Saturday 3 December 2011

Minerva - 1800


Minerva - ship - 558 ton

165 male & 26 female convicts - deaths 3 male convicts

The Minerva left London for Cork on 6 August 1798 but due to the Irish rebellion there was a six month delay before the first convicts embarked on 12  February 1799. The final convicts embarked on 19 August 1799. The Minerva finally left Cork with the Friendship plus other ships on 24 August 1799. Among the convicts were a number of Irish rebels who agreed to leave the country instead of facing the death penalty in Ireland.

John Pendergast (also recorded as Pendergass, Pendergrafs or Prendergast) was tried at Dublin in March 1799 and was sentenced to transportation to New South Wales. John was born in Ireland in 1769. At his trial his occupation was listed as a labourer.

The Minerva was a fast ship but had to wait for the other ships in the convoy to keep up. On 14 September it was decided that the Minerva would go on ahead and was alone on the 1st of October when two ships flying Portuguese colours fired upon her. Being the faster ship she was able to out run them. The Minerva arrived at Rio de Janeiro on 20 October and stayed there until 8 November. The trip from Rio de Janeiro to Port Jackson took only 64 days with the ship arriving at Port Jackson on 11 January 1800. The Friendship arrived on 16 February.
  • Bateson, Charles: The convict ships 1797-1868. Sydney, Library of Australian history, 2004 (originally published 1950)
Irish convicts to New South Wales database - http://members.pcug.org.au/~ppmay/cgi-bin/irish/irish.cgi

Pendegast, John, 31, Rebel (generically involved), Arrived Minerva (1800), Tried 1798 Dublin, 7 years, Date of Birth 1769, native place Dublin, Trade Labourer, Died 1833 Windsor.

1798 Irish Rebellion (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/irish_reb_01.shtml

Links to family history websites with information about John Pendergast

John Pendergast
http://www.myheritage.com/person-1002720_176119841_176119841/john-pendergast

John Pendergast
http://www.boddylines.com.au/02%20Family%20History/GAFFEY%20section/Individual%20web%20pages/Pendergast-John.htm

John Pendergast
http://www.geni.com/people/John-Pendergast/6000000008704726345

John Pendergast
https://australianroyalty.net.au/individual.php?pid=I64451&ged=purnellmccord.ged

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