Journal of Surgeon John Love
Log of the Surgeon of Mellish between 4th day of May 1830 and 27th day of September 1830 - Mr John Love Surgeon
First patient at Woolwich 20 May 1830, died of phthisis 29 July at sea.
Second patient had constitutional infirmity and died at sea 5 June.
Third patient Mary Ann WILSON, free.
There were 7 patients on the voyage and three died.
General Remarks
Agreeable to the 35th article of my Instructions the following Statement will show the number of women and children embarked in the
"Mellish" female convict ship for passage to Van Diemens Land from whence received and at what time.
| Date | Place From | Women | Children |
| 7th May 1830 | Perth | 1 | |
| 10th | Penitentiary | 1 | |
| 10th | Dumfries | 2 | |
| 12th | Aberdeen | 3 | 3 |
| 12th | Ayer, Stone-haven, Greenock and Paisley | 5 | |
| 17th | Dumbarton | 1 | |
| 17th | Edinburgh | 27 | 2 |
| 17th | Glasgow | 12 | 2 |
| 17th and 18th | Newgate | 65 | 9 |
| 21st | Inverness | 1 |
Between 11th and 20th from different parts of England - free women 14 with 45 children
Total women 132 with 61 children
The foregoing journal contains the whole of the cases of Sickness recurring on board the "Mellish on Voyage to Van Diemens Land; and although three have died I am happy to say the general State of health was good and the remainder landed without any Symptom or appearance of disease.
The general improvement in flesh and appearance was very evident in the whole of them, especially the children amounting to 61 in number many of whom were puny, delicate and mostly affected with worms. The most constant complaint among the women was obstinate constipation; it is Surprising the quantity of medicine necessary to remove this complaint in some of them.
Of those who died Ann THOMAS had been Suffering from Pectoral affection while in Newgate and was taken on board at her own[?] earnest Solicitude and whith a hope that her complaint would be benefited by removal from the confinement of a prison. Ann SAUNDERS (or Fraser) Case 2 although only 37 years of age was impaired and broken down in constitution. I could never trace any particular disease, but a constant and incessant vomiting especially when there was the least motion, appeared the most distressing although her appetite for food was great and remained so to the last. Jean ANDERSON (case 7) who died of caries of the bones of the Head and Ear; was of a healthy appearance, and nothing was known of her complaint until after Sailing although it had been going on for years. I regret that no examination of the two last patients took place after death, in consequence of the boisterous and Stormy State of the weather and the wet State of the Sick-Bay so much So that the patients were obliged to be removed to Sleeping berths outside of the time. There are two cases which I have found it difficult to assign a name, and classification to; these are Mary REORDAN and Ann SAUNDERS.
To preserve health the people were all Sent on deck after breakfast and kept up until four in the afternoon with the exception of an hour to dinner provided always that the weather was mild and dry. The lower deck kept as dry as possible and cleaned by scraping or dry Holy-Stoning and occasionally aired by Stoves, the bottom boards lifted every day and put into the upper berths during the day bedding shook out and spread out to air, once a week. When Lime-juice or wine was Served every person was mustered and drank their allowance at the tub on the quarter deck generally in my presence.
John Love Surgeon Superintendent
AJCP Reel 3204
Admiralty Medical Journals 1785-1856
Vol 53 1-7 Convict Ships, ADM 101/53/2
Transcribed and submitted to this site by
Sally Steel
Transcription © Sally Steel 2002. All rights reserved
Back to Mellish
Back to Main Convict Page
Submitted 19-Mar-2002
