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Dawson | Official Number
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Dawson | Official Number
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The Dawson was a brig, launched from the
shipbuilding yard of Christopher Ashburner, at Skerton, near
Lancaster, on the 19th August 1826. She was the penultimate vessel to
be built there, the last being the Valentine, launched the following
February.
The Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser, 29th August
1826, page 3;
" "On Saturday week was launched from the building yard of
Messrs.Worthington and Ashburner, at Skerton, Lancaster, a fine new
brig called the Dawson, burthen 250 tons, coppered and
copper-fastened, and is intended for the West India trade - to be
commanded by Captain Francis Dawson, of this town."
The Dawson seems to have made her maiden voyage to Trinidad,
then in 1827/8 made a voyage from London to Mauritius. In the following five years she
seems to have operated in the trade to the Caribbean and to the West
coast of South America, remaining under the command of Capt.Dawson.
Thomas Weeding, a director of the East India Company, may have had some
share in her ownership during these years. In late 1833 Thomas Weeding
possibly took a greater share in her ownership, and started to prepare
the Dawson for
a voyage to Singapore and Manila. He began to advertise her impending
voyage in the Times during November 1833. Her master was listed as
Francis Dawson. It was only at the start of January 1834 that the Dawson finally departed, her destination being given as
Singapore, Manila and China. Very little is known of this voyage other than her departure date from
Manila on 12th August 1834. From Manila she sailed to the Cape of Good
Hope and after a brief stay there sailed for home on the 24th November
1834. The Dawson arrived off Gravesend on the 5th February 1835.
In May 1835 Thomas Weeding made plans for the Dawson to proceed to
Manila via Sydney, N.S.W. Although originally down to sail in mid
May she did not leave London until the 8th June 1835, with two steerage
passengers and a mixed cargo, mainly iron and lead, but also carrying
general merchandise, a considerable quantity of spirits, wine and 104
barrels of stout. She arrived at Sydney on the 9th October 1835 and sailed
for Manila on 31st October. The date of her arrival in Manila is not recorded but she had left
there and was on her way to Singapore by the 28th March 1835, when she
encountered a large abandoned Chinese junk, apparently plundered by
pirates, in the South China Sea. The Dawson reached Singapore on the 13th April and remained there until her departure for London on the 2nd
May. Once again no other details of her voyage, and indeed her arrival back in London, can be found.
Although originally listed to depart London on 25th November 1836 the Dawson had not sailed until the 18th January 1837, reaching the Cape of Good Hope on the 30th March, and finally arriving at Hobart on the 18th May 1837 with general cargo. She is listed in the Hobart Marine Board arrivals as having a crew of 12. Also aboard were five passengers. The Dawson did not leave for home immediately, instead taking on board a cargo of grain and making her way to Launceston in the north of the colony, arriving there in early June before returning to Hobart. On the 22nd June she again sailed from Hobart for Launceston but did not arrive there until the 3rd July with a cargo of wheat. She remained in Launceston until the 10th August and arrived back in Hobart on the 15th August. This time she loaded cargo for London and finally departed for home on the 8th October 1837. Dr.Cramp and his family were passengers aboard.
The Dawson is listed as arriving of Falmouth on 8th February 1838. It is not clear if she remained there or made her way back to London.
The 1838 Lloyd’s Register shows Weeding as the owner with Hassel & Co in brackets below it, indicating that ownership of the vessel changed during the year. At the same time the command of the Sarah (another ship owned by Thomas Weeding) was taken by Capt.Francis Dawson. On 7th April 1838 a Bill of Sale was finalised for the sale of from Thomas Weeding to Frederic Boucher of 29 Tokenhouse Yard, London and John Hassel, Master Mariner, of Launceston, Tasmania. The sale price was £3,900, two shares each of £1,950. The Dawson continued to sail on the London-Sydney trade until they in turn sold her in 1842 to Raven & Co. Thereafter the Dawson seems to have been owned on the NE coast of England, until her loss in 1869.
The Newcastle Courant, Friday, 26th November 1869;
" Wreck of a Newcastle vessel and the loss of two lives - The brig
Dawson, of Newcastle, was wrecked on the rocks at Redcar on Tuesday
night. The life-boat Burton-on-Trent, belonging to the National
Life-boat Institution, went out through a heavy sea, and was
fortunately the means of saving six of the shipwrecked crew. John
Rook, of Yarmouth, and the cabin boy were unhappily drowned in
attempting to make the shore in their own boat. "
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