Journal from the Blackwall ship SHANNON
Author
F J Marshall
Date1860s
Object number00056035
NameJournal
MediumPaper
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection Gift from Sandra Davies
DescriptionThe Shannon journal provides a snapshot into life aboard a Blackwall trading vessel during the 1860s. Launched in 1862 at the Blackwall ship yard on the river Thames, the Shannon had a single gallery, fine hull line and stern, tailored for fast trading voyages between England and India. The journal notably chronicles a complete round trip voyage to Kolkata (1862-1863) through the words of officer FJ Marshall. This includes finely detailed crew and passenger lists, navigational observations, and records of Marshall's duties throughout the voyage. Falling at the tail end of the East India Company's existence, the Shannon journal is an important document profiling a new period of trade and passenger transport from the UK to India, Australia and New Zealand.HistoryThe SHANNON was launched in 1862 by Green and Wigram at the Blackwall Yard on the River Thames in the United Kingdom. A 'Blackwall' was the colloquial name given to a three masted fully rigged ship built at this yard from the 1830s to 1870s. These frigate like ships followed on from the East Indiamen sailing ships, and were employed for trade primarily with India following the expiration of the East India Company Exclusive Charter in 1833. From the 1850s on Blackwall's also operated along the trade route between England, Australia, and New Zealand. They had a single gallery, thus similar to the Royal Navy Frigate, and a fine hull line and stern, making for fast sailing. The Shannon once completed a round trip to Melbourne, including time in port, in five months twenty seven days, a considerably fast trip at the time.
Moultrie Salt served as a third, second, and chief officer on various sail and steamships throughout the mid to late nineteenth century. Following his period aboard the Shannon in 1866, Salt notably served aboard the sailing ship Lord Warden as a third officer during a voyage from London to Sydney and back (1870-1871). He then saw positions aboard the SS BAGHDAD (1872-1873) and the SS MALDA (1874) as part of the British India Steam Navigation Company service. He served as a chief officer aboard the Rajmehal in 1876, second officer on the SS ASIA (1877-1878), and went through a period from 1879 to 1881 working on Union Steamship Company (USS co) vessels. During this time, he went on a period of leave from the USS co to command the SS NYANZA (1880-1881), the property of the Sultan of Zanzibar. From December 1884 to June 1885 Salt held chief and commanding officer positions aboard RMS AUSTRALIA, completing a voyage from Sydney to San Francisco.
In 1890 Salt met Louisa Josland on a trip to Australia and they married in Sydney shortly thereafter on the 23rd of July. On their marriage certificate Salt is identified as the Master Mariner of SS Catterthun. Moultrie and Louisa spent the rest of their lives in Sydney, Moultrie passing away in 1932 and Louisa in 1944. On his death certificate Salt's occupation is identified as Landing Waiter.SignificanceThis journal provides a comprehensive account of a round trip voyage undertaken by the Shannon from Gravesend in the United Kingdom to Kolkata India from 1862 to 1863. Recorded by junior ship officer F.J Marshall, it includes a list of the crew for the voyage and the respective position and rank of each officer and crew member, from captain to scullery man to chaplain. The changeover in crew personnel for the return journey is also detailed, with comments such as "Botswain's mate left in Calcutta (sic) Foreman made Botswain's mate in Calcutta". A list of passengers and class levels is also provided for both outward and homeward bound journeys. For the return, a note reads "...children too numerous to be mentioned". These crew and passenger listings offer important detail on the composition of trading vessels from the period, how certain crew members would not always stay with the same ship for a round-trip voyage, how passenger levels may fluctuate dependent on port of call.
The 1862 to 1863 section of the journal also includes a ship log kept by Marshall for the outbound and homeward bound journeys. Daily summaries of weather are given, along with notes on ship course and navigation, comments by Marshall on duties undertaken during the voyage, and encounters with passing vessels. Outbound on the 21 August Marshall records that the Shannon "exchanged colours with French brig Julie, sent two bags of biscuits on board". On September 28 the ship is battling a storm with a "fresh gale, strong squalls, heavy swell, ship pitching deeply taking much water at lines, stored for sail and close reefed top sail". Throughout November Marshall details numerous duties, "washed and scrubbed clothes" (7th), "caught a shark" (11th), and "employed painting the inside of the ship" (19th). His log is a fantastically detailed account of the journey, and significant as a first hand document on the experiences of a junior officer employed on a commercial vessel during this period.
The journal also includes partial log sections for voyages to Kolkata in 1863, 1866, and leg of a trip from Kolkata to St. Helena in 1867. An 1866 crew listing is given, Moultrie Salt named among the officers. This section also features port and starboard watch categories for crew, and a list of the horses carried aboard for the voyage. The Shannon operated along the trade route between the United Kingdom and India on the tail end of the East India Company's existence, and this journal stands as an important highly detailed document chronicling a changing period of trade between the UK and India.
A rare goods certificate is also included in the Shannon journal for the steamer S.S. Malda, a British India Steam Navigation Company (BI) vessel. Dated 30 December 1874, the certificate lists 340 bags as held aboard the Malda for Bombay. For a year, from April 1874 to November 1874, Moultrie Salt served aboard this vessel as a third and second officer. This certificate as a reflection of BI's operation in India during this period.
