Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
John Priestedge 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 342 |
| 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
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 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.
Tasmanian Records. https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON22-1-2P174JPG Per Calcutta, John Prestidge, tried Northampton G.D., 1 March 1802, Life.
We are currently trying to locate his burial place, his death certificate details that he was buried in St Georges Cemetery in Sorrell but there are no records of his burial or evidence of his burial plot.
Information on John from a book by Marjorie Tipping called "Convicts Unbound, The Story of the Calcutta Convicts and their settlement in Australia. John Prestage 1764-1833. b Morton Pinkney. tried Northampton Assizes 1st March 1802 for stealing a wether sheep. Sentenced to death but reprieved and sentenced to transportation for life. Transferred to the Hulks at Langston and transported on HMS Calcutta to Port Phillip, (modern Melbourne), almost immediately transferred to Tasmania with the other convicts on board. This shipment of convicts began the first convict settlement in Hobart, Tasmania. Granted a conditional pardon in 1807. Granted 40 acres of land at Pitt Water, near Hobart, from Gov. Macquarie. He was buried in Sorrel cemetry.
John Prestidge (Prestage, Priestage) was granted an absolute pardon in approximately 1806, he continued to stay in the Sorell area and received a land parcel. He grew Wheat, potatoes, sheep, pigs as well as other supplies. He became a well thought of member of the community and of the settlement in Tasmania. He never returned to England, he believed his wife had started living with another man not long after he was transported.