17 December 1863

Thomas Keir diary - 17 December 1863 entry [National Library Micro-MS-0837]

Thursday 17th Turned out of bed at 6A.M.
passed a barque in the forenoon very close. she
crossed our tract to the westward bound for
the [Brazils?]. A young Irishman Yorkshire man[1] was caught
last night by the Doctor, with another mans
wife, they were tried by a mock court
on the top of the [?], Wilson[2] was judge
with a sheepskin for a wig powdered
with flour, spectacles made of an old
hat, a large wooden pen, & Wellington boot
for an inkhorn. The ship is going hard up
to the wind for the whole day, a good bit
west of her course, warm and sultry I am
scarcely able to move about the deck with the
fatigue of the heat. Made a potatoe pie for
tea and it got nicely baked, and the whole mess
pronounced it excellent. An infant[3] died this
forenoon & was committed to the deep in the
afternoon, its father made it a [?] in [?]
to the canvas. two ships in sight at sunset.

STANDARDISED

Thursday 17th

Turned out of bed at 6am. Passed a barque in the forenoon very close, she crossed our tract to the westward bound for the [Brazils?]. A young Yorkshire man was caught last night by the Doctor, with another man’s wife. They were tried by a mock court on the top of the [?]. Wilson was judge with a sheepskin for a wig powdered with flour, spectacles made of an old hat, a large wooden pen, and Wellington boot for an inkhorn. The ship is going hard up to the wind for the whole day, a good bit west of her course. Warm and sultry. I am scarcely able to move about the deck with the fatigue of the heat. Made a potato pie for tea and it got nicely baked, and the whole mess pronounced it excellent. An infant died this forenoon and was committed to the deep in the afternoon, its father made it a [?] in [?] to the canvas. Two ships in sight at sunset.

HENRY SCHOFIELD DIARY

Dec 17th v fine

Got up off deck about 4 Oclock. I saw a ship pass us the Brahmin a large one bound for Brazil. Reading the British Trident of Naval Warfare. The wind drove us a good out of our course. Very hot, expecting to cross the line very soon going, about 3 knots per hour. We had a sham court and judge about that affair the other night. For dinner Pork & Pea soup, tea fruitcake. A little infant aged 5 months died in Mary Earnshaw’s arms about 9 Oclock & put overboard at 1/2 past 4 Oclock.

Notes

1. We know from Henry Schofield’s entry yesterday that the young man was Thomas Bowman, an 18 year old farm labourer from Yorkshire, travelling with his family.

2. There’s no passenger named Wilson in the assisted emigrants listing, the list of cabin passengers reported in the newspaper, nor as a member of the crew. It’s likely he was another steerage passenger who paid full fare for the voyage.

3. The infant was Edward Davis, whose death at 10.30am was logged by the captain:

“Edward Davies” Infant son of Isaiah & Sarah Davies, expired from convulsions caused by cutting its teeth. 4 P.M. Buried the deceased

The family are recorded under the surname “Davis” in the assisted emigrants passenger list. Isaiah (29) and Sarah (30) were from Warwickshire and were travelling with their four children: Robert (5), Annie (4), Ellen (2) and Edward, whose age was given as 6 months.