Bussorah Merchant (1818 ship)
| History | |
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| Name: | Bussorah Merchant |
| Namesake: | Bussorah (Basra) |
| Owner: | W. Bruce & Co. |
| Builder: | J. Thomas, Howrah, Calcutta |
| Launched: | 16 September 1818 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 488, or 531 (bm) |
| Propulsion: | Sail |
Bussorah Merchant was a merchant ship built at Calcutta in 1818. She made three voyages transporting convicts from England and Ireland to Australia and later carried emmigrants and other passengers to Australia.
Bussorah Merchant was built in 1818 at Calcutta, from teak. She was 531 tons (bm) and had three masts. She was felted and doubled in 1833, had repairs to topsides and decks in 1846, and was sheathed with yellow metal in 1849. Later repairs were undertaken in 1852, when she was again sheathed with yellow metal, fastened with iron bolts.
Bussorah Merchant made one trip to Bengal for the British East India Company. Captain Francis Goddard Stewart left the City Canal on 24 May 1825 and on 20 June was at the Lower Hope (Reach 10 on the Thames River). She reached Madeira on 10 July, reached Kedgeree on 14 November, and arrived at Calcuta on 21 November. On this voyage she was carrying a detachment of the 38th Regiment of Foot. On 6 November there was a court martial at Fort William, of Lieutenant Francis Bernard of that regiment for insubordination during the journey towards Captain Greene, commanding officer of the regiment. The court martial found Bernard guilty of most of the charges and sentenced him to be reprimanded, and to the loss of two years rank in the Army and to be placed at the bottom of the list of lieutenants in his regiment. On 26 January 1826 Bussorah Merchant left for England, stopping at Madras, which she left on 23 March. On 23 April, an altercation broke out between Lieutenant Edward Kenny of the 89th Regiment of Foot and Mr. Robert Charlton, the ship's surgeon. The altercation resulted in Lieutenant Kenny shooting and killing Mr. Charlton. Bussorah Merchant arrived at London on 9 July. There Lieutenant Kenny was tried at the Old Bailey on 25 October. The court found Lieutenant Kenny guilty of manslaughter and fined him £10.
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