Summary
Personal Information
Voyage
Transportation
Henry Reading was transported on the Claudine, departing 20th May 1821 and arriving 15th Dec 1821 with 160 passengers.
The 'Claudine' was an East Indiaman built in Calcutta in 1811 from teak wood with a tonnage of 452 tons. In 1820 she ran from London to Hobart Town, Sydney, Batavia and back to England. After leaving Sydney on 10 May 1820 under the command of John Welsh, she discovered the Claudine Reef in the Coral Sea, before making her way past Murray Island in Torres Strait on her way to Batavia. The Claudine made two voyages to Australia as a convict transport. Departing Woolwich 24 August 1821 mastered by John Crabtree with Henry Ryan as ship's surgeon. She arrived in Port Dalrymple, van Diemen's Land after a passage of 113 days via Teneriffe, on 15 December, landing 40 convicts. She then sailed on to Hobart Town and landed the remaining 119 male convicts, one prisoner having died en route . On 24 August 1829 the Claudine departed London, arriving in Sydney on 6 December 1829 after a voyage of 104 days; her Master was William Heathorne, the surgeon William H Trotman. On this voyage she sailed with 180 prisoners and their guard; two prisoners died en route. she then sailed on to Madras on 30 December. The Claudine returned to merchant service and on Monday 21-22 November 1840 under the command of captain Brewer was deliberately beached with another East Indiaman 'Westminster' during a storm off the Kent coast near Margate. This stranding was the subject of a famous engraving by William Henry Bartlett and a pencil and chalk sketch by J.M.W. Turner. The 'Westminster' successfully unloaded 6000 chests of tea into two steamers which delivered it to the East India Docks and was refloated on 7 December. 'Claudine' which was beached onshore unloaded into 200 carts the following day 23rd November and was then refloated on a spring tide after 7 December. Both ships having been dismasted in the storm, were repaired and put back into the trade. The Claudine appears to have been sent to the wreckers in 1849.
Claudine (generic)References
| Primary Source | Australian Joint Copying Project. Microfilm Roll 88, Class and Piece Number HO11/4, Page Number 89 (46) |
| 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
Tasmanian Records. Conduct Record: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON31-1-34/CON31-1-34P309 No 250. Henry Reading. Tried 10 Dec 1819, 7 years. Transported for stealing bees wax. Has been in custody several times. Hulk report, Orderly. Stated, I’m a servant to a Gent at Newington. See record for details of punishments, etc. Description: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/CON23-1-3/CON23-1-3-P035 Henry Reading, 4 ft 6 in. age 15, occupation – Lad. Tried at Surrey 6 Dec 1819, 7 years. Native place, London. Scar between the eyebrows.
UNION HALL—DARING ROBBERY, AND STOLEN GOODS DISCOVERED.—Yesterday, Henry Reading, and Charles Webb, two juvenile thieves, were brought to the office and examined before L. B. ALLEN, Esq. charged with having stolen a cake of wax and other articles, from the shop of Mr. Watson, Grocer, No. 2, North-place, Lambeth. Mr. Smith, of No. 22, Princes-place, Kennington, said, that he was passing Mr. Watson's shop on Wednesday evening last about six o'clock, when he observed a boy standing at the door, and he heard him say to another who went in “Make haste”; this attracted the attention of the witness, who soon observed the boy who went into the shop, come out again with a cake of wax, which he attempted to run away with, but was secured by the witness, and proved to be the prisoner Reading, who was given into custody of Smith and Edge, two constables of Lambeth. The other boy, Webb, escaped them, but was apprehended on Thursday by Smith, and taken to the watch-house, where he confessed to Smith that he was the pall of Reading; that they lodged at a fence house, and that he had received regulars out of all the property they had stolen. In consequence of this information, a warrant was issued to Smith for the purpose of searching the house where the prisoners had lodged, and where a great quantity of property, supposed to be stolen, was found, consisting of hams, bacon, cheese, three great coats, a number of fine linen shirts and cambric neckcloths, &c.; the linen bears various marks. The owner of the house, and another suspicious person found upon the premises, were apprehended and remanded for examination.—Reading and Webb were fully committed for trial. English Chronicle, 13 Nov 1819.