "a very principal private reason exists also-for not stopping at Lt Colonel David (Collins) house- was the sight of him walking with his kept woman (a poor low creature) arm-in-arm about town & bringing her almost daily to his office adjoining the house, directly in view of my daughter." Such was the situation in the colony including Norfolk Island, where all women seemed to be fair game, particularly to the military/NSW Corps; where the number of wives to be victualled at the barracks was capped; where the youngest girls were concubined; where the soldiers were banned from fraternising with single & married women alike; where the women turned around & fraternised with the soldiers. Reference: Craig James Smee 'Births and Baptisms Marriages and Defacto Relationships Deaths and Burials New South Wales 1788-1830' ..a complete listing from church & other records in the early colony.
The Assizes for the county of county of Kent having ended on Saturday evening, .... To be transported for 14 years.- Matthew Power, for uttering forged bank-notes, to which charge he pleaded guilty; Mirror of the Times, 7 Aug 1802.
1802 - wife of Matthew Power: Hannah Power; co-accused of forging and uttering, Hannah was acquitted. She chose to stay with Matthew and accompanied him to Australia, as a few wives did: see also Daniel Ankers who was tried a the same sessions as Matthew Power. Ankers' wife Fanny also came with him. For most of the time on the voyage Hannah and Fanny shared quarters in the gun room. 1803 - April: Calcutta departs England accompanied by the supply vessel Ocean, and once at sea, Captain (soon to be Governor) David Collins openly took Hannah into his cabin and provided Matthew with good accommodation and the run of the ship - but not his wife. This situation was not uncommon on board ships. He organised the establishment of a new settlement at what is now Sorrento, Port Phillip, VIC. After a short while he concluded that Port Phillip was unsuitable for settlement. He sought and received permission from Gov King in Sydney to move settlement to the Derwent River in VDL. Gov King sent the Lady Nelson to assist removal as the supply ship Ocean had been deployed elsewhere. Collins chose Sullivan's Cove and established Hobart there, considering it to be a better location than the camp set up by Lt Bowen at Risdon Cove further up the Derwent. Collins maintained Hannah Power as his mistress as the colony was being established. Matthew Power received special supplies of meat and in 1804 Collins obtained a free pardon for him - although he had only served 2 years of a 14 year sentence. In 1805 he was leased acreage at a nominal rent, and then was granted 50 acres of prime land. Collins built a house for Matthew. Hannah and Matthew still saw each other regularly. Records exist of Gov Collins being visited by his daughter Marianne, born in Sydney in 1790. Her mother was Collin's convict mistress Ann (Nancy) Yeates with whom Collins hooked up in Sydney in 1788. By Collins Ann Yeates also had a son, George in 1793. Collins had dinner parties with his illegitimate daughter, his mistress Hannah Power, the vicar and Matthew Power altogether. Matthew Power prospered and in 1807 owned 4 cows, 23 sheep, 2 convicts and had cultivated 2.5 acres of his land grant. 1808 - Matthew and Hannah Power leave Hobart at Collins' instigation and the land grant was transferred to Samuel Chase (Chace) who had married Marianne, daughter of Collins. Collins then took Margaret Eddington as his mistress, with whom he had a child, Eliza Collins. (These notes are extracted from a book: Governor's Ladies, by Alison Alexander.