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Ocean (1794 ship)

Ocean was an English merchant ship and whaler built in 1794, at South Shields, England. She performed two voyages as an "extra" ship for the British East India Company (EIC) and later, in 1803, she accompanied HMS Calcutta to Port Phillip. The vessels supported the establishment of a settlement under the leadership of Lt Col David Collins. Calcutta transported convicts, with Ocean serving to transport supplies. When the settlers abandoned Port Phillip, Ocean, in two journeys, relocated the settlers, convicts and marines to the River Derwent in 1804.

Description
Ocean was a three-masted, copper-sheathed brig. She was built in 1794 at South Shields. Originally, Ocean was to be a whaler owned by the newly operating South Sea fishers, Thomas and Edward Hurrys, who were bankrupt by 1806.{{Cite web ==East India Company==
East India Company
Ocean made two trips to Bengal as an "extra" ship for the EIC. That is, the EIC chartered her on a per-voyage basis, rather than having her on long-term contract; extra ships were usually smaller than the regular East Indiaman. The French Revolutionary Wars having started, she sailed under letters of marque for both voyages. EIC voyage #1 (1796–1798) The first letter was issued on 22 January 1796, and gave her captain's name as John Bowen. EIC voyage #2 (1798–1800) In 1798, she was repaired by Fletcher. She received her second letter of marque on 30 July 1798. That letter gave her captain's name as Robert Abbon Mash. On 4 October 1798, she sailed for Bengal. She reached the Cape of Good Hope on 14 January 1799, Madras on 9 May, Coringa on 16 June, and Calcutta on 17 July. On the return leg she was at Diamond Harbour on 25 September, and Kedgeree by 23 October. By 26 January 1800, Ocean was at Saint Helena, and reached the Downs on 30 May. She returned to her moorings in Britain on 1 June. ==Transport to Australia==
Transport to Australia
The British Government chartered Ocean from Messrs Hurry & Co as a supply ship for the journey from Portsmouth to Port Phillip. On the voyage to Port Phillip, she carried 100 people along with supplies needed for the settlement at Port Phillip. The people on Ocean included Captain John Mertho, nine officers, 26 seamen, eight civil officers including George Harris (a surveyor), and Adolarius Humphrey, a mineralogist, and a group of free settlers. Many of the free settlers had skills that would be of value to the new settlement – five were carpenters, two seamen, two millers, a whitesmith (works with white or light coloured metals such as tin or pewter), a stonemason, gardener, painter, schoolteacher, pocketbook maker (maker of wallets and covered notebooks) and two servants. When this settlement was abandoned, Ocean, in two journeys, relocated the settlers, convicts, and marines to the River Derwent (Hobart Town) in 1804. She was there on 26 August, when Alexander was also there gathering whale oil from the "black whale". Accounts record that Ocean fired a salute of 11 guns on the establishment of the settlement at Hobart.{{Cite web ==EIC service again==
EIC service again
Ocean was released from service with His Majesty's government after moving Collins's settlers to Hobart. She sailed to Port Jackson and was there by 26 August 1804. At Port Jackson she took on fresh provisions. On 24 October 1804, she sailed to New Zealand to engage in whaling. She then sailed to Canton to China to pick up cargo. On her journey to China, Ocean sailed to the phosphate-rich Micronesian island of Banaba. Captain John Mertho and Ocean are sometimes credited with the official European discovery of Banaba. Most sources credit the discovery to Captain Jared Gardner of the American vessel Diana on 3 January 1801. From Banaba Ocean sailed on to the Marshall Islands in November. By 20 December, Ocean was at Whampoa. A month later, on 24 January 1805, she was at Macao. Another month saw her at Malacca on 25 February. She reached Saint Helena on 1 July, and The Downs on 16 September. ==''Lloyd's Register''==
Lloyd's Register
In 1806, Hurry & Co. sold Ocean to a "Bousfield". She continued to trade as a London transport. She was last listed in 1823. She appears rarely in the Register of Shipping, the last time in 1821. ==Historical references==
Historical references
The voyage to Australia is well documented in a number of sources.{{Cite web ==Convicts and passengers known to have travelled on Ocean==
Convicts and passengers known to have travelled on Ocean
Samuel Lightfoot had arrived as a convict on the first fleet. He then received one of the first grants for land on the lower north shore of Port Jackson in the vicinity of Jeffrey Street, Sydney. Shortly after the expiration of his sentence, he returned to England, where he petitioned to be allowed to return with his wife, though she appears not to have sailed. Lightfoot subsequently returned to Australia and then traveled on the Ocean from Port Phillip, arriving in Tasmania in 1804. The Lieutenant-Governor of the new settlement at Port Phillip, David Collins subsequently appointed Lightfoot supervisor of the hospital in Hobart Town. Lightfoot died in 1818, aged 65. • Ann Jane Hobbs, an American was a public servant appointed to the Collins expedition in 1803, at the last minute. He left England before instructions or a formal commission for his office as the Deputy Commissary could be issued. Still, he took charge of all government stores at Collins Settlement at Port Phillip. When David Collins moved the settlement to Van Diemen's Land, Fosbrook pitched his marquee on Hunter's Island, which became the site of the original commissariat store. For some years Fosbrook carried out his duties to Collins's entire satisfaction, but around August 1809, he resigned his office after a disagreement with the lieutenant-governor. The position of Deputy Commissary then went to George Harris. In April 1810, Fosbrook travelled to Sydney with the news of Governor David Collins's death. While there he successfully sought reinstatement as Deputy Commissary at Hobart Town. He was for a short time also appointed magistrate and first treasurer of the police fund. was a surgeon in the Royal Lancashire Regiment. In January 1803, he was commissioned as a civil assistant surgeon to accompany Lieutenant-Governor David Collins and his expedition to Port Phillip. When David Collins moved the settlement to Van Diemen's Land, Bowden was one of the first ashore, landing at Frederick Henry Bay on 12 February 1804. Bowden played a prominent role at Hobart attending to the sick. He was granted of land at Humphrey's Rivulet in August 1804, where he had a vegetable garden and crops, and began to acquire livestock. Bowden attended Governor David Collins at his death in March 1810, then became first assistant surgeon of the civil medical establishment in Hobart. In October 1810 Governor Lachlan Macquarie granted him an additional of land on the Derwent River. Bowden's sudden death on 23 October 1814, shocked the whole community of Hobart. was 47 years old when he was appointed agricultural superintendent to sail with Lieutenant-Governor David Collins on the supply ship Ocean on 24 April 1803, for Port Phillip. After Collins decided to abandon Port Phillip and move the settlement to Van Diemens Land, Clark, then in charge of the convicts, supervised the reloading of stores onto Ocean. In August 1804, Clark was put in charge of the government farm at New Town, where the colony's stock had been sent. In October 1807, Clark took up residence in the main settlement at Hobart Town as storekeeper. He was still in government employment when, with J. Barnes, he printed in 1810, Tasmania's first newspaper, the Derwent Star and Van Diemens Land Intelligencer. This was a government journal edited by George Harris. Thomas Clark was granted of land, which he finally located at Campania. He was appointed superintendent of convicts once more, but resigned in 1812. Clark died in December 1828, his death not being recorded in the press. ==Notes==
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