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Loss of the AMPHITRITE, Captain Hunter, 31 August 1833
Loss of the AMPHITRITE, Captain Hunter, 31 August 1833

Loss of the AMPHITRITE, Captain Hunter, 31 August 1833

Author
Date1838
Object number00009002
NameMagazine
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 243 x 188 mm
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThe loss of the AMPHITRITE was the first major convict transportation shipwreck, with the loss of 136 people. It was transporting 108 female convicts, including 12 of their children, to New South Wales. A gale drove it ashore near Boulogne, France. The female convicts managed to get on deck and begged to be allowed to leave the ship but Captain Hunter remained obstinate, as he felt unable to ensure their continued imprisonment. After several hours, AMPHITRITE broke in two and only three of the crew survived.HistoryThe loss of the AMPHITRITE on 1 September 1833 was the first major convict transportation shipwreck, with the loss of 136 people. It was transporting 108 female convicts, 12 children and 16 crew. AMPHITRITE left Woolwich, England on 25 August 1833 and ran into a heavy gale and large sea off the coast of Boulogne, France. The captain of the ship attempted to use the anchor to prevent the vessel going ashore but to no avail. Several bystanders attempted to offer assistance but the captain was hesitant to offload the convicts and therefore refused. The female convicts managed to get on deck and begged to be allowed to leave the ship but the captain remained obstinate, as he felt unable to ensure their continued imprisonment. After several hours, AMPHITRITE broke in two and only three of the crew survived. Pamphlets and broadsheet featuring rhymes and verses were the cheapest prints available during the 18th and 19th century. They were sold by street sellers known as Flying Stationers, who charged a minimal fee of a penny or half-penny. They featured popular songs that were often sung in homes, inns and taverns and covered a range of themes relating to contemporary events or stories. Printed alongside the songs were woodcut illustrations. Most of the broadsheet publishers did not date or mark their works, making it difficult to pinpoint when they were produced. The publication of ballads was part of the commemoration and production of material about shipwrecks. Ships were part of everyday life in the 19th century and stories about their voyages, wrecks, record breaking voyages and commissions often featured in newspapers and commemorative souvenirs. SignificanceThis pamphlet is an example of society's abiding interest in convict transportation disasters and shipwrecks.