England to Australia

[Nick1412]

I am trying to find details of a relative that emigrated to Australia.
Alfred Balding was born 1846 Newbury, but was brought up mostly in Bristol. I have him as crew on a boat "Ann Buckle" in 1865 from the Bristol register office but no details of where the boat was heading. He married in April 1870 in Fitzroy, Victoria at which point his occupation was Mariner.

I have made contact with his descendants, but they do not know any details of his emigration. I have details of his children born in Australia, but not any information about his life as a mariner or the boat that took him out there.

Any help gratefully received.

[Jan1954]

The Ann Buckle is mentioned on the Register of Ships, transcribed from the Lloyds Register of Shipping. Scroll down to beyond halfway. In 1864, it was sailing to India.

[spison]

The 'Ann Buckle' is listed as arriving in Australia during 1860 on mariners DOT records.nsw.gov.au . I can find no further references to her for 1865 but as she was on her way to India, a trip to Australia would not have been out of the question. There were no appropriate Balding entries on this site for your man (either as Alf, Alfred, Mr., A. passenger or crew). They were later than 1870 or earlier than 1865.

I hate to dishearten you but you may never find the name of his ship of arrival.

Jane

[Kerrywood]

Alfred Balding was born 1846 Newbury, but was brought up mostly in Bristol. I have him as crew on a boat "Ann Buckle" in 1865 from the Bristol register office but no details of where the boat was heading.

The newspapers can be helpful in ascertaining shipping movements.

Bristol Mercury, Saturday, October 21, 1865

"NARROW ESCAPE OF A BRISTOL SHIP. -- A serious accident happened to the ship Ann Buckle, of Bristol, Captain Lyle, from Newport, as she was entering Kurrachee on the morning of the 6th of September, in tow of the tug steamer Sind. The Ann Buckle had a full cargo of Delhi railway material on board, amounting in all to 1260 tons of iron rails, &c. She touched the ground when abreast the buoys, the steamer became unmanageable, the tow ropes were let go, and the ship left to take care of herself. An anchor was let go but did not hold, and the chain at last parted, when the ship drifted helplessly on the bar, and remained striking herself until the tow ropes were again passed from the steamer, and the ship was towed and run aground on the mud bank off Baba Island to prevent her sinking in deep water, as she was leaking very freely, and when run ashore had nearly four feet of water in the hold. The cargo was discharged as fast as possible, and gangs of coolies worked night and day in pumping and discharging."

If this is the sailing on which you have located him, it sounds like he would have needed a different vessel to reach Australia.

Kerrywood

[spison]

Good find Kerrywood!

I'm off to check the NLA newspapers to see if there's any mention of him - completely slipped my mind.

Jane

[spison]

Hi Nick and Kerrywood,

Nothing suitable on him or the sinking of the Ann Buckle (lots on the Ann Buckle but nix on the sinking) - sometimes there is a mention of the ship in which the passengers (I know he was probably crew) completed the journey.

Thinking out loud here - If he was employed by Mr Buckle, who would have been responsible for getting him back from Kurrachee (Karrachi?)?

Jane

[Nick1412]

Jane and Kerrywood

Thanks for the information. I might not know how he got there but I now know more about the vessels he worked on. Great stuff.

Nick