Curio

State Library of New South Wales
A Voyage to Sydney in New South Wales in 1798 & 1799

A Voyage to Sydney in New South Wales in 1798 & 1799

1798–1799
Manuscript
Bequest of Sir William Dixson, 1952
DLMS 32

In 1797 at the age of 43, William Noah was sentenced to death for being an accessory after the fact of robbing Mr Cuthbert Hilton. The sentence was commuted to transportation for life, and Noah was taken from Newgate Prison to the transport ship Hillsborough.

In his ‘Narrative’ to his sister, Noah notes many incidents relating to the behaviour of the convicts and their treatment in the long wait between sentencing and sailing. He also wrote two notes to the captain, asking permission to see his wife; she came to see him at Gravesend and again when the Hillsborough had moved to Portsmouth.

The ship finally sailed from Portsmouth on 20 December 1798, with 300 convicts on board. According to Noah’s account, a convict died nearly every day. Discontent was rife, and the voyage was so uncomfortable that ‘indeed Death would have been a welcome friend’.

Noah arrived in Sydney on 26 July 1799. In 1815 he received a conditional pardon and an absolute pardon in 1818, after which he become a clerk in a government lumberyard.

Noah’s narrative

Noah’s narrative consists of:


·  'A List of the Ship's Company of the Hillsborough that saild from Portsmouth on Thursday the 20th of December 1798 for Sydney in New South Wales', pp 1–2


'A Narrative of the proceding and Voyage in the Hilborough Capt William Hingston to Sidney in New South Wales of 300 Convicts 1798 & 1799', pp 3–63


'A List of the Convicts sent from Newgate Octr 18 1798', p 64.

 
'A list of the Convicts sent from the Stanishlaws Hulk (Woolwich) October the 20th 1798 that went for Sydney in New South Wales', pp.65-66.


'A List of the Convicts sent from the Prudentia Hulk Woolwich Octr 20 1798 that went for Sydney in New South Wales', pp.67-69


'A List of the Convicts sent from the Lyon Hulk Portsmouth 22 of November 1798 that went for Sydney in New South Wales', pp.69-72.


'A List of the Convicts sent from the Lafortuna & Ceres Hulks Portsmouth the 24 of November 1798 that went for Sydney New South Wales', pp.72-74.


'A few Remarks of the County of Cumberland in New South Wales', 12pp.

Sydney

Noah's remarks include a brief description of Sydney and mentions the settlements at Rose Hill, Parramatta and on the Hawkesbury; the social and commercial conditions of the colony; and Norfolk Island. He also gives descriptions of the Aboriginal people, and flora and fauna.

A typed transcript

A typed transcript (39pp.) is located at DLMSQ 44 and an index to it, compiled by Walter Jeffery, is at DLMSQ 45 and DLMSQ 70. Another typescript is located at DLMSQ 49 (88pp.).