Thompson's third iron ship, the stout-built
green clipper Samuel Plimsoll was christened by the Master's
wife in the presence of its namesake. Richard Broaden had left
the Star of Peace to take charge of the Samuel Plimsoll
for the White Star Line. The Samuel Plimsoll was a double
topgallant yarder specially fitted out for migrants, and on her
first voyage took 180 from Plymouth on 19 November 1873.
Despite poor winds to the equator she gained Port Jackson on 1
February 1874, a voyage of seventy-five days. Revelling in the
Roaring Forties, her first and best run to Sydney was under Henderson,
in 68 days.
The Samuel Plimsoll made another passage to Sydney in 1874,
taking 74 days. In 1875 she departed Plymouth on 6 August to reach
Sydney on 22 October, bringing miner Robert Beattie, 22, from
Northumberland to Australia - he was literate and a member of
the Church of England. In 1876 the Samuel Plimsoll did
the run in 76 days, while in 1877 she departed Plymouth on 9 June
1877 to arrive in Sydney on 27 August 1877, after a voyage
of 77 days . Master Richard Boaden, Surgeon Pringle Hughes. Passengers
- Wills and Green families from Cornwall. At 6,615 super feet
(excluding cabin), the Samuel Plimsoll was allowed to carry
a maximum of 441 statute adults; on this voyage she carried 385.
In 1879 the Samuel Plimsoll departed Plymouth about 21 March
and gained Sydney with migrants on 12 June, still under the
command of Richard Broaden; literate Presbyterian Jane Beattie,
18, of Linlithgow, was one emigrant passengers. On a later trip
of 72 days, arriving Sydney 9 July 1880, the Samuel Plimsoll
brought out Irish assisted immigrants John and Mary A Morrow,
and their children Ann M, Margaret, James and Emily. It is uncertain
how closely related these Morrows were to the Morrows who settled
near Oberon NSW.
The Samuel Plimsoll made several other voyages to Sydney
and Melbourne in from 73 to 78 days. She sailed direct from Plymouth
via Bass Strait to reach Sydney on 1 June 1882 with migrants.
In 1883 on a passage to Sydney, the Samuel Plimsoll ran
thirteen consecutive days at an average of 328 miles, in one 24
hour period covering 348 miles. On this voyage she had departed
Plymouth c. 6 April with immigrants, and reached Sydney on
17 June. In 1885, the Samuel Plimsoll left London
on 4 April, reaching Sydney on 21 June in a race with
the Cutty Sark. The Samuel Plimsoll lost a man overboard
in the Bay of Biscay on this passage.
In 1887 the Samuel Plimsoll was transferred from the Sydney
run to the Melbourne trade. In her only mishap, under the command
of Captain Simpson, she lost her fore topmast and main topgallant
mast when the bobstay was carried away in a tropical squall. An
accompanying American clipper offered assistance and transhipment
for the Samuel Plimsoll's passengers; Simpson declined,
and completed the trip to Melbourne in eighty-two days unaided.
Upon reaching Melbourne, the American skipper went to the Samuel
Plimsoll's agents and reported her condition and Simpson's
rashness in declining his offers. He was amazed to learn that
Simpson was safely in port, and had been for several days.
The Samuel Plimsoll met an unbecoming and ungainly end.
She caught fire lying at anchor and was scuttled in the Thames
in 1899, to be raised, repaired and sold to Shaw, Saville and
Albion Co. for the New Zealand trade. Leaving Glasgow under Captain
Jaffray on 18 June 1902 for Dunedin and Auckland, she encountered
gales near Nugget Point Light on 17 September, and a heavy
squall off Cape Saunders. She lost her lower main topsail, then
the maincap broke, and mizzen and main masts went over the side
smashing the ship's four boats and carrying away a lot of the
bulwarks. The crew, uninjured, managed to clear the heavy iron
masts before they damaged the sides, and the disabled vessel wallowed
in the seas until, driven north to the Gable End Foreland, she
was picked up by the Union Company's Omapere and towed
into Gisborne Roads for shelter. The Union Company's Hawea
then gave her a tow to Otago/Port Chalmers in yet more stormy
weather. The Samuel Plimsoll was not considered repairable
and after unloading was sold and towed from New Zealand to Sydney
behind a 120 fathom hawser. From there she was towed to Western
Australia and converted to a coal hulk . Brett (1928).
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