Maitland: 1838 Charter for Emigration

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The Document: Charter Party of Affreightment

Charter of the Maitland 1838

The above document was copied and filed under the Australian Joint Copying Project (Reel PRO 6583 - Location ADM./3808) and is used here with acknowledgement to the Mitchell Library Reading Room, State Library of New South Wales.
The original is held in Admiralty Records in England (Public Record Office)

It appears to read as follows:
(From) The Comptroller of Victualling
1st June 1838

The Ship Maitland of 648 1/94 tons has been chartered, in consequence of Mr Stephen's letter of the 8th ultimo, for the conveyance of Emigrants to Australia at the rate of £3 : 19 : 9 per ton Register, and it is stipulated that she shall be at Gravesend about the middle of this month, and touch at Portsmouth if required.

The superficial contents of her lower deck are 3,200 feet, and it is necessary that the Secretary of State for the Colonial Department should signify the number of adults and children for whom accommodation is to be fitted.

James Meek
(To) The Secretary of the Admiralty

Bruce's note: I calculate the total cost of the charter in 1838 as £2,583:18:10.
In 1844 (the nearest reference I can locate), a dozen eggs in Australia cost about 1 shilling, a two pound loaf of bread 3 pence and tea was 1/6 per pound, so the reader can calculate some equivalence in today's money.
From: The Maitland Mercury: 18 May 1844

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This page was updated on: 8 September 2020