Alexander (1801 ship Shields)

History
Great Britain
Name:	Alexander
Owner:	F. Hurry & Co.
Launched:	1801, Newcastle
Fate:	Wrecked 1808
General characteristics
Type:	Full-rigged ship
Tons burthen:	301 (bm)
Propulsion:	Sail
Complement:	32 men
Armament:	6 guns

Alexander was a 301-ton merchant vessel launched at Shields in 1801. She became a whaler and made a voyage to New Zealand and the South Seas whale fisheries for Hurry & Co. She was wrecked while outbound from Liverpool in October 1808.

Alexander enters Lloyd's Register in 1801 with owner Hurry & Co., W. Sharp, master, changing to T.Robson, and trade, London-Baltic. In 1802 her master changed to R. Rhodes and her trade changed to London-South Seas. She was valued at £7,200.

Captain Robert Rhodes sailed Alexander from Britain on 18 January 1802 for the New South Wales fishery. She was at Isle of Mayo on 10 March, and St Iago, both Cape Verde islands, on 18 March. She arrived at Rio de Janeiro on 20 April. There she underwent calefaction. By October she was at Norfolk Island. In March 1803 she was at New Zealand, but by May she was back at Norfolk Island. While Alexander was at the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, a 16-year old Māori named Teina joined her as a sailor.

Alexander was reported to have arrived at Port Jackson on 1 June 1803, having arrived there from New Zealand with "oil". The oil consisted of 50 tons of spermaceti oil. At Norfolk, Alexander picked up 18,535lbs. of pork, salted there, and brought it back to Port Jackson on behalf and account of the Government of New South Wales. At Port Jackson, Teina, the first Māori recorded to have left New Zealand since 1793, stayed with Governor King.Alexander left Port Jackson on 19 September to return Teina to New Zealand. Governor King had given him gifts to take back with him, including pigs. When they arrived at New Zealand Alexander recruited a second Māori, Maki. He and Teina then remained sailors on board Alexander for the next three years until she returned to Britain. (Teina died there but Maki survived.)

Alexander was again at New Zealand in December, and was reported to have been off the coast in April-May 1804. By May she again visited Norfolk Island. She returned to Port Jackson where she stayed in June-July. She was at Hobart Town oand in the Derwent on 26 August when Ocean arrived with the settlers she was bringing from the failed colony at Port Phillip. Alexander was in the Derwent gathering whale oil from the "black whale". She was still there in September, but at New Zealand in November. She returned to Port Jackson in December.

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